NCAA Quarterfinals Photo Gallery // Post-Match Press Conference

HOLLAND, Mich. -- Behind a well-balanced effort, which saw four Captains post double-digit kills, the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team advanced to the Final Four for the second straight season as CNU overcame an early deficit to storm past UMass-Boston, 3-1 (22-25, 25-9, 25-17, 25-18), at the DeVos Fieldhouse on Thursday evening.

Cory Harris led the charge with an incredible effort, unloading a match-high 16 kills to go along with eight digs and a pair of blocks. Christie Fellows also uncorked 13 kills at a .407 clip, while Bailey Jensen and Jessie Kolden each had 12 blasts. Alyssa Kidd helped balance out the offense, notching 49 assists.

On the defensive end, Abby Hogge cleaned up with 24 digs and bumped her season-total to 655, which broke the program record that she set last season. Kidd also chimed in with 16 digs for her fourth straight double-double of the postseason. Chastity Lacy was a force along the net as well, collecting seven blocks.

With the victory, CNU extended its school-record winning streak to 32 and moved its overall record to a program-best 40-2. The Captains will now advance to the semifinals of the National Tournament, which will be held on Friday. Christopher Newport will square off with No. 1 Calvin, who secured its spot with a 3-1 victory over Puget Sound.

After struggling to find its rhythm in the first set, CNU took charge early in the second. Although the squad dropped the first three rallies, Jensen shot back with three kills to even the frame at four. Later, Kolden took control of the attack, lacing four kills in the span of seven rallies to lead the squad to a 10-6 advantage. After UMass-Boston snapped the streak, Christopher Newport ripped off five straight winners, including a devastating shot by Harris off the Beacon block, to stretch its edge to 15-7 heading into a media timeout.

Although the Captains struggled to close out the first set, the squad had few problems capping off the second. Continuing its run, CNU picked up a kill and block by Harris before Lacy added an exclamation point as the All-American obliterated a shot that ricocheted off the Beacon defense and landed deep on the opposition's bench. Leading 22-9, Harris fittingly put an end to the set as the senior picked up where she left off with two more darts to seal the 25-9 victory.

Back on even ground in the match, CNU pulled out to a modest lead in the third behind the serving prowess of Brooke Moore. Keeping the Beacons off-balance with perfectly-placed rainbows and line-drive rockets, the sophomore led the Captains on a six-point run, highlighted by a pair of aces. Leading 6-2 following a UMass-Boston timeout, Christopher Newport's front line took over. After frustrating the opposition from the service line, the squad's blocking gave the Beacons fits. Lacy teamed with Kidd and Kolden on a pair of blocks before also adding a kill on the way to a 15-9 advantage.

With a six-point lead, Harris put on a spectacular show during a personal three-point streak. Sprinting all over the court, she made a beautiful dig on a hot-shot towards the line before capping off the rally with a blast. On the very next series, the senior sensation had a circus-like effort, dropping in an over-the-head, reverse shot that fell perfectly on the line. Putting the punctuation mark on the run, she teamed with Lacy on a block that led to 19-9 advantage and a Beacon timeout.

Following the stoppage, the Captains eased into the victory. Fellows chipped in with two kills, while Lacy and Jensen each added one on the way to set-point at 24-14. Although UMass-Boston held on for a few rallies, Kolden eventually finished things off with a shot that iced a 25-17 win.

Back in control of the match, CNU battled back-and-forth with the Beacons during the early part of the fourth. Harris continued her run with two quick kills, while Jensen added a block and blast on the way to a 6-6 tie. Later, Kolden had a great streak, teaming up with Lacy on a pair of blocks before adding a kill and ace to push the squad's lead to 13-8. Although the momentum was firmly cemented on the Captain side, UMass-Boston battled back. The team swept eight of the next 11 rallies to even the set again at 16-16.

Stunned a bit by the Beacons' resurgence, CNU remained deadlocked until rolling off a tremendous streak at the end of the set. Jensen broke the tie after painting the end line with a kill and ace on consecutive rallies before Kidd and Fellows unloaded lasers to grab a 23-18 advantage heading into a UMass-Boston timeout.

With things going CNU's way, Kidd saved a rally with a dig off her shoulder before Fellows finished the series with a block to earn set-point at 24-18. On the very next rally, Kolden wrapped up the match with one last bullet that clocked a Beacon defender and went spinning high into the UMass-Boston fan section.

Playing in front of a large crowd, overwhelming in favor of the Captains and backed by the Christopher Newport pep band, CNU gave its passionate followers an excellent comeback victory after the squad looked slightly skittish in the first frame. Although the team pulled out to an 18-14 lead in the opener, headlined by three kills apiece from Fellows, Kolden, and Harris, the Beacons capitalized on a pair of late runs to take the set, 25-22.

Despite the early stumbles, Christopher Newport remained confident. After dropping their opening frame in the final two NCAA Regional bouts last weekend, the Captains shrugged off the setback and showed their true colors with an outstanding run to pull off the four-set victory.

---CNU---