NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Freeman Center sets the stage for the start of another CNU volleyball season as the 19th-ranked Captains (0-0) will host Regent University on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. Live stats and a live video webcast of the season opener will be available online at CNUsports.com. 

Christopher Newport enters the 24th season under head coach Lindsay Birch with the first game of the season coming against Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference foe Regent University. It marks just the second all-time matchup between the two programs after CNU earned a 3-0 win against the Royals in last year's inaugural pairing. Samantha Dorn led the way in the win for the Captains with eight kills and four aces while rookie Emmy Carpenedo added five kills, three aces, and eight digs. 

CNU has won five straight home openers dating back to the 2021 season and features a dominant record in home openers under Coach Birch. The Captains are 22-1 all-time in the first home game of the season with Birch at the helm, though it marks just the third time it comes against a conference foe. The last time CNU took on a league opponent in the home opener was September 14, 2005 when the Captains secured a 3-0 win over William Peace as members of the USA South Athletic Conference. 

This year, Dorn and Carpenedo are back to help lead the way against Regent alongside a talented veteran core. Dorn, with over 3,000 career attack attempts in just three years, ranks in the top-ten all-time at CNU and eclipsed 1,000 career kills last season. She ranks 13th all-time and will start her senior season within striking distance of a spot in the top-five in CNU history. Carpenedo added a sensational start to her career with 224 kills and 231 digs, becoming just the sixth freshman in the last 25 years to pile up over 200 in both categories. The most recent was Megan James in 2022 and Carpenedo joins an elite group to accomplish that feat with James, Cory Harris (2009), Kara Elder (2009), Jenna Williams (2003), and Amber Bradshaw (2002). 

In addition to the aforementioned stars, the Captains also return conference tournament MVP Simara Alexander after hitting at a near-.300 clip last season with 217 kills (.299). All-American setter Fielding Croft is back after her impressive freshman year, piling up 1,076 assists including 9.28 per set. 

In total, the Captains return 13 letterwinners from a year ago when Christopher Newport captured a second straight conference crown and advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship. CNU starts the year ranked No. 19 in the AVCA preseason poll and were picked as favorites in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference. 

Regent will counter with a squad that posted a 17-10 overall record last season and narrowly missed the C2C Tournament Semifinals in a 3-2 setback to Mary Washington. Erin Saunders led the team wtih 265 kills and Rylee Stewart was the team leader in the middle of the floor with 595 assists. Stewart, a Newport News native, is back in the fold for her second season to help lead the way. 

Fans unable to attend can watch the match live at CNUsports.com. Following Tuesday's opener, the Captains will welcome a talented field to the Captains Classic Tournament on Friday-Saturday, September 4-5. CNU will host NYU, Juniata, and Wisconsin - Eau Claire over the weekend; all three are nationally ranked with the Violets checking in at No. 25, Eagles at No. 12, and the Eau Claire Blugolds ranked No. 7 in the nation