NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Nov. 19, 2024) - Before the start of the 2024 Central Atlantic Collegiate Championships (CACC) Postseason Tournament, the league announced their year-end major awards and All-Conference Team. Georgian Court, the No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament, got plenty of recognition.

On the court, three Lions made the All-CACC Team. Nylene Mateo was selected to the First Team as an outside hitter. Chelsea Ross made the Second Team at middle blocker and Giorgia Cappelletti was selected as a Third Team outside hitter. On the sideline, second-year head coach was voted by the league's coaches as the CACC Coach of the Year.

Cappelletti and Mateo are the second pair of Georgian Court outside hitters to appear on the All-CACC team together. The only other time it was done was back in 2008 when Angie Casado and Janelle Murdock made the team. While Ross is the first middle blocker to earn repeat selections since Amy Bruno in 2018 and 2019. 

This is the third consecutive season Mateo has been selected for the All-CACC team. She is just the seventh Lion to ever appear on three All-CACC teams. She leads the Georgian Court offense with 309 kills and 3.09 kills per set. She's helped out on defense as well with 2.27 digs per set while also landing 51 service aces, fifth most in the league. This season she's produced five kills-digs double-doubles and 15 double-digit kill games. She's currently 27 kills away from setting a new GCU program record. 

Chelsea Ross repeats as an All-CACC Second Team selection. This season she's leading the CACC hitting .359 and with 1.06 blocks per set. Ross is averaging 2.06 kills per set as well with four matches with 10+ kills. She's been even better in conference play hitting .403 with 2.21 kills per set and 1.10 blocks per set. She's hit .500 or better in seven matches this season. Ross has moved up to fourth all-time in career blocks at GCU. 

Giorgia Cappelletti makes her first All-CACC squad. She does it all for the Lions including leading all of Division II with 70 service aces. She's just the fifth Lion to ever reach 70 aces in a single-season and is 10 away from the second most in a single-season in Lions history. She's also averaging 2.42 kills per set and 2.73 digs per set, both of which are second on the team. Cappelletti has 12 double-figure kill matches and eight kills-digs double-doubles. 

In her second year as coach of the Lions, Rayside earned the program's second ever CACC Coach of the Year award. She joins Francisco Casado from 2007 as the only Lions to earn the award. Rayside took a team that finished 14-13 last season and 8-8 in the CACC to a 14-2 finish in conference play and has then 18-9 overall. Georgian Court was predicted to finish third in the CACC South Division in the preseason poll and Rayside has guided them to the top overall seed in the upcoming CACC Tournament. The Lions are currently having top-10 seasons in program history in hitting percentage, aces per set and assists per set. They're in the top-20 in the country in service aces per set. 

Georgian Court begins their postseason run tonight at 7 pm as the No. 1 seed in the South hosting the No. 4 seed in the North, Felician. Win or lose, the semifinals and finals will be played in Lakewood at the GCU Wellness Center this weekend. 

CACC Awards and All-Conference Team
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Paola Hernandez (University of Bridgeport)
 
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Eliza Schneider (Wilmington University)
 
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alyssa Groves (Post University)
 
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL SETTER OF THE YEAR
Jaden Drollinger (University of Bridgeport)
 
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL COACH OF THE YEAR
Shana Rayside (Georgian Court University)
 
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Caldwell University
 
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE 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)
 
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE 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)
 
2024 CACC VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE 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)