CAA Volleyball Weekly Awards – Oct. 16
Hunter Peters
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 16, 2023) – The CAA has announced its volleyball weekly award winners following the eighth week of the 2023 season. Towson outside hitter Nina Cajic earned CAA Offensive Player of the Week accolades, and Delaware middle blocker Kirah Johnson was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week. In addition, Kaili Doctor received her second straight CAA Rookie of the Week honor.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nina Cajic, Towson
Senior | Outside Hitter | Subotica, Serbia / Politehnicka skola Subotica
Cajic paced Towson with 4.43 kills per set on a blistering .547 hitting percentage to lead Towson to a weekend sweep over UNCW. For the weekend, the senior outside hitter totaled 31 kills with just two errors, adding 18 digs (2.57/set), four service aces and three blocks. On Saturday, Cajic tallied her fourth double-double this season, recording a match-high 18 kills without an error, posting a .600 hitting percentage with 13 digs in a four-set victory. She followed the performance with a match-high 13 kills, swinging .478, adding five digs and two service aces in a straight-set win on Sunday.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kirah Johnson, Delaware
Senior | Middle Blocker | Centreville, Va. / Westfield
Johnson totaled 16 blocks, averaging 2.29 per set, to lead a Delaware defensive effort that limited Stony Brook to a .130 hitting percentage in a weekend sweep of the Seawolves. The senior middle blocker stamped an exclamation point on the weekend, recording her first career double-double on Sunday. Johnson tallied a career-high 13 blocks and added 11 kills on a .355 hitting percentage in a four-set victory. The 13 blocks are the second most by a CAA student-athlete in any match this season and the most by a Blue Hen since 2012. In addition, Johnson added three blocks and three kills without an error in a straight-set win on Saturday.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Kaili Doctor, North Carolina A&T
Freshman | Outside Hitter | Mars, Pa. / Pine Richland
Doctor contributed 3.50 kills per set, helping North Carolina A&T end a 17-year, 14-match losing streak to Elon with a weekend sweep of the Phoenix. On Saturday, the freshman outside hitter tallied 15 kills with four digs and two blocks in a five-set victory for the Aggies. Doctor concluded the weekend with a match-high 13 kills, hitting .407, with five digs and three blocks in a straight-set win on Sunday. With the weekend performance, the freshman extended her streak of matches with at least 10 kills to six straight contests.
2023 CAA VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Offensive Player of the Week
Aug. 28: Naiya Sawtelle, North Carolina A&T
Sept. 4: Irbe Lazda, Towson
Sept. 11: Beatriz Alves, Hofstra
Sept. 18: Taylor Burrell, William & Mary; Izadora Stedile, Hofstra
Sept. 25: Naiya Sawtelle, North Carolina A&T
Oct. 2: Sarah Jordan, Towson
Oct. 9: Torri Henry, Stony Brook
Oct. 16: Nina Cajic, Towson
Defensive Player of the Week
Aug. 28: Irbe Lazda, Towson
Sept. 4: Olivia Esposito, William & Mary; Asia Murray, Delaware
Sept. 11: Claranne Fechter, Campbell
Sept. 18: Nyla Shepherd, Northeastern
Sept. 25: Grace Melnick, UNCW; Tynley Smeltzer, Charleston
Oct. 2: Tynley Smeltzer, Charleston
Oct. 9: Tynley Smeltzer, Charleston
Oct. 16: Kirah Johnson, Delaware
Rookie of the Week
Aug. 28: Beatriz Braga, Hofstra; Asia Murray, Delaware
Sept. 4: Abby Reck, Northeastern
Sept. 11: Abby Reck, Northeastern
Sept. 18: Cameron Lanier, Elon
Sept. 25: Kaili Doctor, North Carolina A&T
Oct. 2: Abby Reck, Northeastern
Oct. 9: Kaili Doctor, North Carolina A&T
Oct. 16: Kaili Doctor, North Carolina A&T
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