ELON – The Elon University volleyball team heads to Towson for a pair of CAA matches as the Phoenix (4-13, 2-4 CAA) face the Tigers (17-2, 8-0 CAA) on Friday and Saturday at SECU Arena in Towson, Maryland.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, Oct. 17 – at Towson at 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18 – at Towson at 2 p.m.
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SERIES HISTORY (Towson leads 21-3)
- The Tigers hold a 21-3 all-time advantage versus Elon in a series dating back to 1998. Since becoming league opponents in 2014, Towson is 20-2 against the Maroon and Gold including a 10-1 ledger on its home floor.
- Towson swept Elon in both matches last season at Schar Center, extending its current win streak to seven. The Phoenix fell in four sets in the opener before dropping the finale 3-0.
- Cameron Lanier and Clara Simmons tied for the team lead in kills to pace Elon offensively against the Tigers, with both averaging 2.71 kills per set. Caroline Berlekamp totaled eight blocks, while Kyla Johnson added seven.
- Elon's last win in the series came on Oct. 15, 2022, when the Phoenix defeated the previously unbeaten Tigers in five sets at Schar Center. The program's last win at Towson came on Oct. 2, 2021, in a 3-1 decision.
LAST TIME OUT
- Elon fell at home to Northeastern last weekend in a pair of matches at Schar Center. The Phoenix and Huskies went the distance in the opening match, with Northeastern taking a 3-2 victory, before closing the weekend with a straight-set win in the finale.
- Simmons averaged 2.88 kills per set to lead the Phoenix against the Huskies. The Lewisville, North Carolina, native recorded a career-best 21 kills on Saturday and added her first double-double of the season with 12 digs. The senior outside hitter finished the weekend hitting .346.
- Simrin Carlsen also averaged more than two kills per set (2.13) and tallied 22 digs (2.75 per set). Casey Brower led the Phoenix with 25 digs in the two matches, while April Rice directed the offense with 43 assists.
ELON AT A GLANCE
- Elon sits 2-4 in the CAA standings, one game back of sixth place. Towson remains atop the league at 8-0, with Hofstra second at 6-2.
- The Phoenix is hitting .157 as a team and averaging 11.1 kills per set. Elon averages 10.4 assists per set while holding opponents to a .225 hitting percentage.
- Simmons leads the team at 2.54 kills per set with 137 total kills this season. Her 154 total points rank second behind Lanier, who owns a team-high 157 points and 140 kills. The Chapel Hill, North Carolina, native surpassed 600 career kills last weekend and is averaging 2.75 kills per set.
- Carlsen is averaging 2.50 kills per set and leads the team with 177 digs (3.16 per set). Rice paces Elon with 332 assists (5.53 per set), ranking 10th in the CAA, while Kayla Palmer is second on the squad with 209 assists (4.45 per set).
- Defensively, Catherine Rucker leads the Phoenix with 38 total blocks and a team-best 16 service aces. Berlekamp is second on the team with 35 blocks.
- Now in its 54th season of competition and 27th at the Division I level, Elon returned 10 letterwinners from last season, including three starters. The Phoenix also welcomed five newcomers in 2025, four freshmen and one transfer.
- Lanier earned 2025 Preseason All-CAA laurels with teammates Rucker and Caroline Berlekamp also getting preseason league recognition.
- Elon returned 61% of its kills, 25% of its assists, 35% of its digs and 62% of its points scored from 2024.
SCOUTING TOWSON
- Towson extended its win streak to 17 matches last weekend with a pair of five-set victories at William & Mary, remaining unbeaten in conference play. The Tigers' last loss came on Aug. 29 against Fairfield at Old Dominion's Quest for the Crown Tournament.
- Towson leads the CAA in kills (1,087) and kills per set (14.12), ranks second in assists per set (12.84) and fourth in hitting percentage (.238). Defensively, the Tigers hold opponents to a .166 hitting percentage, second best in the league.
- Five Towson players average at least two kills per set, led by junior Taylor Pagan at 3.29. Redshirt sophomore Ella Sanders has a team-high 228 kills (3.17 per set), while setter Maisie Jesse has distributed 430 assists (5.73 per set).
- Head coach Don Metil is in his 13th season leading the Tigers. Under his guidance, Towson has captured five CAA championships and posted nine 20-win seasons.
WELCOME COACH TROY
- Elon head coach Matt Troy is in his first season with the Phoenix after six years leading Johns Hopkins, where he compiled a 151-17 record and captured the 2019 NCAA Division III national championship.
- Troy has a career record of 357-96 (.788) over 14 seasons at the Division III level, including a 66-match winning streak from 2019-21. He ranks among the top 10 all-time and active coaches in Division III history by win percentage.
ALL-AMERICAN NEW FACE
- Among the new faces for the Phoenix this season includes graduate student transfer Simrin Carlsen, an outside hitter from Edison, N.J. Carlsen arrives to the Phoenix after competing at Johns Hopkins from 2021-24, recording over 1,000 career kills under former Blue Jay and now current Elon coach Matt Troy.
- Carlsen posted a decorated career at Johns Hopkins, as she was a two-time AVCA All-American, earning First Team laurels in 2023 and Second Team accolades in 2024. She was also a two-time AVCA First Team All-Region V (2023, 2024).
- She was named Baltimore Regional Most Outstanding Player in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and earned Centennial Conference Player of the Year that same season.
HOME SWEET HOME
- Elon is in its eighth season playing at Schar Center, which seats 5,100 and serves as home to the Phoenix men's and women's basketball teams.
- Elon will host four more matches this season at the facility with admission being free for all fans.
UP NEXT
- Elon hosts Piedmont Triad rival North Carolina A&T next weekend, Oct. 24-25, at Schar Center.
STAY POSTED
- For further coverage of Elon volleyball, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonVB) and Instagram (@ElonVB).
-- ELON --
