NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 22nd-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will kick off Capital Athletic Conference action this week when the Captains host St. Mary's (Md.) on Friday at 7 p.m. before battling Marymount on Saturday at noon during a pair of league bouts at the Freeman Center.
Entering conference play, the Captains sit at 13-3 on the season, including 7-1 at home. Meanwhile, St. Mary's (Md.) is 3-10 overall with a 3-9 mark on the road, while Marymount is 7-7 with a 5-6 record away from Arlington. The Saints are also 0-1 in league play after falling to Mary Washington in their CAC opener on Wednesday.
So far this season, Christopher Newport has been effective along the net while tormenting opposing attacks. The squad ranks 22nd in the nation with 115 total blocks.
Riley Garrison is 15th overall with 62 rejections, while
Katelyn Newsome and
Megan O'Hara also rank in the top-five in the CAC in total blocks. Guided by those efforts, CNU has limited the opposition to a .120 hitting percentage this year, including sub-.100 marks on seven occasions.
Offensively, CNU has featured a well-balanced attack. Four Captains have already registered at least 120 kills this year, including
Katie Piper, who leads the team with 139.
Katelyn Newsome also has 132 and a team-best .280 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, three players have shared setting duties.
Tylar McGill has a team-high 283 assists, while
Hope Webb and
Ashley Burgess have also seen significant time on the court this year.
On the back row,
Josie Lucernoni sports a 4.45 digs-per-set average. Crofford and Piper have also picked up at least 100 digs apiece, and the entire team boasts a .940 reception percentage. Crofford has anchored the team on serve-receive, notching a .971 reception percentage after converting 305 of her 314 total attempts.
On the other side of the net, St. Mary's (Md.) has won two of its last four road tilts, including a 3-0 sweep at Lancaster Bible on September 16. Marissa Dangler has been the top performer so far this year as the junior libero leads the CAC with a 5.26 digs-per-set average. Audrey McKay also has a team-high 27 rejections, while Meghan Kelley leads the Seahawks with 105 kills this season.
Coming into the weekend, Marymount has won three of its last four outings, including a 3-0 victory at Gallaudet on September 20. Caroline Hanson has been a dynamic contributor throughout the year for the Saints as the junior leads the NCAA with five triple-doubles. Her finest performance came against Virginia Wesleyan on September 2 when she tallied 18 kills, 22 assists, and 12 digs during the victory. Additionally, Emily Abramaitys has 107 kills so far this year, while Theresa Buscemi has a 4.28 digs-per-set average.
In 17 all-time meetings between St. Mary's (Md.) and CNU, the Captains hold a 10-7 lead in the series, including a 3-0 victory in Maryland last year. On Saturday, Marymount comes in with a 13-11 record all-time against CNU, although the Captains did register a 3-2 victory last year in Arlington.
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