Complete All-Region Team

Christopher Newport head coach Lindsay Birch has been named the AVCA North Region Coach of the Year, headlining a group of six CAC volleyball players on the All-Region squad. The regional coach of the year honor is the second of Birch's career. 

Five from CNU earned All-Region recognition, including four on the first team, while Salisbury sophomore Katie Stouffer grabbed first team honors. For the Captains, Rachel Conway, Eliza Fisher, Hannah Miller and Briana Sutton collected first team honors, while Maddie McCann was named honorable mention. 

The five All-Region honorees are the second-most in a single-season in CNU history.

Birch picked up the Coach of the Year award after leading CNU to its eighth straight league championship and second consecutive CAC title. Along the way, Birch picked up her 400th career victory against Wesley on October 16 and eventually guided the Captains to a 31-3 record entering the NCAA Tournament. The squad also went undefeated in league action for the eighth straight year after notching a pristine 9-0 mark against conference foes.

For Conway, the first-team All-Region honor adds another award to an ever-growing list of accolades this season. The junior setter was already named the CAC Player of the Year while collecting first-team All-Conference nods. Entering the NCAA Tournament, she ranks 26th nationally with a 10.11 assists-per-set average. That mark also places her sixth on the program's all-time single-season list.

A well-rounded athlete, Conway has seven double-doubles this season and ranks second on the team with a 1.88 digs-per-set average. Equally impressive along the net, she has 62 blocks and 99 kills. The Fairfax, Virginia native has also roped 35 aces.

Piecing together a tremendous freshman campaign, Fisher was one of only two first-year players to earn first-team All-North Region honors. One of the most potent hitters on the squad, she ranks fourth on CNU with 237 kills while hitting at a .268 clip. Just as effective at the service line, she ranks second on the squad and 10th in the CAC with 46 aces. That total is also the most by a CNU freshman since Kara Elder clocked 52 in 2009.

Entering the postseason, Fisher has 10 double-digit kill efforts, highlighted by a career-high 18 blasts against Berry on September 12. She also clubbed 10 against No. 11 Eastern on September 5 before matching that effort in the CAC Championship bout against Salisbury on November 8. The Fairfax, Virginia native has also done work along the net with 61 rejections, including six blocks at Salisbury on September 30 and against Randolph-Macon on October 24.

One of the most imposing forces on the front row this season, Miller has turned in an incredible sophomore campaign. She is currently one of only three players in the entire NCAA to rank in the top-25 in both hitting percentage and total blocks. Currently, she is 16th overall with a .359 hitting percentage and 23rd with 120 rejections. She also leads CNU with 325 kills.

Coming into the NCAA Tournament, Miller has 17 double-digit kill efforts, including 19 against No. 11 Eastern on September 5 and again at Salisbury on September 30. A member of the Captains Classic and Mary Washington Invitational All-Tournament teams, she also was named the AVCA National Player of the Week on September 9. The Palmyra, Virginia native recorded her first career double-double during the season as well after collecting 10 kills and 10 blocks against Randolph-Macon on October 24. With that effort, she became just the fifth Captain in program history to post at least 10 kills and 10 blocks in the same match.

Providing firepower on the outside, Sutton has battered the opposition with 296 kills, which ranks eighth in the CAC this season. The sophomore slugger also stands second on the squad with a 2.90 kills-per-set average. Entering the NCAA Tournament, she already boasts 15 double-digit kill efforts, highlighted by 18 blasts against Bridgewater on August 30.

Honored throughout the season, Sutton was named the MVP of the Captains Classic to kick off the year and earned a spot on the Juniata / ASICS Invitational All-Tournament team as well. During the latter tournament, the Williamsburg, Virginia native roped back-to-back 13-kill efforts against Juniata and SUNY Cortland to help lead the Captains to the championship.

Equally imposing on the outside, McCann has orchestrated a breakout sophomore campaign. Bouncing back from an injury-marred freshman season, she has added a potent punch to the CNU attack in 2014. She currently ranks third on the team and 10th in the CAC with 277 kills. One of the league's most consistent contributors, she also sits in the top-15 in points-per-set with a 2.9 average.

So far this year, McCann has 13 double-digit kill efforts, including a run of seven straight from September 12-23. During that streak, she earned a spot on the Juniata / ASICS Invitational All-Tournament team, including 13-kill performances in back-to-back matches against Juniata and Franklin & Marshall. The Mathews, Virginia native has also contributed 105 digs and 39 blocks on the defensive end as well.

For Salisbury, Stouffer followed her impressive freshman campaign with an even better second season that culminated in her leading the Capital Athletic Conference in five offensive categories, including kills (431), kills per set (3.72), and points per set (4.03).

The Frederick, Maryland native also led the Sea Gulls with a .275 hitting percentage, while finishing third on the squad with 151 digs and 45 total blocks. The all-region selection is the third postseason award for Stouffer, who was also recently named a Capital One Academic All-District player and an All-CAC first team member.