Live Stats // Video Stream

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 22nd-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will kick off a five-match home stand on Saturday a 2 p.m. when the Captains battle Salisbury in a Capital Athletic Conference bout at the Freeman Center.
 
Entering the tilt, CNU sits at 18-4 on the season, including 4-1 in league action. Meanwhile, Salisbury is 13-7 with a 2-2 mark against conference foes.
 
For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats will be available at CNUsports.com. The Captains will also provide a broadcast of the action with Austin Urch and Brooke Stanley on the call. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
 
Christopher Newport has been bolstered this season by its work along the net. The Captains currently rank 12th in the nation with a 2.19 blocks-per-set average, while the squad's 181.5 total rejections are the 14th most in the NCAA. The team has registered at least 10 blocks on eight occasions, including five of the last eight matches.
 
On an individual level, Riley Garrison sits 16th in the country with a 1.16 blocks-per-set mark. The two-time reigning CAC Player of the Week also leads the conference with 92 total rejections. She is just eight shy of becoming the first player in program history to record at least 100 blocks in each of her first three collegiate campaigns.
 
In other facets of the game, Garrison ranks third in the CAC with a .315 hitting percentage, while Lauren Tracy is second in assists-per-set (8.25). Additionally, Katie Piper is sixth with 209 kills and 12th with 29 aces, while Josie Lucernoni is seventh with 314 digs.
 
Salisbury enters the weekend having won four of its last five outings, including a 3-1 victory at St. Mary's (Md.) on Wednesday. The Sea Gulls have been equally effective along the net and rank sixth in the NCAA with a 2.34 blocks-per-set average. SU also sits 22nd in the country with 173.5 total rejections.
 
Helping disrupt opposing attacks, Gianna Savarese is 19th in the country with a 1.14 blocks-per-set mark, while Carley Cleland is averaging 0.91 per frame. Offensively, Nicole Venturelli has been lethal with a league-best 3.18 kills-per-set average. Amanda Chew also sits third in the CAC with a 2.83 mark. On the back row, Hailey Dougherty stands third in the Capital with a 4.85 digs-per-set rate.
 
In 35 previous meetings between the two programs, Christopher Newport holds a 21-14 advantage in the series. The Captains won both match-ups last year, including a 3-1 triumph in the CAC Semifinals.
 
---CNU---