Women's Volleyball | 8/18/2025 12:01:00 PM

GREENSBORO – The respect for North Carolina A&T volleyball inside the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) is starting to grow. The CAA released its preseason predictions and preseason all-conference teams on Monday, as voted on by the head coaches.

A year after outperforming their preseason prognostication of finishing last place in the CAA by qualifying for the conference tournament and postseason, the Aggies are predicted to finish fourth heading into the 2025 season, receiving a first-place vote in the process. What adds to the respect is who the head coaches voted as the preseason player of the year.

Fresh off her CAA Rookie of the Year 2024 season, sophomore outside hitter Tyne Ross is the CAA Preseason Player of the Year, becoming the first Aggie to accomplish preseason conference player of the year accolades since 2020 when Edie Brewer was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Player of the Year.

Ross also earned preseason All-CAA honors, and junior teammate Leonor Polezzi captured All-CAA preseason honorable mention accolades.

"What a great honor for Tyne to be named preseason player of the year," said A&T head coach Hal Clifton, the 2024 CAA Coach of the Year. "She had an outstanding freshman campaign. We are so proud of her and the work she has put in over the past year, and to receive this honor is a tribute to her work ethic, character, and desire to be the best she can be. Every day she works to improve her game. She is never satisfied."

Ross led the CAA in kills per set (4.34) and ranked 34th nationally in 2024. She ranked second in the CAA in points per set (4.79), third in total kills (425) and third in total attacks (1,116). Nationally, she ranked 40th in points per set.

In addition to winning rookie of the year, she also captured first-team All-CAA honors after registering 20 or more kills six times, including 27 in a five-set win over the College of Charleston on Oct. 25. She won CAA Rookie of the Week four times and CAA Offensive Player of the Week once.

Many of Ross's attacks in 2024 came from Polezzi sets. She became highly valuable for the Aggies offensively and defensively. She ranked third in the conference and 54th nationally in service aces per set (0.43). She also ranked third in the conference in assists per set (9.61). She also averaged 2.75 digs and 0.52 blocks per set, compiling 11 double-figure dig matches, including 20 against Northeastern on Sept. 28.

Ross and Polezzi are two of 10 players returning from a team that went 17-11 overall and 12-6 in the CAA. A&T entered the CAA Volleyball Championship Tournament as the No. 5 seed, losing to Hofstra in the first round. The Aggies also earned a bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) tournament, losing to St. John's in the first round at the University of Virginia.

Head coaches picked the Aggies to finish fourth this season behind preseason favorite Charleston, which received 92 points and five first-place votes. Hofstra is not far behind, receiving 90 points and four first-place votes. Also predicted to finish ahead of the Aggies are the Towson Tigers after earning 88 points and one first-place vote.

A&T received 68 points thanks to a solid core of players returning. The Aggies added four freshmen, but they did lose second-team All-CAA performer Hannah Howell. Clifton, a two-time conference coach of the year and the longest tenured volleyball coach in program history as he enters his 15th season, says his team has been putting in a lot of work during the preseason.

"We have 10 returners who know how tough this league is and what it will take to be at the top," Clifton said. "You have to be ready every night you step on the floor, or it could cost you. Our ladies have set a list of benchmarks, and we are going to do our best to achieve them."

2025 CAA VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL