DOVER, Del. -- The 13th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will look to continue its three-match roll on Thursday when the squad heads to the First State for a Capital Athletic Conference clash with Wesley at 6 p.m. at the Wentworth Gymnasium.
CNU enters the contest with a 21-3 record, including a 3-0 mark in CAC action. Wesley comes in at 11-9 overall and 1-2 in league tilts. Thursday's battle will be the second all-time meeting between the two programs after the Captains posted a 3-0 victory during their inaugural showdown last year in Newport News.
Christopher Newport has been hot lately as the team has swept its previous two CAC bouts after returning from the program's trip to Colorado. In the squad's last outing,
Hannah Miller roped 13 kills and hit .478 while leading CNU to a three-set sweep over Frostburg State on Friday.
Eliza Fisher also pumped 10 kills and
Rachel Conway contributed 34 assists during the contest.
Overall this year, Miller and Conway have both established themselves among the national leaders in several categories. Miller sits 15th in the nation with a .372 hitting percentage and 24th with 82 total blocks. Conway has been masterful as the setter, dishing out an average of 10.46 assists-per-set. That rate places her 18th in the country and first in the conference.
Aided by their efforts, the Captains rank seventh in the country with a .275 team hitting percentage. They also sit among the top-20 in kills- and assists-per-set.
In addition to the national leaders,
Briana Sutton has been a powerful force this year, ranking fourth in the CAC with a 3.06 kills-per-set average. Fisher has been equally impressive on the right side, unloading 184 blasts while hitting at a .279 clip.
Maddie McCann has made an impact on the front line as well, notching 214 kills during her sophomore campaign.
On the defensive end, Miller leads CNU with 82 blocks, while
Ashley Rock has contributed 67.
Brooke Moore has anchored the back row with a 3.71 digs-per-set average. The senior libero has also tallied 27 aces, while
Abby McIntyre leads the team with 35 winners.
Wesley enters Thursday on a three-match skid, including a 3-0 setback at York last Wednesday. The Wolverines have been led by Tionne Graves-Brown, who boasts a team-high 139 kills and 42 aces while also contributing 180 digs. Meghan Marshall has been the team's most productive defensive stalwart as the junior libero is averaging 4.30 digs-per-set.
Following Thursday's action, Christopher Newport will kick off a five-match homestand on Saturday with a noon contest against Penn State Harrisburg at the Freeman Center.
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