GREENSBORO – Sophomore outside hitter Tyne Ross is building a mighty legacy. Junior setter Leonor Polezzi has done wonders for the North Carolina A&T volleyball program in two years, and freshman outside hitter Zariah Winton is undoubtedly a future building block for the Aggies.
All three were recognized for all-conference volleyball honors on Wednesday by the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), led by Ross, who earned first-team honors for the second consecutive season. CAA head coaches voted Polezzi second-team all-conference, and Winton landed on the conference's all-rookie team.
"We are very proud of Tyne, Leo and Zariah for being named to the CAA all-conference teams," said A&T head coach Hal Clifton, who used the help of the trio to advance the Aggies to their second straight CAA tournament appearance. "It's nice to see them get recognition for their efforts."
Ross had made a considerable impact for Clifton and the Aggies over the first two years of her collegiate career. She heads into the 2025 CAA Volleyball Championship Tournament with 429 kills, placing her 11 kills shy of Arlene Mitchell for the third-best single-season performance in program history. She already has 854 career kills, making her 11 kills shy of cracking the Aggies' top-10 career list.
She leads the CAA in nearly every offensive statistical category, including total kills, total attacks (1,134), total points (468.5), kills per set (4.38), attacks per set (11.57), and points per set (4.78). She has recorded 20 or more kills nine times this season, including 27 in a win at Howard on September 12 and in a win over Charleston on October 11.
Ross has reached her career high of 27 kills three times in her career. She also totaled four double-doubles this season and posted a .262 hitting percentage, a little better than the .244 she posted when she earned CAA Rookie of the Year in 2024.
"Tyne led the conference all year in kills per set and points per set," said Clifton. "She really had an excellent season offensively. She showed up all season, averaging around 17 kills per match."
Polezzi has spent the past two seasons in Aggieland orchestrating the Aggies offense and serving as a catalyst on defense. She is one of the best all-around players in the CAA. She led the CAA in total assists (1,001) and assists per set (10.21). Polezzi heads into the tournament with the seventh-most assists in a single season for an A&T player. She could reach Tuamafa Reilly (1,080) in third place before the tournament is over.
In addition, Polezzi also ranks third in the league in service aces (40). The Italian native also gets it done defensively. She leads the Aggies in digs per set (2.97). She also has the third-most blocks on the team with 38.0. She won CAA Defensive Player of the Week once this season and twice in her career. She also posted 15 double-doubles this season, all in assists and digs.
"Leo was No. 1 in the conference all season in assists per set and near the top in aces," said Clifton. "Even her dig numbers were solid. Her decision-making and setting were top-notch this year."
Winton could prove to be a potent offensive weapon as her career progresses because she has a variety of swing angles at her disposal. Winton ranked second on the team in kills per set (2.32) and points per set (2.98). She posted a season-high 20 kills in a four-set win over UNC Asheville on September 20, and she had 19 kills in a five-set victory over Elon on October 24.
"Zariah had a very strong freshman campaign as she made the adjustment from high school to college."
Ross, Polezzi, Winton, and the rest of the Aggies will start their quest for a CAA title in the conference tournament on Thursday. The Aggies are the No. 5 seed and will face fourth-seeded Charleston at 3 p.m. from SECU Arena on the campus of Towson University. Fans can watch live on FloSports.
