NEWPORT NEWS, VA. - Christopher Newport Volleyball opens their 21st all-time NCAA Tournament on Thursday night, marking the Captains' 17th consecutive postseason under Head Coach
Lindsay Birch. This year, they are hosting a regional for the sixth time in program history in front of a home crowd at the Freeman Center.
Match Details
The Captains will face William Paterson at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The winner will move on to play the victor of the East Texas Baptist vs. Allegheny matchup on Friday, with the regional championship match scheduled for Saturday night. All matches will be available for streaming on
CNU All Access.
Last Time Out
CNU enters the tournament fresh off an intense, five-set victory over top-seeded Salisbury to claim their 18th conference title in program history.
Alli Pratt was a standout in the Coast-to-Coast Championship, setting a Freeman Center record with five solo blocks and totaling 11 blocks to tie the second-highest single-match block total in program history.
Samantha Dorn led the Captains' offense with a season-high 19 kills and won tournament MVP.
Alyssa Dozier added 18 kills and
Megan James matched her season high with 14. The defense was anchored by
Noelle Starr with a season-best 37 digs, while
Kensie Price notched a career-high 26 assists.
By The Numbers
17 - The Captains enter their 17th straight NCAA Tournament, the third-longest active streak in Division III volleyball. This accomplishment matches the school record for consecutive tournament appearances with CNU Softball, which has reached every NCAA Tournament since 2007.
Series History
Thursday marks the second-ever meeting between CNU and William Paterson. The Captains won their first matchup against the Pioneers in this year's season opener, securing a 3-1 victory with 16 kills from
Alyssa Dozier and 10 from
Samantha Dorn.
Scouting the Pioneers
William Paterson comes into the NCAA Tournament with a 22-9 record and on a 10-match winning streak. They earned the NJAC's automatic bid by sweeping Rowan and Stockton in the conference championship. Making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, the Pioneers are led by Hope Arce-Reed, an All-NJAC First Team selection who averages 3.42 kills per set and contributes 0.43 blocks per set.
