Live Video NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Riding a 13-match winning streak, the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will close out its regular season home schedule on Wednesday at 7 p.m. when the Captains host Wesley in a Capital Athletic Conference contest at the Freeman Center.
CNU enters the match with a 25-2 record, including a 7-0 mark in conference action. On the other side of the court, Wesley is currently 12-15 with a 1-6 mark in CAC play.
For those fans unable to make it to the Freeman Center, live video will be available at CNUsports.com. A direct link can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS Christopher Newport continued to hold down the No. 5 spot in the latest AVCA National Rankings, which were released on Tuesday afternoon. The Captains picked up 1,321 points in the poll. In addition to CNU, the top-five remained unchanged as Juniata stayed atop the rankings, while Emory, Washington-St. Louis, Calvin, and Christopher Newport rounded out the top-five.
Continuing to be led by an efficient attack, CNU ranks seventh in the nation with a .267 hitting percentage. Helping pace the offense,
Rachel Conway is 12th in the country with a 10.77 assists-per-set average.
Briana Sutton also ranks among the national leaders in kills, slotting in 15th in the NCAA with 391 blasts.
Along with the national leaders,
Hannah Miller sits third in the conference with a .327 hitting percentage, while
Ashley Rock is third in blocks-per-set with a 0.93 mark. Also excelling on the defensive end,
Rachel Close is fifth in the league with 353 digs.
Abby McIntyre has also been a lethal server for the Captains, blistering 37 aces, which places her sixth in the CAC.
LAST TIME OUT On Saturday, Christopher Newport extended its winning streak to 13 straight matches after defeating York, 3-0, at the Freeman Center. During the game, Sutton led the team with 16 digs, 11 kills, and three aces. Conway also dished out 28 assists, McIntyre collected 14 digs, and Rock posted three blocks to celebrate Senior Day in style.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES Wesley enters Wednesday following a pair of 3-0 setbacks against St. Mary's and Messiah on Saturday. Sophomore Tionne Graves-Brown has been the team's top threat with 262 kills and a .263 hitting percentage. Additionally, Jessica Tynes has 145 kills, while Tania Rounds leads the team with 74 blocks. Anchoring the back row, Meghan Marshall has pocketed 325 digs, while Beth Schlecker has blistered 35 aces to go along with a team-high 638 assists.
SERIES HISTORY Wesley and CNU have only met twice with the Captains holding a 2-0 record in the series. Last year, Christopher Newport posted a 3-0 victory in Dover, Delaware.
UP NEXT Following Wednesday's bout, Christopher Newport will cap off the regular season on Saturday when the squad heads to Marymount for a noon showdown.
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