TOWSON, Md. – One day away from the 2022 CAA Women's Volleyball Championship presented by Primis, five Tigers earn All-CAA honors. Head Coach Don Metil was named Coach of the Year, announced by the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) league office Wednesday morning.
 
Nina Cajic, Victoria Barrett and Lydia Wiers were named to the All-CAA First Team. Aayinde Smith was voted to the All-CAA Second Team while Sarah Jordan earned All-CAA Rookie Team.
 
Towson will play in the CAA Quarterfinals against  #8 seed Stony Brook in SECU Arena on Thursday, Nov. 17th at 11 a.m.
 
Don Metil | Coach of the Year
Don Metil wins his fourth Coach of the Year honor in the last ten seasons, which include 2104, 2105 and 2019. Coach Metil led the Tigers to a 26-1 overall record, finishing 15-1 in the CAA and winning the CAA regular season title for the third straight season. He surpassed Cathy Cain for the most wins all-time in Towson volleyball history after the Tigers defeated #7 Pittsburgh in the Panther Challenge. Coach Metil coached the Tigers to the best-ever start in Towson history and the longest winning streak in program history winning the first 18 matches. He boasts a 218-75 record at Towson.
 
Nina Cajic | Opposite Hitter
Nina Cajic earns her third consecutive All-CAA honor, including her second All-CAA First Team selection at Towson. Cajic ranks 30th in the country and second in the CAA with a .379 hit percentage on 564 total attempts. She finished ten matches with a .500 hit percentage or better, including a season-high .750 hit percentage against Morgan State. The junior from Subotica, Serbia finished with a career-best 264 kills and second on the squad in kills per set with 2.78. Cajic had 13 matches with double-digit kills, including a career-high 21 kills on .500 hit percentage against Hofstra in the CAA regular season title clinching match last Sunday. She earned three CAA Offensive Player of the Week awards, only trailing CAA Player of the Year Lani Mason, who had four. Cajic added 78 total blocks and 42 digs for the Tigers on defense.
 
Victoria Barrett | Outside Hitter
The transfer from New Mexico State led Towson in kills (272) and kills per set (2.89) in her first season with the Tigers. Victoria Barrett ranks second on the team in service aces and digs with 30 service aces and 190 kills. The junior from Stafford, Va. totaled a .244 hit percentage on 668 total attempts. Barrett finished with 15 matches with double-digit kills, which included a season-high 16 kills on .520 hit percentage in Towson's upset win against #7 Pittsburgh. She amassed 61 total blocks and a team-best 12 solo blocks in 94 sets played.
 
Lydia Wiers | Middle Blocker
Lydia Wiers fortified the Tigers' defense as one of the best in the country this season. Wiers was named to the All-CAA First Team for the second time and earned CAA honors for the third time in her career. The senior from Willard, Ohio, leads the CAA and ranks 37th in the country in blocks per set, averaging 1.26, a career-best. Wiers ranks sixth all-time at Towson in career total blocks with 403, trailing Alysha Fanning by 17. She leads the CAA in hit percentage at .381 on 289 total attempts. Wiers has won the CAA Defensive Player of the Week award three times during the season, which included an eight-kill and nine-block performance in a four-set victory against William & Mary.
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Aayinde Smith | Middle Blocker
Aayinde Smith had a breakthrough year this season. Smith was named Second Team All-CAA after putting career-high in almost every major statistic. The junior from Garland, Texas, totaled 155 kills, averaging 1.53 kills per set. She finished with a .418 hit percentage on 280 total attacks. Smith ranked fourth in the CAA and second on the squad in total blocks with 109. She averaged 1.15 blocks per set to rank fourth in the CAA and second on the team. Her junior season was highlighted by her first double-double against Chicago State with a career-high 15 kills on a .667 hit percentage and ten total blocks. Smith finished with a 1.000 hit percentage against Hampton, totaling eight kills and four total blocks.
 
Sarah Jordan | Setter
In her first season at Towson, Sarah Jordan was named to the All-CAA Rookie Team. She is the third setter ever to be named to the CAA All-Rookie Team and joins Marrisa Wonders (2016) and Barbara Lopez (2014) as the only setters to earn All-Rookie honors for Towson. The freshman from Leesburg, Va., led Towson in assists this season with 521, which ranks seventh in the CAA. Jordan totaled 27 service aces, third-most for Towson. She finished with 154 digs and averaged 1.77 digs per set over 87 sets played.