Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – In front of a packed house at the Freeman Center, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team extended its winning streak to 23 straight matches as the Captain veterans put on a show on Senior Night with a pair of victories as CNU took down Moravian, 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-11) and No. 17 Salisbury, 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 19-25, 25-15) on Friday evening.

On their day, the CNU seniors were simply sensational. Bailey Jensen roped 22 kills and added seven blocks, Christie Fellows launched 15 blasts while hitting at a .394 clip, and Cory Harris unloaded 12 winners to go along with 10 digs.

In addition to the front line, fellow senior Alyssa Kidd dished out 81 assists, while Abby Hogge and Kara Elder helped anchor the defense. Hogge finished the day with a team-high 36 digs, while Elder chipped in with 10 to go along with a perfect 29-for-29 effort on serve-receive.

Guided by those performances, CNU bumped its record to 31-2, which is tied for the best mark in the nation. Moravian stands at 25-6, while Salisbury is 30-3.

In the first match of the day, the Captains got off to a great start, jumping out to a 12-5 lead heading into a Moravian timeout. During the early surge, Kidd fired back-to-back aces and teamed up with Chastity Lacy on a block to give the squad an imposing seven-point cushion.

After Jensen found her rhythm in the middle of the frame, notching two kills and a solo block, CNU grabbed a 19-7 advantage heading into another Greyhound timeout. The stoppage did little to thwart the Captains as Jensen and Kidd fired solo shots before Fellows cleaned up the frame with three late blasts to cap a 25-12 victory.

In the second set, Moravian held tough and kept the game close. Although Jessie Kolden and Lacy each collected two early kills, CNU led by only one at 11-10. Finally, after Harris drilled a rocket and teamed with Lacy on a block, the Captains got a little wiggle room at 19-16.

With a three-point lead, Christopher Newport went on a huge run to seal the set. Jensen uncorked three kills and Brooke Moore ripped an ace during a four-point roll that gave the squad a 23-16 edge. Later, after Kidd dumped a beautiful shot into the heart of the Greyhound defense, the Captains benefitted from a Moravian miscue to clinch the 25-18 win.

In the final frame, CNU came sprinting out of the gate, grabbing a 13-5 lead following two kills and a block by both Harris and Jensen. Later, the Captains hit a groove at the service line as Moore blistered an ace before Jensen unleashed a pair on the way to a huge 21-8 lead.

The 13-point advantage was more than enough for CNU as the squad eased into the victory. Kolden eventually put an end to the match after the sophomore sensation obliterated a kill before lining an ace to cap off a 25-11 win.

Jensen finished the contest with 11 kills while hitting at a .579 clip. Kolden also had nine kills, while Fellows had seven. Kidd was sensational as well, chipping in with 33 assists to go along with a pair of aces.

After a mid-afternoon break, CNU returned to the court to face No. 17 Salisbury in a rematch of a 3-0 Captain victory earlier in the season. Similar to the match against Moravian, Christopher Newport rolled out to a 9-4 lead, capped off beautifully by a block and two aces by Kidd. Despite the deficit, Salisbury battled back, knotting the frame at 12 and keeping it tied until 14-14.

Kolden quickly broke the deadlock with a dart before Lacy and Fellows added their own kills to push CNU's lead to three at 18-15. Although Salisbury pulled back within one following a timeout, the Captains never relented. Eventually, Jensen added a block and blast during the waning moments of the frame before Lacy put the punctuation mark on it with a tracer to seal a 25-22 victory.

Riding some momentum, Christopher Newport vaulted out to a 12-6 lead in the second set following two early kills by Kolden and another solo block by Jensen. Although the Sea Gulls chipped away at their deficit in the middle of the set, Jensen added another block and a pair of kills to help CNU keep an edge at 18-14.

With some breathing room, the Captains withstood a minor run by Salisbury to cap off the second set. Eventually, Harris and Fellows launched back-to-back kills before Jensen finished off the frame with another shot to seal the 25-19 win.

Staring at a two-set deficit, SU came together in the third. Although Kolden collected two early kills, Salisbury ran out to a 12-4 lead. Despite a block and blast by Lacy in the middle of the frame, the Sea Gulls never unraveled. Carly Todd came through at the tail end of the set with seven assists and a kill to give the visitors a 25-19 victory.

Unfazed by the setback, CNU responded with a strong performance in the fourth frame. Lacy pounded two quick kills, while Jensen and Kolden each added one as the Captains secured a three-point edge at 11-8. Although the Sea Gulls eventually pulled back within one, Kolden answered with a block and kill on consecutive rallies to give the hosts a 16-11 advantage.

After that point, Christopher Newport's lead was never really in doubt. Kolden continued her strong play with another kill and ace during the final moments of the contest before the seniors fittingly took over. Fellows blasted two rockets on the way to a 23-15 lead before Hogge unleashed an ace to earn match point. Wasting little time, Kidd dished to Harris, who unloaded the clincher to cap off a 25-15 victory.

Against the Sea Gulls, Kolden led the Captains with 14 kills, while Jensen and Lacy added 11 and 10, respectively. Kidd also chipped in with a double-double after recording 48 assists and 12 digs, while Hogge was sensational in the back row, chipping in with 25 digs.

Christopher Newport will return to action tomorrow when the squad wraps up the CNU Invitational with another doubleheader. The Captains will open up against Lynchburg at noon before squaring off with No. 16 SUNY Cortland at 4:30 p.m.

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