Live Stats / Web Stream
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Entering the weekend on a 12-match winning streak, the ninth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will contend for the Capital Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday at 3 p.m. when the Captains welcome Salisbury to town for the title bout at the Freeman Center.
CNU earned a berth in the championship match after an exhilarating five-set victory over St. Mary's in the semifinals on Thursday. With that win, the Captains improved to 30-3 on the season. Salisbury punched its ticket to the finals following a three-set triumph at Southern Virginia. The Sea Gulls, who are seeded sixth in the playoffs, currently stand at 22-9.
For those fans headed to the match, tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and children. CNU students will be admitted free of charge. Additionally, live stats and a web stream of the action will be available online at CNUsports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
The 2014 championship is a rematch of last year's title bout. In their first year in the CAC, the Captains eventually won the league crown with a 3-0 victory over Salisbury at the Freeman Center. The two programs have also faced off once this season with CNU securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory at SU. Overall, Christopher Newport leads the all-time series, 15-13.
This season, the two squads both boast potent attacks and rank first and second in kills-per-set in the CAC. CNU leads the conference with a 13.11 mark, while Salisbury is second at 11.89. The squads have also kept the opposition off-balance with strong serving as Christopher Newport sits second in the league with 283 aces, while SU is third with 262.
On an individual level,
Hannah Miller ranks among the top-25 nationally with a .360 hitting percentage and a 1.07 blocks-per-set average. She also sits seventh in the CAC with a 2.87 kills-per-set mark.
Rachel Conway ranks among the NCAA leaders as well with a 10.05 assists-per-set average.
Along with the two national leaders,
Eliza Fisher is seventh in the CAC with a .262 hitting percentage, while
Briana Sutton is eighth with 289 kills.
Abby McIntyre is also tied for sixth with 52 aces. Equally impressive in recent weeks,
Krista Hughes has been lights-out during her last five appearances. Since October 18, the senior has 39 kills and is hitting at a sizzling .515 clip.
Salisbury also enters the match on a roll having won seven straight battles, including a 3-0 victory at Southern Virginia on Thursday. During that match, Julie Poston roped nine kills, while Katie Stouffer added eight. Defensively, Michelle Meehan collected 18 digs and Samantha Chubb contributed five blocks, including two solo stops.
Overall this season, Stouffer leads the CAC with a 3.72 kills-per-set average and ranks fifth with a .272 hitting percentage. Meehan has also been tremendous for the Sea Gulls, ranking fourth in the league with 54 aces and 506 digs. Chubb has led the way up front with a 0.86 blocks-per-set average.
The winner of Saturday's match will earn the CAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which will begin with first-round action on November 14.
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