ELON – The Elon University volleyball team returns to its home court this weekend as the Phoenix (4-11, 2-2 CAA) hosts Northeastern (5-8, 1-3 CAA) for a conference series on Saturday and Sunday at Schar Center.
 
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Saturday, Oct. 11 – vs. Northeastern at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 12 – vs. Northeastern at 3 p.m.
 
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SERIES HISTORY (Northeastern leads 16-5)

• The Huskies hold a 16-5 advantage in the all-time series over the Maroon and Gold, dating back to 2012. Northeastern enters the weekend on a seven-match win streak against Elon.
• The teams last met in 2023 at Schar Center, where the Huskies earned a five-set win in the opener before closing out the series with a four-set victory. Elon recorded 108 total kills across the two matches, with then-freshman Cameron Lanier contributing 20 kills and averaging 2.22 per set.
• Elon's most recent victory in the series came in 2019, a five-set win at the CAA Tournament. The Phoenix's last home win over Northeastern was also in 2019, a 3-2 decision earlier that season.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Elon dropped both of its matches at Hofstra this past weekend in straight sets, marking its first CAA losses of the season.
• The Phoenix tallied 48 kills across the series, led by Clara Simmons, who posted 16 kills and averaged 2.67 per set. Catherine Rucker was the only other Phoenix player to reach double figures, finishing with 12 kills.
• With the wins, Hofstra improved its all-time record against Elon to 14-5 and remained unbeaten at home versus the Phoenix (10-0).

 
ELON AT A GLANCE

• Elon enters the weekend 2-2 in CAA play, tied for fifth in the conference standings with in-state rivals Campbell and North Carolina A&T. Towson leads the league at 6-0, while Hofstra, Charleston, and Stony Brook are tied for second at 4-2.
• The Phoenix is hitting .156 as a team and averaging 11.12 kills per set. Elon averages 10.42 assists per set while holding opponents to a .216 hitting percentage.
• Lanier is averaging 2.57 kills per set from her outside hitter position to pace the Phoenix offense along with 126 kills. The Chapel Hill native is also averaging 2.88 points per set to lead the team. Simmons is second on the squad in kills per set at 2.48 with 114 kills while Simrin Carlsen has 105 kills on the season at 2.19 kills per set.
• Freshman April Rice leads the Phoenix with 289 total assists on the season, averaging 5.56 assists per set, currently tenth in the CAA in that category. Kayla Palmer is second on the team with 180 assists at 4.50 assists per set.
• Defensively, Shannon O'Laughlin leads the team with 3.35 digs per set, while Carlsen follows with 3.23. Catherine Rucker tops the team with 33.0 total blocks and also leads with 15 service aces.
• Now in its 54th season of competition and 27^th 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 NORTHEASTERN

• The Huskies dropped both matches to Towson last weekend, falling 3-1 in the opener before losing a five-set thriller in the finale.
• Northeastern is 1-6 in its last seven matches, with its lone win in that span coming at Stony Brook on Sept. 20. The Huskies are 1-4 on the road this season.
• Offensively, Northeastern is averaging 12.9 kills per set with a .236 attack percentage. Two players are averaging more than two kills per set among those who have appeared in 10 or more matches, led by a freshman outside hitter Emma Rowell at 2.57 kills per set. Redshirt freshman Valentina Meirelles ranks second at 2.30 per set. Three different Huskies are averaging at least four assists per set.
• Brendan McGourn is in his first season as head coach at Northeastern. He previously spent two seasons as an assistant at Fairfield, helping the Stags capture back-to-back MAAC championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.

 
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

• The Phoenix travels to Towson next week for a CAA series on Oct. 17-18.

 
STAY POSTED

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