Van Hellemont Named CAA Field Hockey Preseason Player of the Year; Monmouth Tabbed Preseason Favorite
RICHMOND, Va. (August 20, 2026) -- Drexel senior midfielder Valentine Van Hellemont has been named the CAA Field Hockey Preseason Player of the Year, the league announced Thursday, while Monmouth was selected as the preseason favorite. The league's preseason poll and awards were voted on by the conference's seven field hockey head coaches.
Van Hellemont enters her senior season following a 2025 campaign that saw her become the first player in Drexel history named an NFHCA First Team All-American. She also earned NFHCA All-Region First Team honors and helped guide the Dragons to their first CAA Championship since 2012. Van Hellemont was named CAA Player of the Year for the second straight season, becoming the first Dragon to earn three major CAA individual awards in her career. The Lier, Belgium native finished the 2025 season with eight goals and 12 assists for 28 points, ranking second in the CAA in assists per game (0.57). In the CAA Championship against Monmouth, she came up big, posting a career-high three assists and five points, including an assist on the game-winning goal. After earning CAA Rookie of the Year honors in 2023 and consecutive Player of the Year awards in 2024 and 2025, Van Hellemont enters 2026 as one of the conference's most accomplished returning players and will look to lead the Dragons in their title defense.
Monmouth was selected as the conference's preseason favorite after earning four first-place votes and 40 total points. Drexel secured the second spot with two first-place votes and 38 points, while league newcomer Fairfield finished third with 31 points and the remaining first-place vote. Northeastern followed in fourth with 25 points, while Towson claimed fifth with 23 points and Hofstra sixth with 19 points. William & Mary completed the preseason poll in seventh with 13 points.
Entering her 19th season at the helm, Head Coach Carli Figlio and the Monmouth Hawks look to build on a successful 2025 campaign that saw the program reach a program-best No. 11 ranking in the NFHCA national poll and capture its third CAA Regular Season Championship. The Hawks finished the season with a 12-3 overall record and a perfect 5-0 mark in conference play. With one of the league's most experienced rosters, Monmouth will look to capitalize on its returning talent, led by Preseason All-CAA selections Florence van Doorn and Eulalie Brouwers. Van Doorn earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors last season, while Brouwers was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year.
The 2026 CAA Field Hockey season gets underway Friday, August 28, with all seven conference teams in action on opening day.
2026 CAA FIELD HOCKEY PRESEASON POLLS AND AWARDS
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CAA PRESEASON FIELD HOCKEY POLL
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Team (1st Place Votes)
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Points
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Monmouth (4)
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40
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Drexel (2)
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38
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Fairfield (1)
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31
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Northeastern
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25
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Towson
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23
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Hofstra
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19
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William & Mary
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13
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CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Valentine Van Hellemont, Drexel
Preseason All-CAA Team
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Player
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Team
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Pos.
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Class
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Hometown
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Eulalie Brouwers
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Monmouth
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D
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Sr.
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Uccle, Belgium
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Claire Campen
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Monmouth
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F
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Jr.
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Hawley, Pa.
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Milla Frye
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Monmouth
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M
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Jr.
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Ratingen, Germany
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|
Fleur Hamers
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Drexel
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M
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So.
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Enschede, Netherlands
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|
Noor Hellemans
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Fairfield
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M/D
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Sr.
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Heemstede, Netherlands
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Luci Hollister
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Hofstra
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GK
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So.
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Auckland, New Zealand
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Pili Lemoine
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Drexel
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F
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Sr.
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Montevideo, Uruguay
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|
Catalina Ness
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Fairfield
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M/F
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Sr.
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Hamburg, Germany
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Florence van Doorn
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Monmouth
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D
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So.
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Zoetermeer, Netherlands
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Valentine Van Hellemont
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Drexel
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M
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Sr.
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Lier, Belgium
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Anouk Westerink
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Towson
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M
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Jr.
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Ede, Netherlands
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Honorable Mentions: Florienne Bosdijk, M, Drexel; Nicole Enslin, D, Drexel; Jessica Garden, M, Northeastern; Josie Mae Gruendel, M/D, William & Mary; Konni Hofmann, M/F, Fairfield; Kelly Levengood, F, Hofstra; Alex Mega, M/F, Northeastern; Cato Nackaerts, M, Drexel; Ava Trexler, M/D, Drexel; Gwenn van Dijk, M, Hofstra
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