LEXINGTON, Va. -- Boasting a 3-1 record entering the second week of the season, the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will take its show on the road when the Captains head west for the Washington & Lee Invitational beginning on Friday afternoon.

After opening 2013 with three straight victories, CNU stumbled against Edgewood but is looking to bounce back with a strong performance in Lexington. The Captains open up the invitational on Friday at 2:30 p.m. against No. 14 Otterbein before taking on Southern Virginia at 7:30. Saturday's action features a doubleheader against Meredith and Washington & Lee.

Loaded with top-level talent, the Invitational includes three teams from last year's NCAA Tournament. In addition to the Captains, who advanced to the Final Four, Otterbein and Washington & Lee both earned bids as well. W&L eventually lost to CNU in the first round, while Otterbein was cut short by Hope in their first match.

The Generals will be providing live stats and video for their matches this weekend. Christopher Newport will battle the hosts on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Links can be found on CNU's schedule page or by visiting GeneralsSports.com.

In last weekend's opening action, Christopher Newport put its promising youth on full display as freshman Harper Smith and sophomore Rachel Conway earned spots on the Captains Classic All-Tournament team. Smith led CNU with 39 kills and seven aces while tying for the team-lead with eight blocks. Conway helped pace the attack with 70 assists to go along with seven blocks on the defensive end.

Christopher Newport also benefited from a big weekend by Briana Sutton, who pounded 37 kills. Jessie Kolden, a reigning third-team All-American, also chipped in with 31 blasts, 25 digs, and five blocks. Ashley Rock and Chastity Lacy also had double-digit kill efforts to round out a well-balanced offensive attack.

Anchoring the defense, Smith, Rock, and Hannah Miller all had eight blocks, while Lacy and Conway collected seven apiece. Rachel Close led the back row with 44 digs, while Abby McIntyre and Brooke Moore contributed 37 and 36, respectively.

Vying for a perfect 5-0 start, Otterbein enters the weekend after claiming the Capital Tournament Championship last weekend. Ranked 14th in the nation, the Cardinals are led by Kim Baker, who has a team-high 44 kills and a .378 hitting percentage. Setter Tabatha Piper also boasts 166 assists and a 2.13 kills-per-set average, while Emily Caldwell leads the way with 76 digs.

Entering the team's first match of the year, Southern Virginia posted an 8-14 record last season. Like Christopher Newport, the Knights joined the Capital Athletic Conference over the summer. The squad is led by senior Tori Tuttle, who paced the team with 161 kills and a .304 hitting percentage in 2012. Setter Katelynn Tlustek also returns after posting 574 assists last year.

Non-conference foes for the first time, former USA South rivals Meredith and CNU will battle on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Avenging Angels opened up their 2013 campaign with a 3-1 record during the Virginia Wesleyan Invitational. Losing only to the host Marlins, Meredith was led by freshman Karlie Long, who punched 44 kills. Jasmine Aquinaldo also had 25 blocks during the four matches.

Undefeated entering their home tournament, the Generals swept the Maryville College Invitational last weekend. Anchoring the attack are standout hitters M.A. Boles and Anna Lausberg, who combined for 90 kills during the tournament. Meghan Meleski also had 111 assists, while Kelly McManus had 35 digs to go along with six aces.

Eventually, Christopher Newport will continue its road swing with two more tournaments after this weekend. Following the Washington & Lee Invitational, the Captains will trek to Atlanta for the Emory Classic next weekend before heading to Chicago for the Gargoyle Classic from September 20-21.

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