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ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Not only will a new champion be crowned in 2011, but it will be one school's first ever volleyball championship as both CNU and Wittenberg will appear in their first national title game. Sixth-ranked Christopher Newport University (38-4) will take on fifth-ranked Wittenberg University (36-3) in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball National Championship at 5:00 p.m. (CST)/6:00 p.m. (EST) on Sunday.

The game will be held on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, as the Captains take on the Tigers for just the second time in the all-time series.

Follow the Captains
There is a variety of ways to follow the National Championship game. Fans are invited to Gaines Theater in the Freeman Center on the campus of Christopher Newport University for a viewing party. Live video and live stats will be available (Tournament Central), as well as Twitter and Facebook updates throughout the match. Also stay tuned to CNUsports.com and the Tournament Central page for post-game press conference footage, photos and more.

About the Captains
CNU is currently riding a 15-match winning streak, the longest streak of the season. The Captains earned its way to the national title by defeating #3 Emory, 3-0, in the Newport News Regional Championship, #18 SUNY Cortland, 3-1, in the NCAA Quarterfinals, and #9 Carthage, 3-0, in the NCAA National Semifinals. It was the third straight trip to the NCAA Championships for the Captains, earning their first ever win at the Finals site.

The Captains improve to 12-8 all-time in NCAA Tournament action, including an 11-2 record in the last three seasons. Sunday's game will be the first national championship game in program history. Juniors Bailey Jensen and Cory Harris each lead the way with 340 kills this season, while the Captains rank in the nation's top ten in hitting percentage at .267.

Sturdy Birch
Christopher Newport University head coach Lindsay Birch is in her 10th season with the Captains, posting an 313-79 (.798) record. She earned her sixth USA South Conference Coach of the Year honor this season in just her 10th year with CNU. The Captains coach was the youngest coach in NCAA history to reach 200-wins.

Dominant Defense
The Captains have turned up the heat defensively in the NCAA Championships, posting 21 blocks in the last two games combined. CNU has been strong defensively this season, led by junior Bailey Jensen. The Captains middle blocker has posted the second best season in blocks in school history, with 144 total, trailing Oksana Boukhtina by just four for the single season record. Jensen had eight blocks in Saturday's win over one of the top hitting teams in the country in Carthage.

Topping the Charts
Jensen isn't the only Captain threatening records for CNU, as junior defensive specialist Abby Hogge has already broken her own single season record for digs, with 624 (previous mark was 607). In just three seasons with the Captains, Hogge already has over 1,800 career digs, good for second on the all-time CNU list. She holds the #1, #2 and #3 spots on the single season digs records for CNU. Senior All-American setter Jessie Heavenrich posted her second straight 1,000 assist season and ranks third on the all-time list for helpers.

As a team, the Captains have tied the program record for wins in a season, with 38, matching last season's overall mark.

Scouting #5 Wittenberg
The Tigers came into the NCAA Championships site as the second-highest-ranked team remaining in the tournament, checking in at No. 5 in the AVCA National Rankings. They trailed only #4 Eastern, who they swept with ease in the NCAA National Semifinals to earn the program's first ever berth into the National Championship game. Head coach Paco Labrador has won 295 matches in his first nine years with the Tigers,

Wittenberg enters the national championship boasting one of the nation's top attacking squads, ranking ninth in hitting percentage as of last week (.273). The Captains are not far behind, at 11th (.269), so it may come down to defense, where the Wittenberg squad has held opponents to a .080 percentage this year and ranks 26th in the nation in blocks per set (2.21). The Tigers boast three All-Americans, in seniors Katie Sumner (2nd Team) and Kimmie Dyer (3rd Team) and junior Christina Gilene (3rd Team). They earned their bid into the championship with a Regional Championship victory over 2010 National Champion Calvin, followed by wins over Cal Lutheran and #4 Eastern.

Common Opponents
CNU and Wittenberg have both played demanding schedules this season, as evidenced by their common opponents. The two teams have faced seven common opponents this season. It will be just the second matchup in the all-time series for the two teams, as Wittenberg won in 2006 in the first.

vs. Emory
CNU won, 3-0; Wittenberg won, 3-1

vs. Juniata
CNU won, 3-2; Wittenberg won, 3-1

vs. Maryville
CNU won, 3-0; Wittenberg won, 3-0

vs. Bluffton
CNU won, 3-0; Wittenberg won, 3-0

vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater
CNU won, 3-0; Wittenberg lost, 0-3

vs. Carthage
CNU won twice, 3-1 & 3-0; Wittenberg won, 3-0

vs. Eastern
CNU lost, 2-3; Wittenberg won, 3-0

Featured on NCAA.com
Both teams have been featured on the NCAA.com website this weekend. The links to the stories can be found below:

CNU: Heavenrich takes team, game higher
WIT: The Tigers' biggest fan

Gaines Theater Viewing Party
Fans are invited to join together for a special NCAA Tournament Viewing Party at 6:00 p.m. (ET) in the Gaines Theater of the Freeman Center expansion.