NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport will conclude the regular season this weekend with the CNU Invitational as the Captains will welcome Salisbury University, Virginia Wesleyan University, and Averett University to the Freeman Center. The Captains matches are vs. Salisbury in a Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) matchup at 7 pm on Friday then on Saturday vs. Virginia Wesleyan at noon and Averett at 2 p.m.

Christopher Newport enters the weekend 22-7 overall with a 9-0 mark in CAC play and has clinched the #1 seed in the upcoming CAC Tournament. The Captains are receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll and are ranked fifth in the NCAA Mid Atlantic regional rankings.

Salisbury is 16-8 with a 5-4 CAC record and will be the #3 seed for the CAC Tournament. The Sea Gulls place 10th in the NCAA Mid Atlantic regional rankings. Virginia Wesleyan checks in at 22-7 and 10-2 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and will be the #2 seed in the ODAC Tournament. The Marlins are eighth in the NCAA South regional rankings. Averett boasts a 17-12 record but has been impressive in the USA South Athletic Conference with a 14-2 record to lead the east division.

CNU defeated Salisbury earlier in the season by a score of 25-22, 25-15, 25-22.

The Marlins and Captains share several common opponents in St. Mary's, Washington and Lee, Mary Washington, Southern Virginia, and Marymount. CNU is a combined 9-0, dropping just four sets in the process. VWU is 1-5 against them with the lone win being a 3-0 victory against St. Mary's. The losses are 3-0 to Mary Washington, 3-0 and 3-1 decisions to Washington and Lee, 3-2 to Southern Virginia, and 3-1 to Marymount.

Averett also shares opponents with the Captains as the Cougars suffered setbacks to Marymount (3-0), Southern Virginia (3-2), Salisbury (3-1), Washington and Lee (3-1), and William Peace (3-0, 3-1). CNU went 7-0 against those squads, surrendering only one set.

Katie Piper leads the Captains with 3.5 points per set, a team-high 2.87 kills, 0.41 aces, 2.52 digs, and 0.33 blocks with a .193 hitting percentage. Sammy Carroll checks in with 1.1 points, 0.55 kills, a CAC-high 9.73 assists, 2.01 digs, and 0.28 blocks with a .188 hitting percentage. Katie Crofford posts 3.3 points, 2.64 kills, 0.48 aces, 2.57 digs, and 0.29 blocks along with a .221 hitting percentage. Riley Garrison contributed 2.9 points, 2.26 kills, 0.81 blocks, and a team-best .306 hitting percentage. Mackenzie Wright has recorded 2.3 points, 1.76 kills, and a team-best 0.87 blocks to go with a .286 hitting percentage. Abby Oren has registered 2.2 points on 1.92 kills and 0.49 blocks with a .216 hitting percentage. Megan O'Hara also contributes 2.2 points on 1.82 kills and 0.57 blocks with a .222 hitting percentage. Rebecca Frey leads the team in digs and aces at 3.40 and 0.51. Kayleigh Reagan-Smith has tallied 1.75 digs and 0.44 aces. Tiaralyn McBride averages 0.44 aces per set.

Salisbury's Amanda Chew leads the CAC in both points (4.4) and kills (3.77) while adding 0.45 aces, 2.63 digs, and 0.39 blocks with a .199 hitting percentage. Chole Adam follows with 2.9 points on 2.78 kills and a .163 hitting percentage. Hannah Sullivan has added 2.5 points, 1.72 kills, 0.26 aces, and 0.91 blocks on a .274 hitting percentage. Carley Cleland tacks on 2.2 points, 1.86 kills, and 0.63 blocks with a .230 hitting percentage. Jenna Feinauer posts 1.9 points, 1.31 kills, and a CAC-best 0.99 blocks with a .275 hitting percentage. Angelina Casserly has totaled 1.6 points, 1.06 kills, 0.66 blocks, and a .213 hitting percentage. Blair Pausic hands out 8.43 assists along while Kiana Bopp averages 3.16 assists, 2.10 digs, and 0.46 aces. Hailey Dougherty posts a CAC-high 5.36 digs while Darian Dimatteo adds 2.23

Amber Matalus paces the Virginia Wesleyan offense with 3.5 points, 2.80 kills, 0.31 aces, 0.74 blocks, and a .323 hitting percentage. Lauren Topper averages 3.2 points, 3.00 kills, 0.35 blocks, and a .270 hitting percentage. Greta Coss checks in with 2.8 points, 2.39 kills, 0.77 blocks, and with a .261 hitting percentage. Elizabeth Britton has tabulated 2.7 points, 2.29 kills, 3.06 digs, and a .204 hitting percentage. Haley Sutton has a team-high of 5.80 assists along with 1.96 digs and 0.35 aces. Meghan Wood averages 4.77 assists, 1.82 digs, and 0.45 aces. Alyssa Taylor is contributing 4.40 digs. Sydney Collins is rejecting an ODAC-high 1.11 blocks along with 1.19 kills and a .193 hitting percentage.

Lauren Montren's 3.2 points per set leads Averett and she adds on 2.87 kills, 3.44 digs, and a .180 hitting percentage. Sarah Shropshire contributes 2.9 points, 2.50 kills, 0.47 blocks, and a .174 hitting percentage. Madison Dadez has 2.5 points, 1.95 kills, 0.75 blocks, and a .273 hitting percentage. Zamyiah Magnum averages 2.3 points, 1.94 kills, 3.98 digs, and a .041 hitting percentage. Morgan Barnes adds on 23 points, 1.85 kills, 0.69 blocks, and a .258 hitting percentage. McKenzie Miller holds a USA South-best average of 9.14 assists and also contributes 1.01 kills, 2.29 digs, and 0.38 blocks to go with a .199 hitting percentage. Meg Hopkins hands out 6.14 assists to go with 2.41 digs and a team-best 0.30 aces. Myka Patterson tacks on 3.41 digs.