NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - Wilmington University volleyball standouts Alex Serna and Eliza Schneider were voted to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference All-Conference Second Team, including Schneider picking up the CACC Rookie of the Year award as announced by the conference office on Tuesday.
The Wildcats have had multiple All-CACC members every year since 2018, being named the 46th and 47th All-CACC member in head coach Kim Huggins-Habbert's career and the NCAA era. Eliza Schneider is also the eighth Wildcat to earn a Major Award in the program's NCAA era.
It is the first time since the 2014 season the Wildcats featured the CACC Rookie of the Year, having won it in back-to-back years with Allison Briley (2013) and Erin Bistany (2014).
Alex Serna (Round Rock, Texas) leads the Wildcats and is seventh in the CACC with a .293 attack percentage. She is also only one of two CACC members to average 1.00 blocks per set, ranking second in the conference with 114 blocks in 114 sets. She leads the CACC with 91 block assists. She is third on the team with 204 kills from her middle position, averaging 1.79 kills per set, totaling 284.5 points on the year. She set a new Wilmington single-match record with 15 total blocks and 13 block assists in the season finale against Goldey-Beacom.
Eliza Schneider (Hartly, Del.) has improved all season long and finally cracked the Top 10 in the CACC in kills per set. She is 10th overall with 336 kills in 112 sets, averaging 3.00 per game. She leads the team with her 336 kills this year, adding 136 digs (1.21 per set), 35 blocks (0.31 per set), and a team best 362.5 points (3.24 per set). She had a season's best 19 kills twice, first against Bloomfield while hitting .444 and then at Goldey-Beacom while hitting .471. She collected her first double-double of her career in the season finale, going for 15 kills and 11 digs against Goldey-Beacom.
Bridgeport's Paola Hernandez was voted the CACC Player of the Year while Post's Alyssa Groves was voted the CACC Defensive Player of the Year by virtue of being named the First Team Libero. Bridgeport's Jaden Drollinger was named the CACC Setter of the Year as well as the First Team All-CACC setter and Georgian Court's Shana Rayside was voted the CACC Coach of the Year by the league's sports information directors. Caldwell was voted the CACC Team Sportsmanship Award winner to round out the Major Awards.
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team:
L – Alyssa Groves (Post University)
S – Jaden Drollinger (University of Bridgeport)
MB – Caitlyn Burch (Goldey-Beacom College)
MB – Lucia Tomiello (University of Bridgeport)
OH – Paola Hernandez (University of Bridgeport)
OH – Nylene Mateo (Georgian Court University)
OH – Morgan Ritchie (Thomas Jefferson University)
Second Team:
L – Gaby Fernandez (Goldey-Beacom College)
S – Mia Caporellie (Chestnut Hill College)
MB – Chelsea Ross (Georgian Court University)
MB – Alex Serna (Wilmington University)
OH – Erika Dubosky (Chestnut Hill College)
OH – Kristina Peric (Post University)
OH – Eliza Schneider (Wilmington University)
Third Team:
L – Cameron Johnson (Thomas Jefferson University)
S – Caroline Bond (Thomas Jefferson University)
MB – Hannah Brandt (Post University)
MB – Ava Kidd (Holy Family University)
OH – Giorgia Cappelletti (Georgian Court University)
OH – Hailey Jessen (University of Bridgeport)
OH – Piper Nanouski (Goldey-Beacom College)
2024 CACC Player of the Year: Paola Hernandez (University of Bridgeport)
2024 CACC Rookie of the Year: Eliza Schneider (Wilmington University)
2024 CACC Defensive Player of the Year: Alyssa Groves (Post University)
2024 CACC Setter of the Year: Jaden Drollinger (University of Bridgeport)
2024 CACC Coach of the Year: Shana Rayside (Georgian Court University)
2024 CACC Team Sportsmanship Award: Caldwell University