MEDFORD, Mass. - Behind a sensational performance by Abby Hogge, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team extended its winning streak to 15 matches on the first day of the Beacons Invitational as the Captains upended No. 23 Southwestern, 3-1 (25-15, 25-23, 23-25, 25-11) before taking down UMass-Boston, 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-14) at Cousens Gymnasium on Saturday.

During the two matches, Hogge posted 57 digs, including a season-high 32 against Southwestern. The senior libero was assisted on the offensive end by Baily Jensen, who roped a team-high 24 kills while hitting .305. Chastity Lacy also pieced together a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, leading the team with 13 blocks to go along with a .480 hitting percentage.

With the two victories, the Captains moved to 23-2 on the season. UMass-Boston now sits at 13-6, while Southwestern is 15-7.

In the first set of the day, the Captains made an impressive statement. Against Southwestern, the squad jumped out to an 11-5 edge heading into a Pirate timeout. During the early onslaught, Jensen and Cory Harris both fired a pair of kills, while Alyssa Kidd ripped an ace and added six assists. Later, following the stoppage, Jensen chipped in with two more kills and teamed with Harris on a devastating block that helped give CNU a commanding 19-11 advantage.

Up by eight, the Captains continued to pressure the Pirates. Jessie Kolden unloaded a rocket before Lacy and Christie Fellows joined forces on back-to-back blocks to open up a double-digit lead at 22-12. Later, following a pair of Southwestern miscues, Harris iced the first set with her fourth kill of the frame to seal the 25-15 victory.

After winning the first set with some ease, CNU had a much tougher time in the second. Although Jensen and Fellows each collected a pair of kills in the early going, the Pirates countered every Captain rally and battled to a 9-9 tie. From there, Christopher Newport took advantage of three SU errors before Jensen stuffed two straight attack attempts on the way to a 14-10 advantage heading into a timeout.

The stoppaged paid dividends for Southwestern as the team went on a mid-set surge to even the set at 16. Later, the Pirates caught a second wind and capitalized on two kills from Olivia Drummond to take a 21-19 lead. Staring at a deficit late in the set, the Captains showed true grit and fought back. The squad pieced together a five-point run, highlighted by kills from Harris, Kolden, and Jensen, to secure set point at 24-21. Although SU battled back with a pair of winners, Kolden put an end to the set with another bullet that capped a 25-23 victory.

The third set played much like the second as the two teams found themselves locked at nine. During the early going, Lacy had three kills, while Kolden added a pair to help the squad keep pace with Southwestern. Later, Harris and Jensen joined the party, combining for six kills in the middle of the frame. Benefiting from their offensive firepower as well as two more blocks by Lacy, the Captains surged out to a huge 20-14 lead.

Staring at the deficit, Southwestern called a timeout and quickly orchestrated a four-point run to pull back within two. After snapping CNU's momentum, the Pirates continued to roll. Eventually, the team pieced together a five-point run, aided by a kill, block, and ace by Lacey Strickland, to earn set point at 24-22. Although Jensen uncorked a laser to pull the Captains back within one, Strickland made her presence felt again with one last kill to clinch the third, 25-23.

Refusing to let the setback carry over into the fourth frame, CNU stormed out to an 8-3 lead behind two kills from Kolden and a block and blast by Lacy. Southwestern quickly whistled for a timeout looking to stunt the surge, but the stoppage did little. Kolden ripped another rocket before Lacy came back with another block and kill on the way to a seven-point edge at 17-10.

Closing in on the victory, the Captains pieced together a late four-point run, bookended by a pair of Fellows blasts, to grab a 21-10 lead. After a Pirate kill momentarily snapped the streak, CNU simply went on another four-point roll. Harris lined a kill to kick off the run, while Jensen chipped in with her third solo block on the way to a 25-11 victory, which capped the four-set win.

Jensen finished with a match-high 16 kills, while Lacy hit .471 and added seven blocks. Harris posted a double-double after notching 24 digs and 10 kills, while Kidd dished out 51 assists and chipped in with 14 digs. Hogge was impressive as well, collecting her first 30-dig effort of the season after tallying 32 against the Pirates.

After a mid-afternoon break, the Captains returned to the court to take on the host of the tournament, UMass-Boston. Once again, CNU looked sharp early, jumping out to a 12-6 lead. Harris got things rolling with four quick blasts, while Jensen added a kill, ace, block, and assist during an incredibly well-rounded effort early on.

Although Jensen added two more rockets in the middle of the set, the Beacons battled back. UMass-Boston won 10 of 12 rallies during an incredible run, which pulled the squad even at 20. Still deadlocked at 21, Jensen simply took control of the set. The senior standout unloaded back-to-back kills before teaming with Kolden on a block, which gave the Captains set point. Fittingly, Jensen finished off the frame on the very next rally after she took a pass from Kidd and drilled a shot, which sealed a 25-22 victory.

In the second set, the Beacons got off to an excellent start, bolting out to a 12-9 lead heading into a CNU timeout. The stoppage worked perfectly for the Captains as Fellows came out of the break with a bullet before Harris and Lacy teamed up on a block. Five rallies later, after kills by Harris, Lacy and Fellows, Christopher Newport snatched a 15-13 advantage leading into a Beacon timeout.

After the break, Harris ripped a rocket before Kolden chipped in with a block and kill on the way to a four-point edge at 21-17. Following UMass-Boston's final timeout, CNU capitalized on another blast by Kolden and a pair of Beacon miscues to secure set point at 24-19. One rally later, Lacy and Fellows slammed the door on the hosts' final attack attempt to take the second stanza, 25-19.

Leading by two sets, Christopher Newport wasted little time in the third. Brooke Moore crushed an ace, while Kolden rocketed a pair of kills and teamed with Lacy on a block as the squad jumped out, 10-4. After a Beacon kill, the Captains pieced together a seven-point run, highlighted by a block and blast from Lacy and Harris, as the team grabbed a double-digit lead at 17-5.

Up by 12, CNU never let UMass-Boston get much closer. Although the hosts eventually pulled back within nine, the Captain lead was never in danger. In the waning moments of the match, Kolden launched two lasers, while Harris and Jensen added one apiece. Back up by 10 and 24-14, the squad capitalized on a Beacon error to cap off the final frame, 25-14.

Kolden finished the match with a team-high 10 kills, while Kidd had 29 assists. Once again, Hogge shined on the defensive end, posting 25 digs. Lacy also had six blocks, while Harris had three to go along with nine kills.

Christopher Newport will return to the court on Sunday when the squad takes on Tufts at noon before battling Endicott at 2 p.m.

---CNU---