YORK, Pa. -- Briana Sutton was honored as the Capital Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Year, while Lindsay Birch was named the league's top coach and both Rachel Conway and Hannah Miller collected first-team All-Conference nods to round out an impressive Christopher Newport contingent on the All-CAC volleyball teams.
 
Sutton picked up her second career CAC Player of the Year honor after sharing the award as a freshman in 2013. She is just the sixth player in league history to earn the top honor twice. Meanwhile, Birch became only the second coach in conference history to collect three straight Coach of the Year awards.
 
Along with the top honorees, Conway and Miller also picked up first-team plaudits for the second straight year. Overall, Conway, Miller, and Sutton have earned All-Conference accolades during each of the last three seasons. Conway and Miller were also second-team picks in 2013, while Sutton was a first-team selection as a freshman and a second-team honoree as a sophomore.
 
Sutton was named the Player of the Year after piecing together one of the most impressive campaigns in recent memory. An electric performer as an outside hitter, she has compiled a team-best 4.12 kills-per-set average, which also ranks as the second-finest single-season mark in program history. As efficient as she is effective, she wrapped up the regular season ranked third in the CAC with a .313 hitting percentage.
 
Showing a knack for coming up big under the bright lights, Sutton has posted six 20-kill efforts, including three against nationally-ranked opponents. Her finest showing came against No. 4 Emory on September 25 when she unloaded 28 kills and hit .388 against the Eagles. Buoyed by that performance, she was named the AVCA National Player of the Week on September 29.
 
A two-time CAC Player of the Week selection as well, Sutton also unloaded 21 kills against No. 12 Eastern on September 12 and matched that effort with 21 more against No. 4 Juniata on September 18.  Equally effective on the defensive end, the Williamsburg native has contributed six double-doubles during the season and registered a career-high 19 digs against Salisbury on October 7.
 
Among other highlights during the year, Sutton registered her 1000th career kill against Gallaudet on October 20, becoming only the fourth junior to reach that milestone. In only 101 career matches, she already sits ninth all-time with 1,033 kills, while her 3.14 kills-per-set average is currently the seventh-highest career mark in program history.
 
Equally dominant during the year, Conway has been nothing short of sensational during her senior campaign. One of the most decorated setters to ever play at CNU, she currently leads the conference and ranks among the top-20 nationally with a 10.73 assists-per-set average. During the year, she has dished out at least 40 assists on 12 occasions, including 62 against No. 4 Emory. That effort ranks seventh on the program's single-match list and stands as the finest in the rally-scoring era.
 
Helping pace an attack that ranks among the top-10 nationally with a .262 hitting percentage, Conway has doled out 1,148 assists so far this season. That currently ranks 10th all-time at CNU. Equally effective in all facets of the game, she also boasts five double-doubles this year, including a 14-dig effort in the CAC semifinals against St. Mary's on November 5. The Fairfax native also ranks second on the team with 35 aces and third with 49 blocks.
 
A reigning second-team All-American and the 2014 CAC Player of the Year, Conway currently stands fourth all-time at Christopher Newport with 3,444 career assists. Her 8.57 assists-per-set average also places her second in program history.
 
Miller has been a dominant force throughout the season as well, anchoring the center of the front row. One of the most talented middle blockers in the nation, she leads the team and ranks second in the conference with a .322 hitting percentage. Showing her versatility, she also sits second on the team with 287 kills and 92 blocks. Her 0.87 blocks-per-set average places her fourth in the conference as well.
 
During the year, Miller has collected 13 double-digit kill efforts, including a season-high 17 against Salisbury on October 7. Equally effective on the defensive end, the Palmyra native has had at least five blocks on seven occasions, including seven rejections during the CAC semifinals against St. Mary's on November 5. She also carried the Captains to the league title after collecting 12 kills and five blocks in the title bout against Salisbury on November 7.
 
In just three seasons, Miller has already scattered her name throughout the program record books. The reigning first-team All-American currently sits fourth all-time with 330 blocks, while her .302 career hitting percentage is fifth in CNU history. In 105 career matches, she also boasts 899 kills.
 
Leading the Captains to their third straight CAC title, Birch has done a tremendous job on the sidelines. Under her guidance, Christopher Newport has been a mainstay near the top of the AVCA National Rankings, climbing as high as second and never falling below sixth. Entering the NCAA Tournament, the team currently boasts a 29-2 record and notched a pristine 9-0 mark in conference action.
 
Christopher Newport will return to the court on Friday at 3 p.m. when the Captains kick off NCAA Regional action against Hunter at Richard Stockton College in Galloway, New Jersey.
 
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