Volleyball 8/29/2019 12:00:00 PM Scott Harris

Volleyball Opens Season at Home with Captains Classic Friday-Saturday

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport Volleyball its 2019 campaign with a bang this weekend as they welcome two 2018 national semifinalists in Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Juniata College in addition to NCAA Tournament participant Marymount. The trio combined for a 2018 overall record of 87-13 and a league mark of 18-1.

The Captains do battle with the BluGold of Wisc.-Eau Claire at 3:30 p.m. on Friday and follow with a 7:30 p.m. tilt against the Juniata Eagles. They round the weekend with a 1 p.m. match vs. the Marymount Saints on Saturday. Other matches include Marymount vs. Wisc.-Eau-Claire (Fri, 5:30 p.m.), Juniata vs. Wisc.-Eau Clair (Sat., 11 a.m.), and Marymount vs. Juniata (Sat., 3 p.m.). All matches will be streamed at CNUsports.com/watch and live stats will be available for Friday's matches at cnusports.com/sidearmstats/wvball

The Captains, who went to the NCAA Tournament Second Round and won their second consecutive CAC Championship, return a team led by two All-Americans in Katie Piper and Megan O'Hara, All-Region performer and captain Riley Garrison, and captain Katie Crofford. CNU enters the season ranked 22nd in the AVCA Preseason Poll and has advanced to the NCAA Tournament the past 12 seasons, including an appearance in the Second Round in 2018 after winning their second consecutive CAC Championship.

This marks the first matchup on record between the Captains and the BluGold, but geographic proximity has enabled numerous matchups with the Saints and Eagles as CNU is 13-13 all-time with Arlington, Va. based Marymount but only 4-10 vs. perennial national power and Huntingdon, Pa. located Juniata.

Wisconsin-Eau Claire is ranked #4 in the AVCA preseason poll and is picked to win the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after going 33-4 overall and 7-0 in the WIAC. They reached the NCAA Final Four last year where they fell to the eventual runner-up, Calvin College, 3-2. They return 11 letter winners and five starters, headlined by first-team all-WIAC student-athletes Arianna Barrett and Krista Meyer and honorable mention pick Makenzie Bachmann, Jr. Head Coach Kim Wudi was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year.

Juniata comes into the year 3rd in the AVCA preseason poll and was selected to win the Landmark Conference a year after going 28-4 overall and 6-0 in the Landmark while falling in the NCAA Final Four 3-0 to eventual national champion Emory University. The Eagles return four all-conference picks in Landmark Rookie of the Year Moira Falon, first-teamer Victoria Taylor and Morgan Edwards, and second-teamer Dejia Danhi, and in total bring back seven of 10 players who played in at least 30 matches. Danhi and Taylor were second-team AVCA All-Americans in 2018 while Edwards was AVCA All-Region.

Marymount went 26-5 overall in 2018 with a 5-1 mark in the Atlantic East Conference, good for second place, but they won the conference tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. In nationals, they bowed out to CAC rival Mary Washington 3-0 in the first round. Their 26 wins are the second-most in a single season in school history. Head Coach Beth Ann Wilson was named the VaSID All-State Coach of the Year. Maggie Viniard returns after being tabbed an Honorable Mention All-American. Viniard and the returning Myah Cordrey were first-team all-conference selections while Theresa Buscemi is back in the mix after being picked second-team all-conference.

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