Women's Volleyball | 8/16/2023 2:32:00 PM
GREENSBORO – Naiya Sawtelle's talent on the volleyball court is apparent no matter what conference she competes in. Sawtelle secured another honor on Wednesday as the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) released its volleyball preseason all-conference team and order of finish.
CAA head coaches voted Sawtelle (JR, Stuart, Fla.) to the preseason All-CAA team while predicting the North Carolina A&T volleyball team to finish 10th out of 12 teams.
Sawtelle has collected numerous recognitions since she stepped on A&T's campus. She earned second-team all-conference honors and all-freshman team accolades in A&T's first year in the Big South Conference in 2021. In addition, the conference named her freshman of the week four times during the season.
As the Aggies stepped into the CAA in 2022, the conference recognized her as a preseason honorable mention selection before awarding her second-team All-CAA honors at the end of the season. It was a season that saw Sawtelle earn CAA player of the week twice, rank second in the conference in kills per set (4.17) and her 429 kills were the fourth-highest single-season total in program history.
"We are very happy for Naiya being named to the All-CAA preseason team," said head coach Hal Clifton, heading into his 13th season at A&T. "In a conference full of talented players, we are honored that the coaches voted for her. The CAA is an extremely competitive conference from top to bottom.
Naiya did a nice job last season, finishing second in kills per set and points per set, just behind last year's player of the year, (Delaware's) Lani Mason. We are excited to see Naiya on the court this fall. She came into the preseason in great shape and ready to help her team."
Nationally, Sawtelle ranked 31st in points per set (4.80), 36th in kills per set and 40th in attacks per set (11.08). She had the highest kills total in a three-set match among CAA players in 2023 when she recorded 23 against William & Mary on Oct. 9, 2022. Sawtelle will be chasing the 1,000 kills career plateau this season. She needs 175 kills to become the fourth player in program history to reach the milestone. She still has two years of eligibility remaining.
Sawtelle will lead an Aggies team that finished 9-17 overall and 5-10 in the CAA. A&T finished in an eighth-place tie with Stony Brook, losing the tiebreaker to the Seawolves for a postseason CAA tournament berth. The Aggies return Sawtelle and four other players – middle blocker Maya Johnson, setter Chiara Napoli, outside hitter Hannah Howell, and libero Morgan Allen – who played in all 26 matches. They also return graduate right side Liselotte Spoormakers, who played in 25 of A&T's 26 matches.
The Aggies open the season at the University of Virginia's Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville, Va., at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25, against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Memorial Gym. A&T opens CAA play against the UNC Wilmington Seahawks at 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 16 at Hanover Hall in Wilmington, N.C. Sept. 23 will mark the Aggies home opener as they welcome the Hampton Pirates to Moore Gymnasium at 2 p.m.
North Carolina A&T, the largest HBCU in the United States, is located on the east side of Greensboro and has a significant economic impact on the city. Embracing the principles of academic and competitive excellence, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics supports the educational mission of North Carolina A&T by engaging students, faculty, staff and the broader community through intercollegiate athletics competition conducted at the highest levels of integrity and sportsmanship.
