ELON – The Elon University volleyball team embarks its first CAA road trip to Hempstead, New York, as the Phoenix (4-9, 2-0 CAA) faces Hofstra (9-2, 2-2 CAA) for a pair of matches on Saturday and Sunday at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center.
 
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Saturday, Oct. 4 – at Hofstra at 2 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 5 – at Hofstra at 2 p.m.
 
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX

• Live Stats: Statbroadcast
• Watch: FloCollege

 
SERIES HISTORY (Hofstra leads 12-5)

• The Pride holds a 12-5 lead over the Maroon and Gold in the all-time matchups dating back to 2014. Elon will be seeking its first victory at Hofstra as the Pride is 8-0 at home versus the Phoenix in the series.
• The two programs last met in 2023 at Hofstra, with the Pride winning in three and four sets. Then-freshman Cameron Lanier led the Phoenix with 25 total kills across the two matches, averaging 3.57 per set. She also had a team-best 18 digs and recorded a double-double in the opener with 13 kills and 14 digs
• Elon's last win versus Hofstra came in 2021 at the CAA Tournament with the Phoenix earning a 3-1 victory.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• The Phoenix went 1-1 last week, earning a home victory versus NC Central in straight sets before falling at Radford, 3-2 to conclude its nonconference schedule
• The win over the Eagles extended the Phoenix's win streak over its intrastate foe to 26 games. Lanier had 10 kills for the Phoenix in the match while Lindsay Harris added a season-high eight kills and also had a pair of blocks.
• At Radford, Clara Simmons had a career-high 20 kills versus the Highlanders, becoming the first Phoenix player with 20 or more kills since Sydney Love had 21 versus Southern Miss last season. Sophomore setter Kayla Palmer also established a new career-best with 25 assists at Radford.

 
ELON AT A GLANCE

• The Phoenix is one of three teams that is undefeated in CAA play going into the week. Towson leads the league with its 4-0 ledger while Elon and Campbell are tied at 2-0 versus conference foes.
• Elon is hitting .192 this season while averaging 11.4 kills per set. The Maroon and Gold is also averaging 10.7 assists per set and is holding opponents to a .202 hitting percentage, fifth-best in the CAA.
• Lanier is averaging 2.79 kills per set from her outside hitter position to pace the Phoenix offense. The Chapel Hill native is also averaging 3.12 points per set to lead the team. Simmons is second on the squad in kills per set at 2.45 with 98 kills while Simrin Carlsen has 100 kills on the season at 2.38 kills per set.
• Freshman April Rice leads the Phoenix with 266 total assists on the season, averaging 5.78 assists per set, currently eighth in the CAA in that category. Palmer is second on the team with 159 assists at 4.68 assists per set.
• Carlsen is averaging 3.48 digs per set on the season, ranking in the top-10 of the league. Junior libero Shannon O'Laughlin is not far behind, averaging 3.46 digs per set.
• As a team, the Phoenix is fifth in the CAA in service aces, averaging 1.61 per set. Sophomore middle blocker Catherine Rucker is in the top-10 of the league in service aces at 0.35 per set.
• The Phoenix is in its 54^th season of volleyball and the 27^th campaign at the Division I level in 2025.
• Elon retained 10 letterwinners from this past season, including three starters. The Phoenix welcomes five newcomers to the fold in 2025 with four first-year athletes and one transfer.
• Lanier earned 2025 Preseason All-CAA laurels with teammates Caroline Berlekamp and Catherine Rucker also getting preseason league recognition. Berlekamp, a junior middle blocker, recorded 128 kills last season while leading the team with 19 solo blocks and 101 total blocks.
• Rucker was one of two Phoenix athletes to earn All-CAA postseason honors with her All-Rookie Team selection. The Chapel Hill native and middle blocker registered 88 kills and posted a .330 attack percentage.
• Elon returned 61% of its kills, 25% of its assists, 35% of its digs and 62% of its points scored from 2024.

 
SCOUTING HOFSTRA

• The Pride is 9-2 on the season with a 2-2 record in league play. Hofstra has lost two in a row after suffering a pair of five-set defeats at College of Charleston last Friday and Saturday.
• The Pride averages 14.2 kills per set with a .242 hitting percentage. Four players average at least 2.0 kills per set, led by senior outside hitter Izadora Stedile at 4.02 kills per set, second in the CAA. Beatriz Braga is second on the team at 3.19 kills per set while setter Nina Jioshvili is second in the league in assists per set at 8.86.
• Defensively, Hofstra is holding teams to a CAA-low .121 hitting percentage and is second on the league in blocks per set at 2.84. Julia Amorim is the CAA-leader in blocks per set at 1.78.
• Emily Mansur is in her 11^th season at the helm of the Hofstra volleyball program.

 
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 six more matches this season at the facility with admission being free for all fans.

 
UP NEXT

• Elon returns to its home floor at Schar Center next weekend, hosting Northeastern on Oct. 11-12. Both matches will stream on FloCollege.

 
STAY POSTED

• For further coverage of Elon volleyball, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonVB) and Instagram (@ElonVB).