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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team will wrap up the regular season this week as the Captains host the CNU Invitational beginning on Friday at the Freeman Center.
                                   
CNU will open the tournament with a twin bill on Friday beginning at 3 p.m. The Captains will host Virginia Wesleyan to open the action before returning to the court for a top-25 showdown with No. 20 Berry at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Christopher Newport will take on Averett at noon. That match will also serve as the program's annual Senior Day.

Christopher Newport stands at 20-4 on the season, while Virginia Wesleyan is 15-8, Berry is 19-3, and Averett is 14-12.
 
For those fans unable to attend the matches, a broadcast of the action will be available for all three CNU contests with Austin Urch and Brooke Stanley on the call. Live stats will also be available for the bouts against Virginia Wesleyan and Averett. Direct links can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
 
The weekend will be headlined by Saturday's Senior Day festivities as the Captains honor the program's four-year standouts. Together, Cat Boyle, Kellyn DeChirico, and Josie Lucernoni have helped CNU compile a sparkling 103-21 record since 2015. Along the way, Christopher Newport has captured a pair of Capital Athletic Conference championships and earned three straight bids to the NCAA Tournament, including second-round appearances in 2015 and 2017.
 
Entering the CNU Invitational, the Captains are coming off of back-to-back sweeps against Salisbury and Southern Virginia to cap off CAC action. Against the Knights on Wednesday, Katie Piper unloaded 11 kills at a .375 clip. She was also one of four Captains with two aces. Meanwhile, Lucernoni secured a team-high 14 digs, and Hope Webb handed out 17 assists.
 
Overall this season, Riley Garrison leads the Capital with a 1.14 blocks-per-set average and sits third in the league with a .297 hitting percentage. Especially effective on the defensive end, the Captains lead the conference with 193 total blocks and rank fourth with 1,373 digs. Lucernoni is seventh in the league with a 4.37 digs-per-set average, while Piper is also averaging 2.42 per frame to go along with a team-best 2.69 kills-per-set mark.
 
Virginia Wesleyan enters the tournament having won five of its last six outings. The Marlins also upended CNU earlier this season in Virginia Beach during a five-set thriller on September 19. On an individual level, Doneisha Hall, Kristina Scott, and Amber Matalus are all averaging over 2.5 kills-per-set. Matalus has been efficient on the front row with a .318 hitting percentage as well. Meanwhile, Alyssa Taylor has a team-best 3.94 digs-per-set mark on the back row.
 
Berry was riding a 16-match winning streak before Birmingham-Southern swept the Vikings in their last appearance on Saturday. Similar to the Captains, Berry boasts an imposing front row, which ranks 12th in the NCAA with a 2.17 blocks-per-set average. Carson VanCampen has been the leader along the net with a 1.18 blocks-per-set mark. That stands 10th in the NCAA. Equally adept on the back row, freshman Laura Beier sports a 5.77 digs-per-set rate.
 
Averett has won six of its last eight matches, including a 3-0 triumph at Greensboro on Wednesday. Brooke Aaron leads the Cougars with a 2.69 kills-per-set average, while Madison Dadez and Jordan Pitzer have uncorked over 150 blasts apiece as well. Lethal from the service line, McKenzie Miller has roped 57 aces for Averett, and Keenan Marks has 50. Defensively, Emily Stanley is averaging 4.45 digs per frame while compiling a .946 reception percentage.
 
In 17 previous meetings between CNU and Virginia Wesleyan, the Captains hold a 16-1 record. Meanwhile, Christopher Newport is 43-33 all-time against Averett and 2-1 versus Berry.
 
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