TOWSON, Md. – The three-time reigning Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) champion Towson University volleyball team has been predicted to repeat as champion in the 2022 league preseason poll, announced by the conference on Wednesday.
In addition, three Tigers were selected to the 2022 CAA Volleyball Preseason Team:
Fay Bakodimou,
Nina Cajic and
Lydia Wiers.
Towson is the three-time defending CAA Tournament champion, finishing 26-5 overall and 12-4 in the league last season. The Tigers defeated Delaware and Elon en route to the CAA Tournament title, drawing Penn State in the NCAA Tournament. Towson took set two against the Nittany Lions before falling in four sets in Pittsburgh.
The Tigers received seven out of a possible 11 first-place votes for 96 points in the poll. The poll and all-conference preseason team are voted on by the league's head coaches.
2022 league runner-up Elon was picked second in the predicted order of finish with 89 points, including three first-place votes. Charleston got the final first-place vote and is slotted at third with 77 points. The rest of the poll is filled out by Delaware (68), Hofstra (65), Northeastern (64), North Carolina A&T (38), Stony Brook (34), UNCW (32), William & Mary (32) and Hampton (10).
Bakodimou earned First Team All-CAA recognition last year at outside hitter, leading Towson in kills with 307 and service aces with 61. The Athens, Greece graduate student native had 15 matches with double digit kills and four double-doubles, hitting .251 and adding 176 digs and 59 total blocks.
Cajic has earned All-CAA status in each of her first two years with Towson, being Second Team last year and First Team the previous season. Hailing from Subotica, Serbia, the junior outside hitter hit .339 last season, earning 212 kills and 58 total blocks, having 12 double digit kill matches.
Wiers enters her senior season as a two-time All-CAA honoree, including First Team in 2019 and Second Team in spring 2021. At middle blocker, the Willard, Ohio native led Towson with 138 blocks last year, hitting .348 with 222 kills and 22 services aces.
Towson begins the 2022 season in North Carolina, taking on Norfolk State and East Carolina on Friday, Aug. 26.
