ELON – The Elon University volleyball team continues its nonconference slate this weekend, Sept. 5-6, traveling to the Wildcat Classic at Davidson. The Phoenix (0-3) will take on host Davidson, Coastal Carolina and Delaware State at John M. Belk Arena.
 
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 5 – Davidson at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6 – Coastal Carolina at 10 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6 – Delaware State at 3:30 p.m.
 
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• Live Stats (Sidearmstats): All Matches

 
SERIES HISTORIES

• Davidson – The Phoenix and the Wildcats are tied in the all-time series at 13-13. The Wildcats won the most recent contest last season, sweeping the Maroon and Gold in straight sets. Elon's last win versus Davidson came during the 2021 campaign with a 3-2 decision.
• Coastal Carolina – Elon and Coastal Carolina have met 13 times going into the weekend. The Chanticleers lead the series with a 10-3 ledger over the Phoenix, including seven straight wins. Elon last defeated CCU in 1999.
• Delaware State – Elon is facing the Hornets for the first time since 2016. The Phoenix is undefeated against Delaware State (3-0) in the all-time series.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• The Phoenix played at Appalachian State on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Elon fell 3-0 to the Mountaineers in the two teams' first matchup since 2013.
• Junior Cameron Lanier led the Phoenix with 10 kills, hitting .240. Clara Simmons added nine kills, while Kyla Johnson and Catherine Rucker each provided four.
• Defensively, Shannon O'Laughlin and Simrin Carlsen recorded double-digit digs with 14 and 12, respectively.
• App State has now won four of the past five matchups and leads the all-time series 22-9.

 
ELON AT A GLANCE

• Senior outside hitter Clara Simmons is off to a strong start for the Phoenix offensively so far this season. The Lewisville, N.C., native leads the Maroon and Gold in kills (36), kills/set (3.60), points (37.0) and points/set (3.70). She currently ranks fifth in the CAA in total kills and fourth in points.
• Simrin Carlsen and Shannon O'Laughlin rank in the top five of the CAA in digs/set. Carlsen has recorded 54 total digs with a 4.50 digs/set average, while O'Laughlin has 49 digs at 4.08 digs/set.
• As a team, Elon is 34^th in the country in digs/set at 16.50 and 41^st overall in total digs with 198.
• Freshman setter April Rice is averaging 8.08 assists/set with 97 total assists on the season. The Lemont, Ill., native had 20 assists versus the Mountaineers on Tuesday.
• The Phoenix is in its 54th season of volleyball and the 27th 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.
• Among the top returners for the Phoenix include junior outside hitter Cameron Lanier. The Chapel Hill native is Elon's returning leader in total kills (245) and kills per set (2.72) with a .236 attack percentage.
• 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.
• Sophomore setter Kayla Palmer is Elon's returning leader in assists with 251, averaging 3.80 assists per set. The Ithaca, N.Y., native had 13 double-digit assist efforts during her rookie campaign, including four matches with 20 or more. She also recorded three double-doubles.
• Elon returns 61% of its kills, 25% of its assists, 35% of its digs and 62% of its points from 2024.

 
WELCOME COACH TROY

• Elon head coach Matt Troy is in his first season at the helm of the Phoenix volleyball program in 2025. Troy, a national championship coach, comes to the maroon and gold after spending the last six years leading the Johns Hopkins volleyball program, compiling a record of 151-17 during that span.
• Troy led Johns Hopkins to the 2019 NCAA Division III National Championship and has advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals or further in each of the past three seasons, including a final four appearance in 2024.
• Over 14 seasons at the NCAA Division III level (excluding the 2020 COVID-19 season in which Johns Hopkins did not compete), Troy has built a career record of 357-96 (.788), which includes conference records of 118-15 (.887).
• From 2019-21, his teams at Johns Hopkins recorded a then-DIII record 66-match winning streak.
• Overall, Troy ranks among the top 10 winningest coaches by win percentage in NCAA Division III history, as well as ranking in the top 10 among active winningest coaches by win percentage at that level.

 
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

• The Phoenix enters its eighth season playing at its home facility, Schar Center, Elon's home for Elon's men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball programs with a capacity of 5,100.
• Elon will host 11 matches this season at Schar Center. Admission is free for all fans.

 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix closes out its road swing with a trip to the Clemson/Wofford tournament next week, Sept. 11-13.
 
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