The College of Southern Maryland volleyball team opened its 2025 season with four losses at the Cape Fear Invitational in Wilmington, North Carolina, winning just one set across 13 played during the August 22-23 event. The Hawks fell 3-0 to host Cape Fear Community College, 3-0 to Lake-Sumter State College, 3-0 to St. Johns River State College and 3-1 to Fayetteville Technical Community College, starting the year 0-4 overall before non-conference play.
In the opener against Cape Fear, CSM managed 18 points in the first set but scored single digits in the next two, hitting .160 as a team while the Sea Devils posted a .000 hitting percentage but dominated in digs with none recorded for blocks on either side. Lelia Iafeta led the Hawks with nine kills, while two players each added one block and Mia DeCarlo paced digs with 15. Cape Fear improved to 3-1 with the sweep.
The second match saw Lake-Sumter prevail 25-13, 25-19, 25-12, with the Lakehawks hitting .301 and recording four blocks to CSM’s .121 hitting and two blocks. Iafeta again topped kills with nine, two players shared one block each, Ana Salamanca led digs with 18 and DeCarlo added three aces. Samantha Beatty starred for Lake-Sumter with 12 kills and 14 digs, moving them to 4-0.
Against St. Johns River, the Hawks hit .071 in a 25-9, 25-12, 25-17 defeat, with the Vikings at .368 hitting and 6.5 blocks. Iafeta had seven kills, Deanna Kalkbrenner contributed three blocks, Salamanca dug 12 and DeCarlo served two aces. Nadia Ewton led St. Johns River with nine kills and eight aces, boosting them to 4-0.
The finale offered CSM’s lone set win, taking the second 25-23 against Fayetteville Tech before falling 25-16, 25-22, 25-11. The Hawks hit .097 with 8.5 blocks, while the Trojans hit .254 with three blocks. Iafeta posted 12 kills, Kalkbrenner had six blocks, Salamanca led with 22 digs and DeCarlo three aces. Kyrie Willis powered Fayetteville Tech with 19 kills, improving them to 2-1.
Across the Southern Maryland volleyball tournament, Iafeta, a sophomore outside hitter from Frostburg, Maryland, paced the offense with 37 kills at 2.85 per set, 41 points and 126 attacks, plus 22 digs, two blocks and two aces. Her performance builds on a freshman year where she tallied 97 kills over 20 matches. Freshman middle blocker Kalkbrenner from Huntingtown, Maryland, impressed with 10 blocks at 0.77 per set and 21 kills at a .316 hitting percentage in her debut. Sophomore defensive specialist DeCarlo from Frostburg led aces with eight at 0.62 per set. Freshman defensive specialist Salamanca from Mexico City anchored defense with 60 digs at 4.62 per set. Freshman setter Amelie Lancioni from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, distributed 74 assists at 5.69 per set and added 45 digs.
The Hawks entered the season blending veterans and freshmen under coach Teyana Sanders, targeting a fifth consecutive .500 or better record after finishing 12-12 overall and 8-4 in conference last year. The team has not beaten Lake-Sumter or St. Johns River since at least 2012, holds a 0-1 mark against Cape Fear and split with Fayetteville Tech, last winning 3-0 in 2023. CSM’s history includes a Maryland JUCO championship in the past, part of the college’s athletic legacy since 1958.
The Cape Fear Invitational featured NJCAA teams, with Cape Fear’s schedule including scrimmages and the event as a key early test. Lake-Sumter went 4-0 in the tournament, while St. Johns River also started undefeated. Walters State Community College participated, adding to the competitive field.
CSM next competes at the Monroe Invitational in New Rochelle, New York, on August 30-31, facing teams like Montgomery College and Richard Bland College. The Hawks’ full schedule includes home games at the La Plata campus, accessible for Southern Maryland fans via Route 301. Tryouts and practices vary by coach, with the program emphasizing development for student-athletes. In 2023, CSM reached 18 wins, its most in over a decade, setting a benchmark for improvement. The team has topped rivals like Montgomery for the first time in years past, showing potential amid early setbacks.
Southern Maryland’s volleyball scene includes high school championships at Harford Community College in November and club programs like Volleyball Collective Academy in Charles County. CSM’s women’s teams also compete in basketball, soccer and softball, contributing to the college’s athletic offerings. As the season progresses, the Hawks aim to build on local recruits and veteran leadership for conference success.
