Preseason Honors Set the Stage
The 2026 CAA field hockey landscape is already buzzing with anticipation as the conference announced its preseason recognitions, highlighting both individual brilliance and team expectations.
Valentine Van Hellemont, the Drexel senior midfielder, captured the preseason Player of the Year award after a career that has already rewritten the program’s record books. Her back‑to‑back Player of the Year titles in the CAA, coupled with two NFHCA All‑Region selections and a historic NFHCA First Team All‑American nod, mark her as the first Dragon to achieve such a trifect of conference and national honors.
Monmouth, riding a 12‑3 campaign that culminated in a program‑best No. 11 NFHCA ranking, was chosen as the preseason favorite after garnering four first‑place votes and accumulating 40 points in the poll. The Hawks’ roster, bolstered by Preseason All‑CAAs Florence van Doorn and Eulalie Brouwers—who earned Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year respectively—positions them to defend their regular‑season crown.
The season will officially open on August 28, when all seven conference squads take the field for opening‑day matchups that promise early tests of the storylines set by the awards. Fans can expect a clash of experience and youthful vigor as the new talent looks to build on last year’s successes.
Beyond the accolades, the recognition underscores a broader narrative of growth for both Drexel and Monmouth, signaling that the upcoming schedule could reshape the conference’s competitive balance and elevate the profile of collegiate field hockey in the region.