Volleyball Update Video
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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The third-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will host the annual two-day CNU Invitational beginning on Friday with a twin bill against Averett and No. 4 Juniata at the Freeman Center.
The Captains will kick off the tournament with a 3 p.m. match-up against the Cougars, who were CNU's long-time USA South rivals. Then, at 8 p.m., Christopher Newport will take on the fourth-ranked Eagles in a top-five showdown to cap off the first day of action.
On Saturday, CNU will wrap up the weekend with a noon battle against DeSales and a 4 p.m. contest against Bethany. All of Christopher Newport's matches during the weekend will feature live stats and a video stream for those fans unable to make it to the Freeman Center.
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS Overall, Christopher Newport boasts a pristine 9-0 record, including perfect 4-0 marks at the Captains Classic and Beacons Invitational during early-season tournament action. Off to a hot start, CNU ranks seventh nationally with a 13.94 kills-per-set average. Additionally, the squad's .250 hitting percentage is the best in the Capital Athletic Conference and stands 20th in the NCAA.
On an individual level,
Rachel Conway ranks seventh in the country with an 11.23 assists-per-set average, while
Briana Sutton is 12th with 136 total kills. Equally effective on both sides of the ball,
Hannah Miller is averaging 2.68 kills-per-set and also ranks fifth in the CAC with 27 total blocks. Meanwhile,
Maddie McCann has 77 total kills and a .275 hitting percentage to help balance out CNU's potent attack.
Defensively,
Rachel Close has anchored the back row with 123 total digs, while
Abby McIntyre has 76 and boasts a .952 reception percentage. Along the front line,
Ashley Rock is second on the squad with 26 blocks, while Conway has chipped in with 12 rejections to go along with her work on the offensive end.
LAST TIME OUT Last weekend, the Captains traveled to Massachusetts for the Beacons Invitational. During the two-day tournament, CNU took down UMass Boston as well as No. 12 Eastern and both Saint Benedict and Tufts, who are receiving votes in the latest national poll. Sutton helped lead the way during the weekend with a tournament-high 70 kills, including a career-best 21 against Eastern. Close also was outstanding as the libero, collecting an average of 5.0 digs-per-set during the four contests.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION Averett comes into the weekend with an 8-3 record, including a 1-0 mark in the USA South. The Cougars have been led by sophomore Hannah Shields, who currently ranks second nationally with 34 aces and third in the NCAA with 214 kills. Additionally, Keenan Marks has averaged just under 10.0 assists-per-set, while Christina Summa has cleaned up defensively with 151 digs.
Juniata rolls into Newport News with a perfect 8-0 record, including victories over No. 7 Wittenberg, No. 18 Clarkson, and No. 19 Mount Union. The Eagles feature a pair of returning All-Americans as Nakita Gearhart has 73 kills and a team-best .387 hitting percentage, while Kelly Reynolds is averaging 10.89 assists-per-set. Additionally, Mar-Jana Phillips has a team-high 83 kills, and Katie Byrne has 131 digs.
DeSales comes to the Freeman Center for the first time in program history with a 7-4 record. So far this season, the Bulldogs have been strong at the service line, ranking 23rd nationally with 90 aces. Natalie Gray leads the way with 27 winners, which places her third in the NCAA. Offensively, Gabby Savite' has a team-high 123 kills, while Lisa Wallitsch is averaging 10.51 assists-per-set. Gray also leads DeSales with 167 digs.
Bethany enters the tournament with an 8-2 record, including a three-set victory over No. 19 Mount Union. The Bison are strong up front with twins Dakota and Dylana McKenzie combining for 199 kills this season. Alexis Castro also has 82 kills, while Mackenzie Lauber is averaging a team-high 6.88 assists-per-set. Defensively, Reilly Parker has a 6.79 digs-per-set average, and Julia Mouch boasts a 4.53 mark.
SERIES HISTORY Averett and CNU were long-time USA South rivals. Overall, the two programs have met 73 times with the Captains holding a 40-33 edge in the series. The Cougars were the last USA South team to defeat Christopher Newport after posting a victory in 2006. Since then, CNU has won 15 straight meetings, including a 3-0 triumph last year.
Juniata and CNU have started a regional rivalry as of late. The two programs have now met 10 times with the Eagles holding a 7-3 edge in the series. Last season, in Huntingdon, Pa., CNU posted a thrilling five-set victory after dropping the first two frames.
DeSales and Christopher Newport have only met once with the Bulldogs capturing a three-set victory on September 30, 1995 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. At the time, Christopher Newport was in just its third year as a "university," and DeSales was still known as Allentown College of St. Francis DeSales.
Bethany and Christopher Newport have battled once with the Captains pulling out a 3-0 victory last year at the Freeman Center. During that match, McCann led CNU with 10 kills, while McIntyre pumped nine.
I'LL BE 'CNU' SOON Following the CNU Invitational, the Captains will wrap up tournament play next weekend with the Washington & Lee Invitational in Lexington. The squad will open things up with a 4:30 p.m. match against No. 1 Emory on Friday before taking on Randolph-Macon and Washington & Lee in a doubleheader on Saturday.
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