CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston has earned a share of the 2024 CAA Volleyball Regular Season Championship after beating Northeastern in straight sets (25-12, 25-21 and 25-19) Saturday afternoon in TD Arena.
 
The Cougars finished the regular season 23-8, 15-3 in the CAA and 17-1 at home. With the loss Northeastern (10-16, 8-10 CAA) is eliminated from the postseason.
 
Charleston captured its 16th conference championship during alumni weekend as the team celebrated its 50 seasons with more than 70 alumae.
 
Anna Smith recorded a season-high 13 kills and hit .344 while Hannah Scott tallied back-to-back double-doubles with 34 assists and 16 digs. 
 
 
WHEN THE GAME WAS DECIDED:

• Charleston came out of the gates hot in the deciding set, taking a 7-1 lead, courtesy of a Smith kill.

 
 
CRITICAL POINTS AGAINST NORTHEASTERN:

• Charleston had six blocks with Caitlyn Callahan, Allie Holland and Scott each recording three.
• Tynley Smeltzer led the defensive efforts for Charleston with 18 digs; one of four Cougars with at least 10.
• Charleston held Northeastern to a .077 hitting pct., the 12th match this season an opponent has hit under .100.
• Emily Banitt recorded her 13th double-double of the campaign with 10 kills and 14 digs.

 
OF NOTE:

• Charleston captured a share of the CAA Regular Season Title for the first time since 2017.
• Charleston improves 15-8 against Northeastern and 6-4 in three-set matches.
• The Cougars are 6-0 in the month of November.
• CofC has won in straight sets in eight of its last 10 victories.
• Charleston has 309.0 total blocks, good for fifth all-time in the Rally Scoring Era. The record is 323.0, set in 2007.
• Callahan's 138.0 total blocks are tied with Tiffany Blum (2004) for the eighth-most in a single season in the Rally Scoring Era.
• Smeltzer passed Mary Sabatino for seventh all-time in program history with 1,524 career digs.

 
 
UP NEXT:
Charleston heads to Towson, Md., to compete in the 2024 CAA Championships. The seeding will be official following the conclusion of the regular season.
 
For complete coverage of Charleston volleyball, follow us on Facebook (/cofcvolleyball), X (@CofCVolleyball) and Instagram (@cofcvolleyball).