ELON – The Elon volleyball team makes its first road trip of CAA play as the Phoenix (3-9, 0-2 CAA) travels to Hampton (2-9, 0-2 CAA) for a two-match series Thursday and Friday at the Pirates' Convocation Center.
 
WEEK SCHEDULE

• Thursday, Sept. 24 – at Hampton at 6 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 25 – at Hampton at 2 p.m.

 
FOLLOW THE PHOENIX

• Live Stats – StatBroadcast
• Watch – FloCollege

 
SERIES HISTORY

• Elon and Hampton have met 18 times entering this week's series. The Phoenix holds a 17-1 advantage over the Pirates and has won nine straight.
• Since becoming CAA opponents in 2022, Elon is unbeaten against the Pirates with an 8-0 record, including four victories at Hampton.
• The Phoenix defeated the Pirates in a pair of straight-set matches last season in Elon. Cameron Lanier recorded 16 kills at 2.67 per set, while Caroline Berlekamp added 14 kills while hitting .571.
• Elon's last visit to Hampton came during the 2024 campaign, when the Maroon and Gold earned a pair of straight-set victories.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Elon opened CAA play last weekend against 2026 league preseason favorite College of Charleston at Schar Center. The Phoenix played the Cougars tough but dropped both matches in straight sets.
• Lanier recorded 27 kills for the Maroon and Gold, including a match-high 17 in Sunday's finale, one shy of tying her career high. The Chapel Hill native averaged 4.50 kills per set.
• Three other players – Anna Sewell (11), Allie Schultz (10) and Catherine Rucker (10) – also recorded double-digit kills against the Cougars. Rucker posted a team-best .381 attack percentage while leading the Phoenix with six total blocks.
• Sophomore April Rice led the Phoenix offense with 32 assists at 5.33 per set. Junior Kayla Palmer was close behind with 30 assists at 5.00 per set.

 
LANIER CONTINUES TO LEAD THE WAY

• Lanier continues to pace the Phoenix offense with 158 kills, averaging 3.59 kills per set. The senior outside hitter ranks fourth in the CAA in kills per set and fifth in points per set at 4.06.
• Lanier is coming off a 17-kill performance against College of Charleston on Sunday. Her 17 kills are tied for one of the top three-set performances in the CAA this season, while her 19.0 points in the match also rank among the league's best three-set totals.
• Lanier has totaled 835 kills and 947.5 points during her Elon career, leaving her 52.5 points shy of the 1,000-point milestone.

 
MIDDLES MAKING AN IMPACT

• Rucker is hitting a team-best .318 and ranks 10^th in the CAA in attack percentage. The junior has also recorded 37 total blocks this season.
• Berlekamp leads the Phoenix with 45 total blocks, averaging 1.02 per set to rank seventh in the CAA.

 
SCOUTING HAMPTON (2-9, 0-2 CAA)

• Hampton enters the week with a 2-9 overall record and an 0-2 mark in CAA play after dropping a pair of straight-set matches at Hofstra. The Pirates have lost six straight going into the week.
• The Pirates have been effective at the service line, ranking third in the CAA with 1.77 aces per set.
• Racquel Frazier leads Hampton with 123 kills, averaging 3.15 per set to rank eighth in the CAA. She also ranks ninth in the league in points per set at 3.74.
• Setter Ana Luiza Matos ranks fifth in the conference with 7.18 assists per set, while Frazier and Lillian Campbell are tied among the league leaders with 0.44 service aces per set.

 
ELON AT A GLANCE

• The Phoenix is in its 55th season of volleyball and 28th campaign at the Division I level in 2026.
• Elon retained 11 letterwinners from last season, including several players who started at least one match. The Phoenix also welcomes four first-year athletes into the fold for 2026.
• Elon returns 54% of its kills, 98% of its assists, 66% of its digs and 57% of its points scored from 2025.
• One of the top returners for the Phoenix is senior outside hitter Cameron Lanier. The Chapel Hill native is Elon's returning leader in total points (240.5) and total kills (211). Junior Anna Sewell was the Phoenix's leader in points per set (2.91) and kills per set (2.69).
• Junior middle blocker Catherine Rucker received 2026 Preseason All-CAA honorable mention recognition. The Chapel Hill native posted the second-most kills among Elon returners with 131, averaging 1.46 kills per set. She also led the Phoenix with 30 service aces and 63 total blocks.
• Elon also returns the setter tandem of sophomore April Rice and junior Kayla Palmer. Rice led the Phoenix in total assists with 518, averaging 5.23 assists per set. Palmer ranked second with 399 assists while averaging 4.64 assists per set.
• Defensively, Elon welcomes back two of its top three players in total digs in senior Shannon O'Laughlin and junior Casey Brower. O'Laughlin is the Phoenix's returning leader with 201 digs, while Brower recorded 190. The pair split time at libero last season.
• Head coach Matt Troy is in his second season at the helm of the Phoenix volleyball program. Troy helped lead Elon to its best conference winning percentage since 2021 last season, highlighted by the Phoenix's first road win over perennial CAA power Towson since 2021.

 
UP NEXT

• The Phoenix returns to Schar Center for a series against Stony Brook next weekend, Oct. 2-3. Both matches will stream on FloCollege.

 
STAY POSTED

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