Bridgewater: Live Stats // Video Stream
CNU Invitational: Video Stream

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 24th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will kick off a busy week on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. tilt at Bridgewater before returning home to host the two-day CNU Invitational, which will open up with a showdown against No. 9 Juniata on Friday at 7 p.m.
 
Along with Juniata, Roger Williams and Wesleyan with both make appearances at the Freeman Center during the annual CNU Invitational. The Captains will battle Roger Williams on Saturday at 11 a.m. before hosting Wesleyan in a 1 p.m. bout later that day.
 
Christopher Newport currently stands at 9-2 on the season, while Bridgewater is 11-1. Meanwhile, Juniata is 7-3, Roger Williams sits at 6-4, and Wesleyan is a perfect 7-0.
 
For those fans unable to make it to the matches this week, Bridgewater will provide live stats and a video stream of Wednesday's action, while a webcast of the contests during the CNU Invitational will be available at CNUsports.com. Direct links to all features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
 
Entering this week's action, Christopher Newport has held its opposition to a .096 hitting percentage, which ranks first in the Capital Athletic Conference and 34th in the nation. Six of the squad's first 11 opponents have hit less than .100 against the Captains, including three that hit .000. Helping stifle the competition, CNU's front row has 74 blocks this season, which places the squad second in the CAC.
 
On an individual level, Riley Garrison leads the conference and ranks 22nd nationally with a 1.14 blocks-per-set average. Meanwhile, Katelyn Newsome has 27 rejections, while Megan O'Hara has 21. Equally effective on the back row, Josie Lucernoni has kept the court clean with a 4.64 digs-per-set average. She already has three 25-dig efforts this season, which ranks as the most by a Captain since Abby Hogge had seven during her All-American campaign in 2012.
 
On the other side of the net, Bridgewater ranks in the top-20 nationally in kills and kills-per-set. Sophomores Allison Clark and Rachel Gaston have led the way with at least 100 blasts apiece. Carleigh Studtmann also has 90 kills and a .319 hitting percentage. Defensively, Macon Frey has pocketed 5.63 digs per set while lacing 14 aces as well.
 
Juniata opened the year with seven straight victories before dropping three matches during last week's East / West Challenge in Atlanta, Georgia. Despite the recent slip, the Eagles rank 25th nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.088) and seventh in blocks-per-set (2.33). Frustrating opposing attacks, Dejia Danhi has 37 blocks this season, while Megan Moroney and Marybeth Weihbrecht have 38 apiece. Katie Byrne also remains one of the nation's top liberos, averaging 5.00 digs per set.
 
Roger Williams also kicked off 2017 on a tear with four straight victories before going 2-4 in the squad's last six outings. The Hawks have been especially dangerous from the service line, ranking among the national leaders with a 2.61 aces-per-set average. Nicki Fallisi leads the team with 23 winners, while Grace Kenningham has pumped 20. Kenningham also leads the team with 80 kills, and Julia Fields boasts a team-high 7.79 assists-per-set mark.
 
Wesleyan has been fantastic so far this season, compiling a pristine 7-0 record including a perfect 4-0 mark during the Johnson & Wales Invitational. The Cardinals have been efficient throughout the year and rank ninth in the NCAA with a .254 hitting percentage. On an individual level, Nicole Hilton leads the nation with a .472 mark after pumping 50 kills on just 89 attempts. The sophomore is also averaging a team-high 0.90 blocks per set, while Kaira Muraoka-Robertson has balanced out the attack with an 8.05 assists-per-frame average.
 
Bridgewater and CNU have met 17 times with the Eagles holding a 10-7 edge in the all-time series. Juniata has also squared off with the Captains 12 times while compiling a 9-3 record. Meanwhile, Wesleyan will be making its first-ever appearance against Christopher Newport, and Roger Williams is 0-1 all-time against CNU.
 
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