ASHLAND, Va. -- The third-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team will open up the 2013-14 season on Friday, as the Captains travel to the Randolph-Macon College Tip-Off Classic. CNU will take on the host Yellow Jackets on Friday at 6:00 pm, followed by a neutral site game against Shenandoah on Saturday at 6:30 pm. 

The Captains, picked to win the Capital Athletic Conference in the preseason coaches' poll, will return to the hardwood for the first time since competing in the NCAA Elite Eight last March. Under the direction of second year head coach Bill Broderick, CNU returns over 85% of its scoring and four starters from last year's conference championship team. 

Leading the way are a pair of senior All-Conference players in forward Nicole Mitchell and guard Tia Perry. Perry, an All-Region selection a year ago, was the team's leading scorer with 14.0 points per game. Mitchell dropped in 10.8 points per game and also grabbed 6.7 rebounds per game.

Senior point guard Andrea Hobbs is also back in the starting five, after leading the team in assists with 85 last year. Chantal Thomas, another senior, dished out 75 dimes last year as well, as the two players combined for nearly half of CNU's helpers. 

The veteran lineup will be complemented by a talented group of young players, primarily in the back court. Sophomores Jordan Miller and Brandi Holland played in crucial minutes last season and are dangerous beyond the arc. Newcomers Lauren Cox and Taylor Delgado figure to factor into the rotation immediately, while Broderick has added several more guards to the fold this season. 

In the all-time series against Randolph-Macon, the Yellow Jackets hold a 9-7 advantage, while CNU has dominated the Hornets, 39-6, playing 45 times as former conference rivals in the USA South Athletic Conference.

The host Yellow Jackets have a strong tradition of women's basketball, with nine NCAA Tournament appearances since 1996, including a trip to the NCAA National Championship Game in 2005. The team lost just one senior to graduation last year, and returns leading scorers Sarah Parsons and Katie Anderson. Anderson was the VaSID Rookie of the Year after averaging over 14 points per game last season. Parsons led the team in scoring with 14.4 ppg, averaging 1.3 three-pointers made per game.

Shenandoah is led by senior guard Crystal Petrus, who averaged a team-high 11.1 points per game. Holly Chittendon is also back, after chipping in 10.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season.