Live Stats // Video Stream

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 11th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will kick off the 2016 campaign on Friday when the squad hosts Lawrence and Stevenson in a twin bill to open up the two-day Captains Classic at the Freeman Center.
 
On Friday, the Captains will get the season started at 4 p.m. with a showdown against Lawrence. Four hours later, the team will return to the court to take on Stevenson. On Saturday, CNU will wrap up the tournament with a battle against Wisconsin-Platteville at noon and a bout with UMass Boston at 4 p.m.
 
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 BACK
 
Christopher Newport is coming off of a year in which the team posted a 30-3 record and captured its ninth straight conference championship. Along the way, the Captains pieced together an 18-game winning streak, registered a 9-0 mark in league action, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
For their efforts in 2015, three Captains collected All-American honors. Rachel Conway, who finished her career ranked fourth all-time in assists, graduated after securing second-team All-American plaudits. Meanwhile, Briana Sutton and Hannah Miller both earned national accolades following tremendous junior campaigns.
 
Sutton, who was named the CAC Female Athlete of the Year, was named to the first-team All-American squad after finishing the year with a 4.12 kills-per-set average and a .313 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Miller brought home All-American honors after registering a .302 hitting percentage and a 0.85 blocks-per-set average while anchoring the middle of the front row.
 
Sutton and Miller headline the list of returning standouts from last year's team, which also includes former All-Region selection Maddie McCann and senior libero Rachel Close.
 
OPPONENT PROFILES
 
Lawrence is coming off of an 8-19 season but had success late in the year, including a six-game winning streak in October. The Vikings return their top-two leaders in kills from 2015, including All-Conference outside hitter Arianna Neumeyer. The squad also welcomes back its two setters, Sydney Nelson and Lauren Ray, as well as Katie Kumbalek, who led Lawrence with a 3.96 digs-per-set average.
 
Stevenson captured its fourth straight MAC Commonwealth championship last year and earned a big to the NCAA Tournament while posting a 28-8 overall record. The Mustangs are led by a pair of All-Americans as Annika Schwartz and Deanna Bradbury both received national honors last year. Schwartz compiled 423 kills during her sophomore campaign, while Bradbury led the conference with 628 digs. The squad also features senior setter Sara Bollinger, who is a two-time All-Conference performer.
 
Wisconsin-Platteville is coming off of an 11-20 season last year while playing in the vaunted Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which produced four NCAA Tournament teams in 2015. The Pioneers welcome back 11 letterwinners and four starters from last year's roster, including two-time All-Conference performer Lidia Frias. Allie Carter, who led the team with 705 assists, and Lindsey Decker, who registered a team-high 4.06 digs-per-set mark, are also back.
 
UMass Boston enters 2016 as the preseason favorite in the Little East Conference after winning its sixth straight league title last year. The Beacons feature a pair of All-Americans as Elizabeth Glavan was a third-team selection and Julia Murphy picked up honorable mention nods. Glavan pocketed 4.85 digs per set in 2015, while Murphy unleashed 276 kills and hit at a .279 clip.
 
SERIES HISTORY
 
Lawrence and Wisconsin-Platteville will both be battling the Captains for the first time in program history.
 
Stevenson has faced CNU twice with the Captains holding a 2-0 record in the series. Their last meeting came in 2014 when the Mustangs dropped a 3-1 decision at the Freeman Center during the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
UMass Boston and CNU have built a rivalry in recent years and have met three times since 2012. Last year, at the Beacons Invitational, Christopher Newport posted a 3-1 victory.
 
UP NEXT
 
Following this weekend's tournament, the Captains will return to action next Friday when the squad travels north for the Juniata / ASICS Invitational in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. CNU will open up the two-day tournament against the host Eagles on September 9 at 7 p.m.
 
---CNU---