The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) announced its all-conference and individual awards on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Cal State LA's
Emily Elliott took the top honor as she became the first Golden Eagle since 2005 to be named the CCAA Volleyball Player of the Year.
CCAA Setter of the Year honors for the second consecutive season went to San Francisco State's Kimberly DeBoer. Her teammate, Aidan Goodrich, was named the CCAA Freshman of the Year. The other three individual honors went to Cal State San Bernardino.
Shira Lahav was named the Libero of the Year, and
Trinity Sheridan captured Newcomer of the Year. Their head coach,
Kim Cherniss, was named the CCAA Coach of the Year for the third time in the past four seasons.
Emily Elliott has continued to improve each season with Cal State LA, culminating in earning the CCAA's Player of the Year award as a junior. The Costa Mesa native paced the CCAA and ranked 13th in NCAA Division II with 4.4 kills per set, posting a half a kill more than anyone in the conference. Elliott was also fifth nationally with 5.24 points per set, to lead the league by 0.73 points. She registered double-figure kills in 25 of 26 matches, including six with 20 or more. Elliott helped Cal State LA capture a share of the CCAA regular-season title in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999 and 2000. She has improved from earning Freshman of the Year in 2021 to first team in 2022 and being named CCAA Player of the Year in 2023.
Shira Lahav was a standout performer on the backline in her first season with Cal State San Bernardino. She averaged 4.01 digs (fourth CCAA) and was eighth in aces (35) en route to being selected as the 2023 CCAA Libero of the Year. The Bat Hefer, Israel native, had double-figure digs in 21 of 26 matches, which included a season-high 27 digs against Cal State LA. Those 27 digs were the third-best performance in the CCAA this season. Lahav finished second on the team with 119 assists and tied for the team-lead with 35 aces.
After being the first Gator to capture CCAA Setter of the Year last season, Kimberly DeBoer sets another record, becoming the first student-athlete ever to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons. The junior from Murrieta was the CCAA's leading assist-woman, posting 10.78 per match to rank 15th in NCAA Div. II. DeBoer was the conference's only student-athlete to eclipse the 1,000-assist mark in the regular season. Along the way, she earned three-time CCAA Setter of the Week awards and her 63 assists against Cal Poly Humboldt were a 2023 CCAA season-best.
Trinity Sheridan was an impact player the moment she stepped on the court for CSUSB. The UNLV transfer was named the CCAA Offensive Player of the Week in her first week as a Coyote and was selected as the AVCA/GameChanger National Player of the Week for Sept. 18-24. The opposite-side hitter completed her first regular season ranked second in the CCAA in kills (3.86), fifth in hitting percentage (.359), and sixth in points per set (4.28). The Crystal Lake, Ill., native hit over .350 percent with double-figure kills in 13 of 26 matches.
Aidan Goodrich is the second consecutive San Francisco State student-athlete to claim CCAA Freshman of the Year honors. She joins 2022 honoree Tamiya Wilson to become only the third pair of teammates to capture the honor in consecutive seasons. This year, Goodrich stepped into an outside hitter's role early in the season and became one of the Gators' best weapons. She averaged 2.21 kills, 0.49 digs, and 0.3 blocks per set as she played all around the court for SF State.
Cal State San Bernardino's Kim Cherniss collected her CCAA-record 10th conference Coach of the Year award. Cherniss led CSUSB to a 22-4 overall record with a 15-3 mark in conference play. The Coyotes captured their 17th CCAA regular season title under Cherniss, and she won her 750th career game during the season. CSUSB ranked fifth in NCAA Div. II in hitting percentage (.284) and 23rd in blocks (2.32). It will be the No. 1 in the upcoming CCSAA volleyball tournament.
Under Cherniss' guidance, a conference-best five Yotes earned first or second team All-CCAA honors. Sheridan and Lahav were joined on the first team by Marlee Nunley (S) and Jenna Patton (MB). Ashley Robinson (OH) represented San Bernardino on the second team. Cal State LA, San Francisco State and Cal Poly Pomona each had four first or second team selections. Nine of the 12 were represented on the first two teams.
All six individual awards and the All-CCAA selections were solely voted on by the CCAA's 12 head coaches. All 12 programs are represented at least once on the lists, including the honorable mention teams.
The all-conference awards come on the brink of the CCAA Volleyball Tournament, which begins on Thursday, Nov. 16. Cal State LA will serve as the host.
[Complete 2023 All-CCAA Volleyball Team]
| 2023 CCAA Volleyball Individual Awards |
| Player of the Year: Emily Elliott, Cal State LA |
|
| Libero of the Year: Shira Lahav, Cal State San Bernardino |
|
| Setter of the Year: Kimberly DeBoer, San Franciso State |
|
| Newcomer of the Year: Trinity Sheridan, Cal State San Bernardino |
|
| Freshman of the Year: Aidan Goodrich, San Francisco State |
|
| Coach of the Year: Kim Cherniss, Cal State San Bernardino |
|
|
| All-CCAA First Team |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Trinity Barr -* |
Sr. |
OH |
Cal State San Marcos |
Woodland |
| Samantha Campion |
Jr. |
OH |
Cal Poly Pomona |
Aurora, Colo. |
| Kimberly DeBoer -* |
Jr. |
S |
San Francisco State |
Murrieta |
| Daisy Duke -** |
Sr. |
OPP |
Cal Poly Pomona |
Rancho Cucamonga |
| Emily Elliott -&* |
Jr. |
OPP |
Cal State LA |
Costa Mesa |
| Iane Henke -* |
So. |
OH |
Cal State LA |
Ulm, Germany |
| Shira Lahav |
Gr. |
L |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Bat Hefer, Israel |
| Marlee Nunley |
Sr. |
S |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Murrieta |
| Jenna Patton -& |
Sr. |
MB |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Redlands |
| Trinity Sheridan |
Fr. |
OPP |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Crystal Lake, Ill. |
| Jen Trephan -*&* |
Sr. |
S |
Sonoma State |
Thousand Oaks |
| Tamiya Wilson -* |
So. |
OPP |
San Francisco State |
Temecula |
|
| All-CCAA Second Team |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Eliza Cannon -&& |
Sr. |
S |
Cal State LA |
Santa Ana |
| Ashley Dittmann -& |
Sr. |
OH |
Cal State LA |
Clovis |
| Awelina Fakalata |
Jr. |
OH |
Cal Poly Humboldt |
Sacramento |
| Izzy Issak |
Jr. |
OH |
San Francisco State |
Los Gatos |
| Mia Jordan -& |
Jr. |
MB |
Cal State East Bay |
Portland, Ore. |
| Jaden Krist |
Sr. |
OH |
Sonoma State |
Petaluma |
| Caitie Mueller -* |
Jr. |
S |
Cal Poly Pomona |
San Clemente |
| Madison Novak -& |
Jr. |
OH |
Cal Poly Pomona |
Lancaster |
| Kiana Richardson -&* |
Sr. |
OH |
Sonoma State |
Lakeport |
| Ashley Robinson -* |
Jr. |
OH |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Tucson, Ariz. |
| Ashley Vanderpan |
Sr. |
S |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
Elk Grove |
| Trinity Yates |
Jr. |
MB |
San Francisco State |
San Jose |
|
|
|
|
|
| Honorable Mention |
| Isabelle Bakken (CSUSM), Alex Byrd (STAN), Bailey Fuches (CSUDH), Tori Goff (CSUSM), Aidan Goodrich (SFSU), Kara Green (CSUEB), Leilani Hallman (SSU), Savannah Hoffman (CSUSB), Kaylie Honberger (CSUMB), Ava Hurry (CSUDH), Taryn King (CSUSB), Avery McIntyre (HUM), Lexi Pagani (CSUEB), Avery Percival (CPP), Brooke Ono (CHICO), Kayly Pau (CSUDH), Gabby Rawson -* (STAN), Nina Robles (CSUDH), Jameson Sanders (CSLA), Kaitlan Tucker -& (CPP), Kea Vennendaal (CSUMB) |
| * - previous All-CCAA first team selection, & - previous All-CCAA second team selection. |