NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Captains have won 10 consecutive games against Capital Athletic Conference opponents dating back to last season and will attempt to make it 11 as they host the Southern Virginia University Knights on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

The two teams last met on October 2 in Buena Vista with the Captains picking up a 25-22, 25-17, 25-20 win. Katie Piper led all players with nine kills while Sammy Carroll contributed a match-high 28 assists. Piper and Rebecca Frey had a team-high 11 digs apiece. Taryn Warner and Kaely Rath led SVU in kills with seven while Elle Warnick had 21 assists and Mykynli Knight posted 17 digs.

The Captains enter the match 17-7 overall with a 5-0 mark in CAC play while Southern Virginia brings a 12-8 and 2-3 records to the table. CNU has won 14 of their last 15 while the Knights have faltered in four of their last six. Christopher Newport betters Southern Virginia in nearly every statistical category, but the Knights lead the league in digs per set at 17.94 and in opponent hitting percentage at .121. Meanwhile, CNU ranks atop the league and 25th nationally in service aces per set at 2.88, 33rd in hitting percentage at .231, 47th in assists per set at 11.73, and 54th in kills per set 12.61.

Three Captains average over two kills per set in Katie Piper (2.81), Katie Crofford (2.70), and Riley Garrison (2.47). Not far behind are Abby Oren (1.80), Mackenzie Wright (1.75), and Megan O'Hara (1.75). In conference-only action, Piper is spiking 3.38 a game while Crofford checks in at 2.88, followed by Garrison at 2.25 and O'Hara at 2.14, all good for top ten in the league. Crofford, Garrison, and O'Hara are all hitting at over a .300 clip in league action at .343, .351, and .301 to rank in the top six.

Sammy Carroll has a league-best mark for assists per set at 9.78, good for 34th in the league. In five CAC matches, she has upped that number to a staggering 10.88, more than a whole assist more than the second-place competitor's average of 9.59.

With CNU among the D3 leaders in aces, seven players are posting between 0.37 and 0.53 aces per set - Crofford (0.53), Rebecca Frey (0.52), Hope Webb (0.47), Piper (0.47), Tiaralyn McBride (0.47), Carroll (0.42), and Kayleigh Reagan-Smith (0.37). In conference action, Frey leads the league at 0.73 while Piper (0.63), McBride 90.50), Reagan-Smith (0.47), and Carroll (0.44) all rank in the top seven.

Frey leads the squad in digs at 3.39 per set but not far behind is Piper at 2.66 and Crofford at 2.36. Frey has upped her production in league play to 3.67.

Garrison continues to pace the team in blocks at 0.79 per set. Mackenzie Wright follows close behind at 0.67 but has been out of action the last three matches with Maddie Carter filling in to the tune of 0.63 blocks for the season. Wright also leads CNU in blocks in conference matches at 0.90 per set followed by Garrison at 0.69 and O'Hara at 0.57.

Leading the Knights offense is Kaely Rath. She is averaging 3.33 kills per set, good for second in the league, but just 2.31 per set against CAC foes to rank eighth. Kylee Christensen checks in at 2.17 (1.12 CAC) and Courtney Singleton at 2.13 (2.06 CAC). Ryan Dubinsky is third on the team in conference play at 1.71, an improvement from her season average of 1.53. 

Ellie Warnick ranks third in the league in assists at 7.22 per set but has seen her average drop to 6.47 in-conference to place fifth.

Singleton tops the team in service aces at 0.43 followed by LaRee Crockett at 0.42 and Cortney Swindlehurst's 0.41. Singleton has drastically improved serving in league play with a 0.65 average, good for second, while Kylee Christensen is second on the team in-conference at 0.41.

Mykynli Knight paces the Knights in digs at 4.93 per set to rank second in the CAC but five other players average between 1.97 and 3.25. Knight's average has risen to 5.36 in-conference while Singleton and Christensen rack of 3.51 and 3.18 against league foes.

Taryn Warner is the top blocker on the squad at 0.83 a set to place sixth in the CAC followed by Lindsay Wiedrich at 0.69. Warner has upped her average to 1.18 against CAC competition to rank third.