Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
MEDFORD, Mass. - Guided by an exceptional performance at the service line, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team wrapped up the Beacons Invitational with a pair of victories on Sunday as the Captains took down Tufts, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-11) before sweeping Endicott, 3-0 (25-9, 27-25, 25-15) at Cousens Gymnasium.

During the two matches, CNU fired 26 aces, including a season-high 15 in the opener against Tufts. Abby McIntyre led the team with seven winners, while Bailey Jensen, Brooke Moore, and Abby Hogge all had four apiece. Alyssa Kidd also chipped in with three aces and a team-high 40 assists.

Jensen continued to showcase her offensive skills, launching 22 kills while hitting at a .537 clip. Cory Harris and Jessie Kolden also had 14 kills for the Captains and hit above .300 to help pace the attack. On the defensive end, Hogge capped off her exceptional weekend with 28 digs.

With the victories, the Captains improved to 25-2 and extended their winning streak to 17 matches. Endicott now stands at 9-16 on the year, while Tufts is 10-9.

In the first match of the day, the Captains set the tone with an amazing effort on serve-receive. In addition to their 15 aces, the squad also was a perfect 44-for-44 on receptions.  Harris and Hogge highlighted that effort, combining to convert all 27 of their attempts.

In the first set against Tufts, Hogge and Moore got things rolling with an ace each, while Harris pounded two kills and collected a pair of blocks on the way to an 11-6 lead. Although the Jumbos eventually whittled their deficit down to two on multiple occasions, Kolden fired three rockets, while Fellows and Harris had back-to-back blocks to give the team some breathing room at 18-13.

From there, Jensen helped close out the set in style. The senior middle blocker fired three late kills, while Kidd had one and McIntyre lined an ace as the squad capped off an impressive 25-15 victory.

In the second, Kolden got things rolling with two kills before Jensen smacked back-to-back aces on the way to a 13-7 lead. Once again, Tufts showed resolve in the middle of the set and actually pulled even at 16. However, Christie Fellows quickly broke the deadlock with a blast before Hogge capped off a modest three-point run with an ace to give CNU a 19-16 advantage.

Following a Jumbo timeout, Tufts collected a kill before Harris, Jensen, and Kidd answered with three rockets in rapid succession. Leading by five, Jensen added another kill before McIntyre notched an ace to give the squad set point. Two rallies later, Kolden put the finishing touches on the frame with a laser that clinched a 25-19 victory.

Leading by two sets, the Captains put the Jumbos away quickly in the third. Kolden and McIntyre both nailed aces in the beginning of the frame, while Jensen also had one to go along with a block and kill, which gave the team an imposing 13-5 lead. Later, Kidd added two aces before Kolden chipped in with another to extend the CNU advantage to 20-7.

After that point, Christopher Newport eased into the victory. Fellows blistered two late kills before Rachel Conway came through with an ace that gave the team match point at 24-9. Although Tufts held on for the next two rallies, Terran Bargeron put an end to the contest with one last kill that clinched the 25-11 win.

Against the Jumbos, Jensen, Harris, and Kolden all had seven kills, while Kidd dished out 31 assists. At the line, McIntyre finished with three aces, while Jensen and Kidd equaled that effort. Hogge also had two aces to go along with a match-high 16 digs.

Following a little break in action, the Captains returned to the court for their final match of the tournament against Endicott. Riding high after the team's sensational performance against Tufts, CNU got off to another hot start against the Gulls. Led by four aces from McIntyre, the squad went on a 12-point run that gave Christopher Newport a tremendous 13-1 lead.

Although Endicott tried to keep pace in the middle of the set, the Captain attack was simply too much to handle. Fellows fired two kills and added a block before Jensen roped two blasts on the way to a 23-8 lead. Later, following a Kolden shot, CNU capitalized on a Gull miscue to take the first set, 25-9.

After winning the first frame with some ease, Christopher Newport had a much more difficult time in the second. Although Fellows and Harris each had two kills in the early going, the Captains found themselves trailing by three at 13-10. Later, two kills by Callie Dolan helped Endicott extend its advantage to six at 20-14 following a CNU timeout.

With no margin for error, Christopher Newport stormed back. Hogge and Moore each launched aces, while Jensen chipped in with three kills to pull the squad within one at 23-22. Although an Endicott timeout momentarily stunted the surge, Jensen picked up where she left off with another kill and ace to even the set at 24. After that, the Captains benefited from three Gull errors in the final four rallies to take the frame, 27-25.

After surviving the second-set scare, CNU wasted little time in the third. Jensen continued to dominate early on with four big kills, while Moore crushed a pair of aces on the way to a 9-2 lead. Although Endicott shaved its deficit down to three, the squad could never pull any closer. Eventually, Hogge fired another ace before Jensen and Fellows posted back-to-back kills on the way to a 21-13 advantage.

Following an Endicott timeout, Harris kicked off CNU's final push with a kill before Jess Feddersen added an ace and Bargeron posted a block to secure match point at 24-14. Two rallies later, Harris came back to seal the victory with another blast to clinch the 25-15 win.

In the final match of the tournament, Jensen hit a whopping .625 after blasting 15 kills on just 24 swings. Kolden and Harris also had seven kills apiece, while McIntyre had a team-high four aces. Conway paced the offense with 31 assists, while Harris led the team with 13 digs.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the Captains host Mary Baldwin in a USA South match at the Freeman Center beginning at 6 p.m.

---CNU---