PSH Live Stats // SMC Live Stats
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. -- Riding an eight-match winning streak, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will head north this weekend for a pair of Capital Athletic Conference road battles as the Captains will take on Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday at 5 p.m. before squaring off with St. Mary's on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Entering the weekend, CNU sits at 20-2 on the season, including 4-0 in CAC matches. On the other side, Penn State Harrisburg is 9-12 overall and 0-4 in conference action, while St. Mary's is 13-7 with a 3-1 mark in league play.
For those fans unable to make the trips to Pennsylvania and Maryland this weekend, live stats will be available for both matches. Direct links can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS Entering the heart of CAC action, Christopher Newport leads the conference and ranks 10th nationally with a .256 hitting percentage. The team also boasts a league-best 13.58 kills-per-set average. On an individual level,
Rachel Conway leads the CAC with a 10.84 assists-per-set mark, while
Briana Sutton sits third with 324 kills. Meanwhile, on the defensive end,
Rachel Close is fourth in the league with 290 digs, while
Ashley Rock is fifth with a 0.88 blocks-per-frame average.
In conference action,
Hannah Miller has been nothing short of sensational. The reigning first-team All-American ranks first in the Capital with a .398 hitting percentage against league foes. Her 44 total kills in conference contests also place her fourth overall, while Sutton is fifth with 42.
LAST TIME OUT On Thursday, the Captains toppled William Peace, 3-0, in a non-conference battle at the Freeman Center. Miller and Sutton both fired eight kills against the Pacers, while Close collected a match-high 15 digs. CNU also blistered nice aces, including three by Close and two by
Abby McIntyre.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION Penn State Harrisburg enters Saturday's match-up after dropping a 3-1 decision against York on Wednesday. The Lions have been especially productive at the service line as the team ranks second in the CAC with 183 aces. Madison Chance leads the way with 42 winners, while Jill Elkins has 32. Chance also boasts a team-high 186 kills, while Casey Stump is averaging 6.31 assists-per-set. Kari Ammerman has anchored the back row with 225 digs as well.
St. Mary's comes into Sunday tied for second in the CAC standings. The Seahawks have been productive on both sides of the ball as the team leads the conference with a 2.06 blocks-per-set average and ranks third with a .190 hitting percentage. On an individual level, Mandy Goodspeed leads the league with a .347 hitting percentage, while Alli Graf boasts a team-best 2.95 kills-per-set average. Her sister, Mimi Graf, is also the reigning CAC Player of the Week and has a 2.04 kills-per-set mark this season. On the defensive end, Goodspeed is averaging 0.94 blocks per frame and Carissa Hill has a team-high 286 digs.
SERIES HISTORY Penn State Harrisburg and CNU have met two times with the Captains holding a 2-0 record in the series. Last year, the Captains posted a 3-0 victory at the Freeman Center behind a team-high 12 kills from current assistant coach
Krista Hughes.
St. Mary's and Christopher Newport have met 14 times with both teams notching seven victories. CNU won both match-ups last year, including a thrilling five-set victory in the CAC semifinals.
UP NEXT Following the two matches this weekend, Christopher Newport will return to action on Tuesday with a 7 p.m. bout at Gallaudet.
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