Live Stats // Video Stream

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Christopher Newport volleyball team jumped to 20th in the AVCA National Coaches Poll and will return to action on Wednesday at 7 p.m. when the Captains travel to Virginia Wesleyan for a non-conference match-up at the Batten Student Center.
 
Entering the contest, CNU stands at 5-2 on the season, including 2-1 away from Newport News. Meanwhile, Virginia Wesleyan has a 5-3 record, including a 5-1 ledger at home.
 
For those fans unable to attend the match, Virginia Wesleyan will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at VWUAthletics.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
 
Following a lengthy layoff due to Hurricane Florence, the Captains moved up two spots in the latest AVCA Poll, which was released on Tuesday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. CNU earned 381 points in the rankings to earn the No. 20 spot.
 
At the top of the poll, Calvin currently holds the No. 1 position after securing 59 first-place votes, while Colorado College, Wittenberg, Johnson & Wales, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps round out the top-five.
 
So far this season, Katie Piper ranks eighth in the CAC with a 2.61 kills-per-set average, while Mackenzie Wright stands third with a 0.89 blocks-per-set mark. Equally effective on the defensive side, Riley Garrison is sixth with a 0.81 blocks-per-set mark, and Josie Lucernoni is seventh in digs with a 3.79 average. The reigning All-Region performer has pocketed at least 10 digs in all seven matches, including 22 in the squad's five-set victory over No. 3 Wittenberg on September 8.
 
Along with the standouts on the conference leaderboards, Megan O'Hara is second on the squad with 66 kills and leads the way with a .244 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Katie Crofford has a .951 reception percentage and is averaging 2.03 digs per set.
 
On the other side of the court, Virginia Wesleyan has also been idle since September 11 after having four matches washed out by the hurricane. Leading the way for the Marlins, Kristina Scott is averaging 2.85 kills per set, while Elizabeth Britton has a 2.73 mark. Overall, four players are averaging over two kills per frame, while Meghan Wood boasts a 6.67 assists-per-set average.
 
Defensively, Alyssa Taylor has a team-best 3.93 digs-per-set average, and Sydney Collins is averaging 1.00 blocks-per-set during her first collegiate campaign.
 
In 16 meetings between the two programs, Christopher Newport holds a perfect 16-0 record. The Captains won last year's clash, 3-0, behind eight-kill showcases from Crofford and Abby Oren.
 
---CNU---