NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Nov. 8, 2022) - With the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) regular season coming to an end last week, the league announced this morning their annual award winners. Voted to the All-CACC First Team was junior outside hitter Nylene Mateo.

Mateo, from Bogota, N.J., was one of just seven to make the All-CACC First Team. She led the Lions and the CACC this year with 4.78 kills per set and 5.55 points per set. Those marks put her in the top-five nationally in Division II at the end of the regular season. In addition to leading the team's offensive attack, Mateo was second with 52 service aces and her 0.58 aces per set were fifth in the league. Defensively, her 2.33 digs per set and 210 digs were career highs and ranked third on the Lions. She also put back 31 blocks, 0.34 per set. 

Mateo played in 26 matches and landed double-digit kills in 22. She hit 20 or more in seven and 30 or more in three, twice hitting a career-best 32 kills. For the season, Mateo finished the year with a .225 attack percentage and 430 kills. Among the 20 CACC volleyball players with at least 200 kills, Mateo's attack percentage was the sixth highest. She was the only player in the CACC to average more than five points per set and one of just seven in all of Division II. 

Mateo's season was one of the best ever at Georgian Court. Her 499.5 points were the sixth most ever in a single-season and her 430 kills were the fourth-most. She's also now just the fifth Lion to ever hit for 300 kills and 50 service aces in the same season. 

This is Mateo's first time making the All-CACC team. She becomes the 22nd Lion to make the First Team. This season Mateo was also named the CACC Student-Athlete of the Month for September and was a one-time CACC Player of the Week.