Expectations are high for the Captains as they enter the season ranked 22nd in the AVCA Division III Preseason Coaches Poll, the ninth time in the last 10 years they have been ranked in the preseason poll, while also being picked to win the Capital Athletic Conference. CNU will have plenty of opportunities to prove their worth in non-conference play.

The team tips off the season with the Captains Classic this weekend, which features two national semifinalists in #4 Wisconsin Eau-Claire and #3 Juniata on Friday followed by a bout with Marymount, a 2018 NCAA Tournament participant, on Saturday. The schedule continues to be loaded with formidable opponents as they will face 2018 NCAA Tournament participants in Berry College (2nd round), Emory (national champions), Mary Hardin-Baylor (regional finals), and Calvin (national runner-up).

A plethora of talent returns from last year's 26-6 team that won the CAC Tournament and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, marking the 12th consecutive season CNU has earned a trip to nationals.

Headlining the returning talent are All-Americans in opposite hitter Megan O'Hara and outside hitter Katie Piper in addition to All-Region middle blocker Riley Garrison, who was also named to the NCAA All-Regional team. All three were also named All-State and All-CAC. O'Hara was one of only two CAC players to rank in the top-10 in the league in both blocks and kills, ranking second and eighth respectively, along with placing sixth in points. Piper led the CAC in points and ranked second in kills. Garrison, named a team captain for this season, led the CAC in ranked 10th in the NCAA in blocks to form a fearsome duo at the net with O'Hara. Her 134 total blocks are the fourth-most in a single season at CNU and she tied the single-match record of 12 blocks at Catholic.

Rounding out the stacked roster includes several starters and key reserves such as Abby Oren, Katie Crofford, Mackenzie Wright, Lauren Tracy, Ashley Burgess, Tiaralyn McBride, Hope Webb, Allie Plumlee, Rebecca Frey, Maddie Carter, Maddie Erb, and Rachel Blitt. Coach Birch '02 also welcomes four new student-athletes to the roster in Sammy Carroll, Hannah Crawley, Anna Dean, and Kayleigh Reagan-Smith. Additionally, two new faces will dot the sidelines as Kellyn DeChirico '19 returns to the program as an assistant coach this year while Andrew Thompson '16 enters his first season as an assistant after serving as a team manager as a junior and senior.

Oren started 16 of her 29 matches played and posted the highest hitting percentage, .232, of any outside hitter at CNU since 2015. She posted 188 total kills on the year with 206.5 points, 2.20 per set. She also excelled on serve-receive with a .945 reception percentage. Crofford, a team captain this year, appeared in all 32 matches with 22 starting nods. She was one of only two players to participate in all 120 sets and set a new school single-season record with 708 reception attempts on a team-best .963 reception average.

Wright had an impressive freshman campaign, finishing in the top five of the CAC in blocks per set (0.95, 4th) and hitting percentage (.270, 5th). She placed third on the team in total blocks at 69 and had one of her finest outings against #9 Wittenberg, tallying nine rejections. Tracy played in 19 matches with 13 starts to lead the Captains with 504 assists, 7.52 per set. She recorded 60 against Virginia Wesleyan, the second-highest single-match output in school history since the NCAA switched to 25-point sets in 2008.

Burgess ranked second on the team in assists at 4.77 per set while seeing action in 21 matches. She contributed a season-high 27 assists at Catholic and had 26 against #24 Stevenson. She also had a stellar performance against #28 Berry, notching 21 assists and 19 digs. McBride played in 30 matches and excelled as a server, ranking fifth in conference action in aces per set at 0.43 for a total of 22 aces on the season.

Webb was yet another impressive setter on the squad, ranking second on the team in total assists with 389, 4.58 per set, as she played a part in 24 matches, starting nine. She had three consecutive 20+ assist performances in the postseason, starting with 23 against York in the CAC semifinals, followed with 20 vs. Mary Washington to help lift the Captains to the CAC Championship, then she posted another 20-spot against Bethany in the NCAA Tournament First Round.

Plumlee and Frey formed a promising duo of defensive specialists. Plumlee played in 20 matches with 97 digs and converted 139 of her 152 reception attempts. She notched a season-high 17 digs and went 10-for-10 on serve-receive at Frostburg State. Frey also saw time in 20 matches with 73 digs in addition to a .954 reception percentage. Arguably her best match of the year came in the CAC Championship game as she tallied 13 digs and was a perfect 17-for-17 on serve receive

Carter made an immediate impact in her freshman year as she played in 12 matches and started four, including three in the opening weekend. She finished the year with 22 kills, 26 points, and six blocks. Blitt and Erb played in two matches apiece.

Head coach Lindsay Birch will open her 18th season at the helm with a 521-123 overall record for a winning percentage of .809.