WATERBURY, Conn. -- For the second consecutive season and time in program history, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Defensive Player of the Year resides with Post University Women's Volleyball as senior libero Alyssa Groves was named to the honor by the league office for the 2025 season. Graduate outside hitter Kristina Peric joined Groves in the major awards category, winning CACC Player of the Year, becoming the first since Skylar German back in 2016 and only second in program history, as German won three consecutive accolades.

The duo was named First Team All-Conference and joined by graduate setter Alice DiFrancesco, who was named Second Team All-Conference, as well as sophomore middle blocker Alani Duncan and junior middle blocker Nuri Shahid-Stevenson, who both were named Third Team All-Conference. Picking up five total All-Conference nods, this is the most members of the All-Conference Team that Post has had in program history for a single year, surpassing their mark of four back in 2016. 

The second Defensive Player of the Year for Groves, she finished the regular season with 664 digs, breaking the 2,000 mark earlier this season, and then became the conference's all-time leader in digs for a career after her performance against Jefferson University in the CACC Quarterfinals last night. The senior averaged 5.93 digs per set in 28 regular-season matches, which featured 112 sets, while tacking on 114 assists, 61 service aces, and five kills.

An indisputable choice for the CACC Player of the Year as well as a candidate potentially for National Player of the Year, Peric currently leads the nation with 5.18 kills per set and 534 kills total in 103 sets played across only 26 matches as she missed two with injury during the regular season, while earning her 1,000th career kill.. She attempted 1,492 attacks with only 202 errors for a .223 attack percentage, contributing 282 digs, 37 total blocks, 30 service aces, and 19 assists as well. 

Making the Second Team, DiFrancesco also broke the 2,000 career mark, but in the assist category, as she had 893 assists for an average of 8.67 assists per set, playing in 26 matches and 103 sets. The graduate student had 19 double-doubles as part of her 299 total digs on the year, adding in 81 kills with a .220 attack percentage, 44 service aces, and 28 total blocks. 

Headlining the middle were both Duncan and Nuri Shahid-Stevenson, as Duncan, in her first year, was stellar on both sides of the ball with 168 kills and a .305 attack percentage, finishing the regular season with 106 total blocks, which led the team, along with 21 digs and three assists. For Shahid-Stevenson, she was second on the team in total blocks after recording 97, but made her presence felt offensively too, with 146 kills in 28 matches with a .275 attack percentage, in addition to her 44 digs. 

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

2025 CACC VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kristina Peric (Post University)
 
2025 CACC VOLLEYBALL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Gabi Fullwood (Goldey-Beacom College)
 
2025 CACC VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alyssa Groves (Post University)
 
2025 CACC VOLLEYBALL SETTER OF THE YEAR
Mia Wise (Holy Family University)
 
2025 ATHLETIC SOLUTIONS CACC VOLLEYBALL COACH OF THE YEAR
Collin Sibilia (Holy Family University)
 
2025 CACC VOLLEYBALL TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Caldwell University
 
2025 CACC VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
OH – Hailey Jessen (University of Bridgeport)
OH – Shelby Kinzer (Holy Family University)
OH – Kristina Peric (Post University)
MB – Gabi Fullwood (Goldey-Beacom College)
MB – Ava Kidd (Holy Family University)
L - Alyssa Groves (Post University)
S – Mia Wise (Holy Family University)
 
2025 CACC VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
OH – Mackenzie Layton (Holy Family University)
OH – Emily McKenna (Thomas Jefferson University)
OH – Karla Nunez-Rivera (Wilmington University)
MB – Savannah Tody (Dominican University)
MB – Lucia Tomiello (University of Bridgeport)
L - Gaby Fernandez (Goldey-Beacom College)
S - Alice DiFrancesco (Post University)
 
2025 CACC VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM
OH – Ava Churnesky (Georgian Court University)
OH – Sandra Galas (Felician University)
OH – Eliza Schneider (Wilmington University)
MB – Alani Duncan (Post University)
MB – Nuri Shahid-Stevenson (Post University)
L - Kate Hines (Thomas Jefferson University)
S - Juliana Malena (Goldey-Beacom College)