William Peace: Live Video
Mary Washington: Live Stats / Live Video
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 24th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will face a pair of mid-week tests as the Captains host William Peace in a non-conference battle on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Freeman Center before traveling north for a Capital Athletic Conference clash with Mary Washington on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Ron Rosner Arena.
Entering the week, CNU is riding a five-match winning streak and stands at 17-3 overall, including 4-0 in league play. Meanwhile, William Peace is 10-12 overall, while Mary Washington is 11-7 with a 3-1 mark in CAC action.
Last week, the Captains continued their run through the CAC as the squad upended Salisbury, 3-1, before blanking Wesley, 3-0.
Katie Piper paced the squad as she registered a pair of double-digit kill efforts, including 13 against Wesley on Saturday. The sophomore also notched her fourth double-double of the year last Friday after collecting 11 kills and 14 digs in the victory over the Sea Gulls.
Overall this season, Piper leads the Captains with a 2.93 kills-per-set average. Well-balanced up front,
Abby Oren,
Katie Crofford, and
Katelyn Newsome are all averaging over 2.00 kills per set as well. Newsome also has a team-best .271 hitting percentage, and Crofford has a team-leading 29 aces.
Hope Webb has also stung 26 winners this year, while
Tiaralyn McBride has 22.
Defensively,
Riley Garrison boasts a 1.14 blocks-per-set average, which leads the CAC. Newsome also has 60 rejections this season, and
Josie Lucernoni has pocketed 316 digs. The junior libero also has a .940 reception percentage.
On the other side of the net, William Peace comes to town after sweeping a tri-match against Salem and Mary Baldwin on Saturday. The Pacers have been effective on the road, posting nine of their 10 wins this season away from Raleigh. Lindsay Alford leads WPU with 161 kills, while Mya Parks is averaging 2.94 blasts per set. Carson Williams has also shined on the back row, notching a 5.65 digs-per-set average this year.
On Thursday, the Captains will battle Mary Washington, who was named the preseason favorite in the CAC after advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight last year. The Eagles have been led this season by an outstanding sophomore class, headlined by Savannah Powers and Peyton Dunow. Powers ranks third in the conference with a 3.92 kills-per-set average, while Dunow is fifth with a 3.76 mark. Meanwhile, Leslie Walters has a league-high .314 hitting percentage.
Overall, CNU and William Peace have met 26 times with the Captains holding a 26-0 lead in the all-time series. Mary Washington and Christopher Newport are also familiar foes with the Eagles holding a 23-9 advantage in 32 all-time meetings.
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