Salisbury: Live Stats / Video Stream
Wesley: Live Stats

SALISBURY, Md. -- Following a six-match home stand, the 24th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will take its show on the road for a pair of Capital Athletic Conference matches as the Captains head to Salisbury on Friday for a 7 p.m. showdown before traveling to Wesley for a noon clash on Saturday.
 
Entering the road trip, Christopher Newport currently stands at 15-3 overall, including 2-0 in league action. On the other side, Salisbury sits at 12-6 with a 1-1 ledger in CAC play, while Wesley is 13-6 with an 0-2 mark against conference competition.
 
So far this season, the Captains have frustrated the opposition with excellent work on the defensive end. Riley Garrison currently leads the CAC with a 1.14 blocks-per-set average, which also places her 14th in the nation. Katelyn Newsome also stands fifth in the league with a 0.79 mark. Additionally, on the back row, Josie Lucernoni is fourth in the conference with a 4.62 digs-per-set average and was recently honored as the CAC Player of the Week for her work at the libero position.
 
Christopher Newport has also received solid contributions from its setters throughout the year. The team leads the league in total assists with 749. Tylar McGill is averaging a team-best 5.16 assists per set, while Hope Webb and Ashley Burgess have dished out at least 150 helpers apiece as well. Overall, the team is averaging 11.52 assists per frame while hitting at a .224 clip.
 
Coming into Friday's bout, Salisbury has dropped four of its last six matches but knocked off Frostburg State, 3-2, on Saturday. The Sea Gulls have been led by Nicole Venturelli, who leads the league and ranks 13th in the nation with a 4.32 kills-per-set average. Her 285 total blasts also place her 10th in the NCAA. Meanwhile, Hailey Dougherty ranks third in the Capital with 300 total digs, while Gianna Savarese is third with a 0.98 blocks-per-set average.
 
Wesley also hit a skid late in September but rebounded with a 3-0 triumph over Washington Adventist on Tuesday. The Wolverines, who host Mary Washington on Friday before welcoming CNU to town, lead the league in digs per set with a 16.70 mark. Caelli Clifford has anchored the back row with a 5.01 digs-per-frame average, which ranks second in the league. On the offensive end, Tionne Graves-Brown has a team-high 180 kills and a .265 hitting percentage, while Codi Ziolkowski has unloaded 142 blasts as well.
 
In the all-time series, CNU holds a 19-14 edge against Salisbury. The two squads split a pair of meetings last year with the Sea Gulls notching a regular season victory before the Captains retaliated in the CAC semifinals. Meanwhile, Christopher Newport holds a perfect 4-0 record all-time against Wesley.
 
---CNU---