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BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- With a road trip to Bridgewater College on Wednesday night, the 2016-17 season will be underway for the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team, with tip scheduled for 7:00 pm. The Captains, ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation, will hit the road for three of their first four games including the opener against the in-state foes from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

Live stats and video of all the action will be available at opening tip, with links found on the CNU Women's Basketball schedule at CNUsports.com. Links are also available at the top of this page. 

The Captains, coming off a 24-5 season and NCAA Tournament run to the Sweet 16, will return all five starters from last year's team to face off against the Eagles, who are picked eighth in the preseason ODAC coaches poll. Bridgewater finished last season with a 14-12 record, including an 86-49 setback to the Captains. CNU was picked second in the Capital Athletic Conference, just behind Mary Washington in the vote of league head coaches. 

With the bulk of the team returning to the hardwood in 2016-17, and still only two seniors rostered this season, the Captains will face increased expectations in the fifth season under head coach Bill Broderick. CNU has reached at least the NCAA Sweet 16 in three of his first four seasons, while compiling an overall record of 94-23. The junior class will lead the way after solidifying a solid core of returners last season. Throughout the 2015-16 season, no one outside of the sophomore class earned a start, as CNU was led by three All-Conference second-year players in Devon Byrd, Makenzie Fancher, and Sam Porter. 

Porter and Byrd were the team leaders statistically on both ends of the floor, as the team's leading scorers, rebounders, and thieves. The two combined for 19.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 5.4 steals per game, while heading up a balanced attack that played strong team defense. Fancher was the floor general, leading the team in assists (97), while adding nearly eight points per game. The other two starters were guards Bailey Dufrene (6.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Anitra Thomas (8.5 ppg), rounding out the first five for CNU. The bench was also deep, as no player averaged more than 28 minutes per game last season; rookies Zhara Tannor and Jessica Daguilh made the biggest impact in their first years, while transfer Jasmine Bonivel added depth up front in her first season with the Captains.

Coming into Wednesday night's opener, the Captains are 22-22 all-time in season openers, but have gotten the better of opponents over the last ten years, going 9-1 in the first game on the schedule. The Captains and Eagles have just recently reignited the series, playing just the third time since the 1998 season. After a 16-year hiatus, both team's won games on their home floor over the last two seasons, giving Bridgewater a 13-7 advantage in the all-time series. 

This year, Bridgewater will lean on senior All-Conference guard Jessica Lam, who averaged a team-best 15.6 points per game last season. Lam and the rest of the Bridgewater guards appear to be the team's strength, as the Eagles' top two leading rebounders were seniors last season, leaving a hole in the front court. Junior Kaitlyn Lehan led the team in blocked shots and will return to lead the way up front. 

Following Wednesday's season opener, the Captains will stay on the road to face Eastern Mennonite University on Saturday, November 19 at 5:00 pm.