Hempstead, NY – First-year Hofstra Head Softball Coach Susan Cassidy-Lyke was named CAA Coach of the Year to highlight the Pride's haul of All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie selections.
 
In addition to Cassidy-Lyke taking home the Coach of the Year award, Alanna Morse, Dahlia Palacio, and Lily Yepez were named to the All-CAA First Team, while Nicole Cancel, Emma Falen, and Gabby Sultan earned All-CAA Second Team honors, and Madison Steppe was selected to the CAA All-Rookie Team.
 
With Cassidy-Lyke at the helm, the Pride collected 21 conference wins for the most CAA wins in program history and the second-most conference wins in school history. Cassidy-Lyke is the second-ever Hofstra head coach to be named the top coach in any conference after legendary head coach Bill Edwards racked up eight coach of the year awards as member of the North Atlantic Conference (1995), America East (1999), and the CAA (2008-13).
 
Morse was once again one of the top hitters in the conference, batting .343 while setting ranking in the top 10 of the CAA for home runs (2nd, 9), RBIs (3rd, 39), slugging percentage (5th, .590), OPS (5th, 1.025), runs (6th, 38), walks (7th, 23), hits (8th, 57), and doubles (9th, 12) as the Pride's every day starter at shortstop. Morse logged a hit in 37 games this season, and she led the team with 17 multi-hit games in 2026, including a season-high three hits against Drexel (Mar. 27), Saint Peter's (Mar. 31), and Towson (Apr. 3). Additionally, Morse led the team with 13 games with at least two-RBIs, including a career-high five RBIs against Saint Peter's, and she finished fourth on the team with six stolen bases. This is the third postseason CAA honor for Morse, who was named CAA All-Rookie in 2023 and All-CAA Second Team in 2025.
 
Palacio picks up her first CAA postseason honor after finishing third on the team with a .338 batting average plus 53 hits – 18 doubles and a triple – and three home runs to go with 33 runs, 24 RBIs, a .552 slugging percentage, and a .399 on-base percentage while swiping four bases this season as she transitioned from the outfield to first base. Palacio's 18 doubles are second in the CAA and matches her previous single-season high from last season. In addition, she finished the season tied for the second-most multi-hit games on the team with 12, including a career-high four hits coming against Drexel on March 27, and she finished the season with five multi-RBI games.
 
Yepez enjoyed a breakout season in 2026, batting .412 to rank third in the CAA with 47 hits, including six doubles and two triples, while recording 21 runs, 15 RBIs, a .500 slugging percentage, a .427 on-base percentage, and eight stolen bases as the primary starter in center field. Yepez finished tied for second on the team with Palacio with 12 multi-hit games, including a four-hit performance on March 20 against Hampton, and Yepez drove in four RBIs against Towson on April 3.
 
The primary starter at second base for Hofstra, Cancel earned second team honors with a .268 batting average on 33 hits with six doubles, while also tallying six home runs, 26 runs scored, and 25 RBIs with a .463 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .343. Cancel logged nine multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games, including a career-high three RBIs against Buffalo (Feb. 28) and Towson (Apr. 3).
 
The Pride's ace in the circle, Falen won a career-high 13 games in 2026 and posted a 2.36 ERA with 120 strikeouts in 136.2 innings pitched, plus 12 complete game outings, five shutouts, and she allowed a .241 batting average to opponents. A two-time CAA Pitcher of the Week this season, Falen ranks third in the CAA for ERA, tied for fourth in wins, fourth in strikeouts, and seventh in opposing batting average. In CAA action, Falen was outstanding; in 78.2 innings, Falen went 11-2 with a 1.16 ERA, 71 strikeouts, and a .194 opposing batting average.
 
Sultan enjoyed a standout season as the Pride's primary designated player, recording a batting average of .320 with 48 hits – with 17 going for doubles – plus four home runs, 29 RBIs, and 23 runs scored, and she finished the regular season with a slugging percentage of .513 and an on-base percentage of .394. Sultan finished second on the team with nine multi-RBI games and fourth on the roster with 11 multi-hit games.
 
Steppe established herself as a top freshman pitcher with a 12-5 record, an ERA of 3.77, 91 strikeouts, 11 complete games, two shutouts, and an opposing batting average of .232 in 117.0 innings pitched in her first season of collegiate softball. A two-time CAA Rookie of the Week honoree, Steppe shined against CAA opponents, limiting batters to .191 at the plate with 49 strikeouts, a 2.52 ERA, and a 9-0 record in 69.1 innings pitched.
 
Hofstra enters the 2026 CAA Championship as the top seed, and they will face the winner of #4 Stony Brook and #5 Charleston on Thursday, May 7, at 12 p.m. from Elon, North Carolina.