WATERBURY, Conn. -- For the first time in the history of the Post University Women's Volleyball program, the Eagles saw one of their own earn the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Defensive Player of the Year award as junior libero Alyssa Groves received the honor as well as the first CACC All-Conference First Team nod for the program since Madison Hunziker in 2018 as announced by the conference office on Tuesday morning.

Alongside Groves was graduate outside hitter Kristina Peric who was named CACC All-Conference Second Team and senior middle hitter Hannah Brandt to the CACC All-Conference Third Team marking the first time also since 2018 in which Post University has had one player make each All-Conference team. 

Unsurprisingly, Groves earned her honors after leading the entire conference in digs with 760 this season for an average of 6.97 digs per set which currently leads all of NCAA Division II in each category. In fact, the junior's dig numbers have been so high this season that she only trails Lily Ebright from Division III Rose-Hulman for most digs and digs per set across all NCAA levels. This season, Groves became the program leader for most digs in a career after surpassing Kerry Smith's mark of 1,689 digs against Jefferson University on November 2nd. The Arizona native has played in 109 sets across 28 matches with 119 assists, which is a career-high for her, and accumulated 36 service aces. 

Joining the team this season from AIC, Peric was a force to be reckoned with offensively for the Eagles en route to her Second Team accolade with a team-leading 357 kills which averaged out to 3.37 kills per set and a .220 hitting percentage after playing in 106 sets across 27 matches. Peric also had 211 digs, which averaged out to 1.99 digs per set, along with 48 total blocks, 30 service aces, and 13 assists to total up a team-high 413 points for Post.

Rounding out the trio of Eagles was Brandt who in her senior season had 186 kills in 109 sets played across 28 matches and carried herself to a career-high .343 hitting percentage which ranked fourth-highest in the conference. But on the blocking end, Brandt had a career year with a new high of 75 total blocks, including 65 block assists which ranks her just outside the top ten for a single season all-time heading into the CACC Tournament. The senior also had 43 digs, 14 service aces, and three assists en route to her All-Conference Third Team honor. 

As the top seed in the CACC North Division, Post University has a home CACC Quarterfinals match this evening in the Drubner Center at 6:00 PM. The Eagles will await the winner of the Goldey-Beacom College-Wilmington University match later this afternoon to see who the fourth seed in the CACC South Division will be that they will play, but have beaten both teams in straight sets this season. 

See below for the complete list of honorees for the CACC Women's Volleyball Major Awards and All-Conference teams: