Quantitative microscopy in conjunction with finite element analysis is used to study the effects of fiber distribution on damage initiation in the transverse direction of a [0]8 NicalonTM/MAS-5 glass-ceramic composite. Fiber centroid locations in a transverse cross-section of the composite are collected and stored and used to evaluate the second order intensity function, K(r), and the radial distribution function g(r). The g(r) yields several representative volume elements (RVEs) of the composite, where each element represents one statistical realization of the actual fiber distribution. Potential damage initiation sites are identified by applying a simple failure criterion to the stress distribution in each RVE