ATLANTA, Ga. -- Off to a 6-2 start this season, the 12th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will continue its three-week road swing on Friday when the Captains open up the Emory Classic with a pair of matches against No. 7 Cal Lutheran and No. 2 Emory during an epic doubleheader at the Woodruff PE Center.

Riding a three-match winning streak entering Friday's action, CNU will also face two tough tests on Saturday against Southwestern and Millsaps to wrap up the Emory Classic. Friday's action gets underway at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Captains will open play at noon.

In the midst of the squad's longest road trip of the year, Christopher Newport will face three squads listed in the recent AVCA national rankings. Along with Emory and Cal Lutheran, who have solidified their spots in the top-10, Southwestern sits just outside of the top-25 after collecting 58 points in the latest poll.

Emory will provide live stats and video for its matches during the tournament. Fans can access those links on CNU's schedule page or at EmoryAthletics.com.

No strangers to Emory, the Captains have squared off against the Eagles 13 times with CNU trailing, 11-2, in the series. However, Christopher Newport did pick up a wild 3-2 victory last year against Emory during the NCAA Regional Championship at the Freeman Center. CNU also trails Southwestern, 4-2, in the all-time series but holds a 2-1 edge against Cal Lutheran. The program has never matched wits with Millsaps.

The Captains have been paced by a collection of young standouts during the early part of the 2013 campaign. Freshman pin hitters Briana Sutton and Harper Smith have headlined the attack, ranking first and second on the team in kills. Sutton leads the way with 67 blasts while compiling a .258 hitting percentage, while Smith has 45 kills and is tied for the team-lead with nine aces.

Anchoring the back row, fellow first-year standout Rachel Close has picked up a team-best 84 digs. Abby McIntyre has also contributed 71 to go along with 41 kills, while Brooke Moore, Jessie Kolden, and Paxton Crooks all have at least 40 digs as well.

Looking strong along the net, freshman Hannah Miller leads CNU with 19 blocks, including seven solo stops. Only two Captains had more solo blocks all of last year than Miller has already collected in 2013. Overall, three players currently have double-digit blocks, including Rachel Conway who ranks third with 15 stops while leading the way with 151 assists.

All-American Chastity Lacy has also found a groove early in the year. The squad's lone senior leads the team with a .281 hitting percentage while ranking third with 42 kills. She has also done work on the defensive end with 18 blocks.

Vaulting up the national rankings while compiling a 6-1 record, Cal Lutheran opened the year with six straight victories before falling to NAIA power Westmont on Tuesday. The Regals, who advanced to the Sweet 16 last season, have been led by Kylie McLogan, who is hitting .297 with a team-best 84 kills. Lauren Rohach has paced the defense with 20 blocks, while Jackie Russell has been the primary setter with 224 assists.

Emory comes into the tournament with a pristine 7-0 record, including a 3-2 victory over St. Thomas, who captured last year's national championship. The Eagles are led by reigning All-American Sydney Miles, who is averaging nearly 11 assists per set. Cat McGrath has been lights-out along the net, pumping 73 kills while adding an impressive .374 hitting percentage.

Not to be overlooked, Southwestern has been a consistent threat on the national stage as well, including a berth in last year's NCAA Tournament. The Pirates enter the weekend with a 7-1 record while riding a six-match winning streak. Kaitlyn Foster has been an all-around star for Southwestern, averaging over four digs and nearly three kills per frame. Freshman setter Nikki Welch has shined as well, notching 187 assists to go along with five aces.

Upbeat after an excellent effort at the Birmingham Southern Tournament last weekend, Millsaps comes to Atlanta with a 6-3 record after winning five of its last six contests. In the same conference as Berry, who tied for the Captains Classic Championship two weeks ago, the Majors have been guided by a balanced attack. Three players have at least 40 kills, including Alex Morphew who leads the team with 55. Caroline McKey also ranks second with 52 blasts to go along with a team-high 86 digs.

Eventually, Christopher Newport will head north while remaining on the road for one final tournament after this weekend's action. Following the Emory Classic, the Captains will head to Chicago for the Gargoyle Classic before returning to Newport News for the CNU Invitational at the end of September.

---CNU---