Live Stats // Live Video
LEXINGTON, Va. -- The No. 2 Christopher Newport volleyball team will put its elite ranking on the line this weekend when the Captains head to Lexington for three matches beginning with a 4:30 p.m. showdown against No. 4 Emory on Friday at Washington & Lee's Warner Center.
Along with the squad's top-five match-up against Emory on Friday, CNU will take on Randolph-Macon at 11 a.m. before battling Washington & Lee at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Christopher Newport enters the weekend with a 12-1 record, including a pristine 4-0 mark on the road. Emory sits at 12-2, while Randolph-Macon is 13-1 and Washington & Lee is 9-4. Of the combined eight losses between the four programs, seven have come against teams either ranked in the top-25 or currently receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll.
For those fans unable to make it to Lexington, Washington & Lee will provide live stats and video for the CNU - W&L match on Saturday. 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 Through 13 matches, Christopher Newport currently ranks among the national leaders in several offensive categories. The Captains sit 12th in the NCAA with a .256 hitting percentage and 14th with a 13.44 kills-per-set average. Defensively, the squad has also limited the opposition to a .105 attack percentage, which ranks in the top-50 nationally as well.
On an individual level,
Rachel Conway's 10.75 assists-per-set average is 11th in the NCAA, while
Briana Sutton's 192 kills place 14th overall. Meanwhile,
Ashley Rock has been a formidable force along the net, boasting a team-high 43 blocks, which places her in the top-50 in the country.
Along with the national leaders,
Hannah Miller is second on the squad with 118 kills and a .310 hitting percentage, while
Maddie McCann has registered 104 blasts as well. Rock and Conway also lead the squad with 17 aces apiece, and
Rachel Close has pumped 16. Close has been a stabilizing presence on the back row as well, pocketing a team-high 3.82 digs-per-set.
LAST TIME OUT Last weekend, the Captains posted a 3-1 record during the CNU Invitational at the Freeman Center. The team swept Averett, Bethany, and DeSales, while the squad dropped a five-set thriller to Juniata on Friday evening. During the four matches, Conway and Sutton shined while earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Conway averaged 9.62 assists-per-set over the weekend, while Sutton pumped 56 kills, including 21 against Juniata.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION Emory enters Friday's match-up ranked fourth in the nation after holding down the top-spot during the previous two polls. After winning their first 12 matches of the year, the Eagles dropped their last two bouts against No. 5 Calvin and No. 9 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Despite the stumbles, EU still ranks third in the nation with a .276 hitting percentage, while Sydney Miles is second in the NCAA with an 11.61 assists-per-set average. Kathryn Trinka also leads the team with 183 kills, while Becky Breuer is averaging 5.00 digs-per-set.
Randolph-Macon comes into the weekend on an 11-match winning streak, including seven straight sweeps. The Yellow Jackets, who are receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll, boast a stout defense. RMC currently stands fifth in the NCAA with a .055 opponent hitting percentage and 10th with a 2.40 blocks-per-set average. Colleen Beaver has been the leader up front with 44 rejections, while Samantha Sallade has anchored the back row with a 4.56 digs-per-set average. Offensively, Courtney Lowers leads the team with 145 kills and a .252 hitting percentage.
Washington & Lee is riding a four-match winning streak following a hard-fought five-set loss to No. 21 Berry on September 12. The Generals currently lead the ODAC and rank in the top-50 nationally with a .231 team hitting percentage. Anna Lausberg has led the way up front with 192 kills, while Mackenzie Shand has 138 and a .389 hitting percentage. Shand also leads W&L with a 0.82 blocks-per-set average, while Elena West has averaged 8.50 assists-per-frame. On the back row, Katie Volk boasts a team-high 219 digs.
SERIES HISTORY Emory and CNU have met 14 times with the Eagles holding a 12-2 edge in the series. The two squads last met on September 13, 2013 when Emory pulled out a four-set victory. Christopher Newport last defeated EU during the 2012 NCAA Regional Finals at the Freeman Center.
Randolph-Macon and CNU have battled 24 times with the Captains leading the series, 17-7. Last year, Christopher Newport picked up a pair of four-set victories against the Yellow Jackets.
Washington & Lee has faced CNU 28 times with both squads registering 14 victories apiece. In 2014, Christopher Newport evened the all-time series with a three-set victory over the Generals during the annual Captains Classic at the Freeman Center.
UP NEXT Following the three matches this weekend, Christopher Newport will kick off Capital Athletic Conference action on September 29 with a 6 p.m. contest at Southern Virginia.
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