NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The all-star honors keep coming for senior middle blocker Alyssa Dozier and freshman setter Fielding Croft.
 
The American Volleyball Coaches Association named Dozier its Player of the Year and Croft its Freshman of the Year in NCAA Division III Region 6, which consists of 45 teams. This came a week after they received the same awards in the Coast-To-Coast Conference.
 
Dozier, a senior middle blocker from Arlington, leads CNU volleyball in points (437.5, 4.42 per set), kills (345, 3.48), total blocks (117, 1.18) and hitting percentage (.391). Croft, in her first season from Richmond, is the Captains' assist leader with 9.06 per set, 12.1 per in her last 16 matches.

Dozier is the first player in the 47-year history of the program to be named the AVCA Region Player of the Year. Region 6 includes three nationally-ranked programs and three more receiving votes in the AVCA Division III top 25 poll, putting Dozier at an elite level amongst elite competition. 

Croft is the third Captain to earn AVCA Region Freshman of the Year plaudits joining Kara Elder (2009) and Dozier (2022). 

CNU (24-7) will begin play in the NCAA tournament against SUNY Cortland (24-7) Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in Virginia Beach. The Captains are 3-0 against the Red Dragons, but the teams have not played since 2014.
 
Cortland outside hitter Kira Pirrera was named first-team All-Region 3. A 5-foot-10 junior, she is averaging 3.84 kills per set and has 54 service aces this season.
 
The winner of Thursday morning's match will go against either Juniata or Grove City in the second round Friday at 4:30 p.m.
 
Thursday's other regional quarterfinals are Berry (24-7) vs. Washington and Lee (23-9) at 4:30 p.m. and site host Virginia Wesleyan (31-2) vs. John Jay (23-6) at 7 p.m.
 
The championship match, which will send the winner to the national quarterfinals, will be Saturday at 3 p.m.