NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport University volleyball team, defending champs of the USA South and 2010 preseason favorites to repeat, are ranked 15th in the country according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Pre-Season Poll released yesterday. The team finished 2009 ranked 16th in the country with a run to the NCAA Elite Eight in the program's most successful season.

In 2010, the Captains will face off against seven teams in the national rankings, including a road game against the second-ranked team in the nation, Juniata College. CNU will travel to Juniata for their second game of the season on September 3 at 8:00 pm.

CNU is also bringing in top competition to the Freeman Center as they welcome the #6 team in the country, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, on October 8 at 8:00 pm. The game against the program that eliminated the Captains from the NCAA Tournament a year ago is a part of the CNU Invitational.

The other nationally ranked programs CNU will face this season are #12 Trinity (away-9/10), #16 Southwestern (neutral-9/11), #18 Eastern (away-10/15), #25 Puget Sound (neutral-9/10) and receiving votes, Haverford College (home-10/9).

CNU was selected by the conference coaches to repeat as USA South Champions in 2010, after sealing their third straight conference title last season. Head Coach Lindsay Birch has led the Captains to at least a share of six consecutive regular season crowns and have won seven of the past nine USA South Tournament Championships. Without a single senior on the roster in 2009, CNU went a program-best 36-7, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in nine years.