HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Participating in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh straight season, the Christopher Newport volleyball team will open up the postseason on Friday at 3 p.m. when the Captains square off with Cabrini in a first-round bout at Juniata's Memorial Gymnasium Court.
After claiming the Capital Athletic Conference championship last weekend, CNU earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and enter the playoffs with a 24-12 record. Cabrini also received an automatic berth after winning the Colonial States Athletic Conference title. The Cavaliers currently sit at 29-4 overall.
Coming into the tournament with some momentum, the Captains have won five straight matches and 13 of their last 14 contests. Cabrini has also been on a roll, securing victories in 13 consecutive bouts entering the postseason.
In 2013, CNU and Cabrini have just two common opponents. Both programs defeated Scranton earlier in the year, while Cabrini was swept by Stevenson before the Captains pulled out a five-set victory against the 20th-ranked Mustangs in the regular season finale.
Fans can keep up with all of Friday's action through Juniata's website at JuniataSports.net. The Eagles will provide live stats and a web stream of all the matches during their regional. Direct links to both features can be found on CNU's schedule page.
In addition to online access, fans can follow the action in-person with a $6 general admission ticket. Children and senior citizens can attend the matches for $2. Kids two and under are free.
Christopher Newport enters the Tournament with an intimidating front line. Middle blocker
Chastity Lacy and outside hitter
Briana Sutton were named CAC Co-Players of the Year, while
Hannah Miller secured second-team All-League accolades as well. Lacy, the lone senior on the team, has a conference-best 1.16 blocks-per-set average, which also ranks among the top-20 nationally.
Along with Lacy, Miller has chimed in with 96 rejections, including a team-best 30 solo blocks. Sutton has been the top offensive force, blasting the opposition with 281 kills while compiling a .260 hitting percentage. She has been especially strong lately, unloading a season-best 19 kills against Marymount in the CAC semifinals before uncorking 12 during the championship match against Salisbury.
Validating her spot as one of the elite setters in the league,
Rachel Conway also earned second-team All-CAC accolades for her performance during the season. The second-year standout leads the Captains with 777 assists and has also added 29 aces. On the back row,
Brooke Moore leads the team with 346 digs, while
Rachel Close has chimed in with 338.
Entering the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five years, Cabrini punched its ticket after toppling Neumann, 3-1, in the CSAC Championship. Senior Sophia Sokolovich picked up MVP honors after collecting 18 digs in the title bout. Danielle Carrozza also notched her 12th double-double with 24 kills and 17 digs.
Nothing short of sensational in 2013, Carrozza has a team-high 433 kills while hitting at a .384 clip. She has 24 double-digit kill efforts, including a season-best 26 blasts against Shenandoah on November 2. She has also contributed 27 aces and 304 digs while adding 25 blocks as well.
Up front, Michele Fitz has been the team's top defensive presence with 82 blocks, including 36 solo stops. Sokolovich has anchored the back row with a 4.65 digs-per-set average, while Kelly Guarino has contributed 310 as well. Cassidy Koenig has been the primary setter, dishing out 10.43 assists-per-set.
Eventually, the winner of Friday's contest will move on to face the survivor of the Eastern-Johns Hopkins contest. That second round game is slated for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. The regional championship showdown will be on Sunday at 4 p.m.
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