Live Stats // Live Video
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Kicking off the postseason, the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will host St. Mary's in a Capital Athletic Conference semifinal match on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Freeman Center.
The Captains, who earned a first-round bye after claiming the regular season championship, enter the playoffs with a 27-2 record. Meanwhile, St. Mary's is the league's No. 4 seed and advanced to the semifinals following a 3-2 victory over Marymount on Tuesday evening. Overall, the Seahawks sit at 17-12 this season.
For those fans unable to make it to the Freeman Center, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at CNUsports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS Settling into the No. 6 spot in the latest AVCA National Rankings, the Captains enter the postseason among the NCAA leaders in a number of statistical categories. Christopher Newport is currently sixth in the country with a .264 team hitting percentage, while the squad also ranks in the top-20 in kills- and assists-per-set as well as overall winning percentage.
On an individual level,
Rachel Conway stands atop the conference and is 10th in the NCAA with a 10.84 assists-per-set average. Also among the CAC leaders,
Hannah Miller is third with a .320 hitting percentage, while
Ashley Rock ranks in the same spot with a 0.89 blocks-per-set average.
Rachel Close is also sixth in the league with 391 digs, and
Abby McIntyre sits eighth with 38 aces.
LAST TIME OUT On Saturday, Christopher Newport wrapped up a perfect 9-0 season in CAC action with a 3-2 victory at Marymount. During the contest, McIntyre pieced together a tremendous match with 25 kills and 15 digs. Miller also had 16 kills and hit .387, while Close pocketed 24 digs. Conway contributed a double-double as well with 56 assists and 10 digs for the Captains.
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS On Tuesday against Marymount, St. Mary's overcame a two-sets-to-one deficit to win a five-set thriller in the CAC Tournament opener. Mimi Graf was sensational during the match after collecting a triple-double with 18 assists, 13 kills, and 12 digs. She also hit .591 against the Saints. Mandy Goodspeed also added 10 kills and five blocks, while Karlee Vaillant had six rejections. Vaillant currently ranks fifth in the CAC with a 0.84 blocks-per-set mark this year, while Goodspeed is second with a .336 hitting percentage. Carissa Hill also ranks fourth in the league with 423 total digs.
SERIES HISTORY St. Mary's and Christopher Newport have met 15 times with the Captains holding a slim 8-7 lead in the series. CNU won this year's regular season meeting, 3-2, in Maryland behind 54 assists and three aces by Conway. Rock also contributed six blocks during the match, while Close picked up 21 digs.
Thursday's meeting will also mark the second straight year that the two programs have battled in the semifinals of the CAC Tournament. Last year, CNU registered a 3-2 victory at the Freeman Center on the way to the conference championship. Miller led the Captains with 15 kills during that match, while Conway added a double-double with 48 assists and 13 digs.
UP NEXT The winner of Thursday's match will advance to the CAC Championship bout on Saturday. Time and location will be determined based upon the advancing teams. Second-seeded Salisbury hosts third-seeded Mary Washington in the other semifinal contest on Thursday.
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