GEORGETOWN, Texas -- After opening the season with four straight victories during the Captains Classic, the Christopher Newport volleyball team will take its show on the road this weekend when the squad heads to Texas for the Southwestern University Tournament beginning on Friday at the Robertson Center.
 
Christopher Newport (4-0) will open the two-day tournament at 11 a.m. on Friday with a match-up against Puget Sound (2-2). At 7 p.m., the Captains will wrap up the first day with a showdown against third-ranked Southwestern (4-0). On Saturday, CNU will cap off the trip with an 12:30 p.m. battle against East Texas Baptist (4-1).
 
For those fans unable to make the trip, Southwestern will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at SouthwesternPirates.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
 
The Captains head to the Lone Star State with momentum after sweeping Neumann and Meredith in a pair of tri-matches last week. During the two-day Captains Classic, sophomore Katie Piper was honored as the Tournament MVP after unloading a tournament-high 52 kills while also averaging 3.42 digs-per-set. Along the way, she registered her first two collegiate double-doubles, including a 17-kill, 10-dig showcase in the opener against Neumann on September 1.
 
Along with Piper, three other Captains earned All-Tournament honors for their efforts. Josie Lucernoni anchored the back row with a 4.50 digs-per-set average, while Katie Crofford also added 28 digs, 23 kills, and a .974 reception percentage. Along the front row, Katelyn Newsome blasted 23 kills and tallied eight blocks as well.
 
Guided by the impressive defensive efforts along the net and in the back row, Christopher Newport held its opposition to a combined .038 hitting percentage during the Captains Classic. The squad tallied 25 total blocks, including 12 by Riley Garrison, and averaged 14.92 digs per set.
 
Puget Sound enters the Southwestern Tournament having dropped its last two decisions, although both setbacks came against squads receiving votes in the AVCA National Coaches Poll (Clarkson and St. Thomas). Hannah Stinson and Rita Dexter have been the team's top offensive contributors so far, averaging over 2.0 kills-per-set while earning spots on the Puget Sound Premiere All-Tournament Team for their work last weekend.
 
Southwestern has been perfect so far in 2017 after advancing to the Final Four last year. The Tigers won the UC Santa Cruz Slug Fest to open the year behind an impressive showing by Kate Mitchell. The senior earned Tournament MVP honors after posting a 3.33 kills-per-set average to go along with a .274 hitting percentage. Jamison Duck, who added 27 kills, and Piper Sisemore, who pumped 21, also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
 
Rounding out this weekend's field, East Texas Baptist is riding a two-match winning streak and sits at 4-1 overall. The Tigers have been paced by Natalie Coburn, who is averaging 2.94 kills per set while hitting at a .297 clip so far this year. Abbey Weaver also sports a .290 hitting percentage and a 2.06 kills-per-set mark, while Gabrielle Guy has anchored the back row with a 4.10 digs-per-set average.
 
Following this weekend's action, Christopher Newport will remain on the road with a trip to Hoboken, New Jersey for the Ducks Classic beginning on September 15 with bouts against NYU and Arcadia.
 
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