NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Vying for the program's first-ever Capital Athletic Conference championship, the top-seeded Christopher Newport volleyball team will open up the postseason on Thursday evening when CNU hosts fourth-seeded Marymount at 7 p.m. in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament at the Freeman Center.

Entering the playoffs on a bit of a roll, the Captains have won their last three matches and stand at 22-12 overall. Marymount comes in at 19-13.

Not far removed from their last match-up, Christopher Newport defeated Marymount, 3-0, on Saturday in Arlington. That victory sealed the regular season conference championship for the Captains and gave the program its first win over the Saints since 1999.

Tickets for Thursday's match will be $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. Christopher Newport University students will be admitted free with a valid ID.

Notching six straight USA South championships before entering the CAC this year, the Captains will look to continue their postseason dominance and make another playoff run. Last season, CNU advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the second straight year after reaching the Elite Eight in 2009 and 2010.

Offensively, Christopher Newport has been led by freshman Briana Sutton, who has a team-high 250 kills while hitting at a .244 clip. She has been especially potent in recent weeks, unloading eight of her 11 double-digit kill efforts since the beginning of October. She also clubbed a career-high 15 blasts against St. Mary's on October 23 and was honored as the CAC Player of the Week for that effort.

Rachel Conway has also been a force for CNU, leading the team with 694 assists while contributing 28 aces and 77 blocks. Chastity Lacy and Hannah Miller have also been spectacular along the net as Lacy leads the team with 119 rejections, while Miller has chipped in with 90 blocks, including 29 solo stops.

Anchoring the back row, Brooke Moore has a team-high 324 digs, while Rachel Close and Abby McIntyre have at least 250 apiece. Jessie Kolden also has 178 and has been the team's most effective performer on serve-receive, posting a .951 reception percentage.

Vaulting into the CAC semifinals following a 3-2 victory over St. Mary's on Tuesday, Marymount advanced to the league championship match last season before falling to Salisbury in the title bout. The Saints have stumbled a bit recently, dropping four of their last five contests before bouncing back against the Seahawks.

Erin Allison has helped pace Marymount, pumping a team-high 49 aces to go along with 282 kills and 333 digs. Morgan McAlpin also leads the squad with 314 kills, while Brianne Fitzpatrick has been averaging 8.19 assists-per-set. Cassidie Watson has led the back row with 524 digs.

---CNU---