Box Score

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Behind a double-double by Abby McIntyre and an excellent effort by Chastity Lacy, the 24th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team opened up Capital Athletic Conference action with a victory as the Captains took down reigning league champ Salisbury, 3-1 (27-25, 25-16, 20-25, 25-16) on Wednesday evening at the Freeman Center.

Making its CAC debut, CNU picked up the win and improved to 11-10 on the season. The victory marked the 120th consecutive regular season conference win by the Captains after going undefeated in the USA South during the past six years. The setback drops Salisbury to 17-3 after the Sea Gulls made a run to the NCAA Elite 8 last season.

McIntyre had a well-rounded effort for the Captains as the second-year standout came through with a team-high 15 digs, 13 kills, and three aces. Lacy was also on-point as the reigning All-American drilled 11 kills while hitting .500 during the match.

In addition to the veterans, freshman Briana Sutton unloaded 10 kills, while Hannah Miller did damage along the net with five blocks. Rachel Conway also had four stops and 21 assists, while Paxton Crooks chipped in with 15 helpers as well.

In a battle featuring a pair of NCAA Finalists from last season, the two squads looked evenly matched in the beginning. The teams battled to eight ties in the early going, highlighted by three blocks from Miller, before Christopher Newport called for a timeout at 12-12. Although the stoppage paid immediate dividends, the squads found themselves deadlocked again at 14.

After that point, Sutton and McIntyre launched consecutive kills on the way to a 19-16 advantage. Although the visitors called for a timeout and snatched the next four rallies to grab a slim lead, CNU never relented. McIntyre chucked two straight darts before Miller and Conway came through with back-to-back kills to earn set-point at 24-23. SU eventually fought back and knotted the frame on several occasions, but Lacy broke the final tie with a tracer before Conway uncorked an ace to seal a 27-25 victory.

Staring at an early deficit, the Sea Gulls got off on the right foot in the second and picked up a quick 8-4 lead. Once again, Christopher Newport recovered following a timeout. Behind McIntyre's performance at the service line, which featured a pair of aces, the hosts ripped off six straight winners to earn a two-point edge at 10-8.

Although the lead was modest, it also proved to be insurmountable. Conway joined forces with Lacy and Miller on a pair of blocks, while Sutton added a crushing kill that lifted CNU to a 19-14 lead. Later, McIntyre lit up another ace, while Miller, Sutton, and Conway came through with kills at the tail end of the stanza to close out a 25-16 win.

Down by two sets, Salisbury retaliated in the third. Although the Captains got off to a nice start behind a block and blast by Sutton, the squad eventually found itself knotted at 11. Later, still tied at 18, Christopher Newport could not quite find its footing late in the set. Despite a pair of blasts by Miller, the Sea Gulls continued to find a response and eventually stole the third, 25-20.

With some momentum, SU earned a quick 6-4 lead in the fourth. Even though Krista Hughes came through with two bullets in the middle of the frame, CNU found itself deadlocked at 11. Still unfazed, the Captains won the next five points, including kills by Miller, Sutton, and McIntyre, to grab a comfortable advantage heading into a Salisbury timeout.

The stoppage did little to hinder CNU as Lacy and Sutton drilled back-to-back winners on the way to a seven-point lead and another SU timeout. Refusing to let the Sea Gulls even think about a comeback, Lacy came out with two more kills before Miller added a solo stop on the way to match-point. With no interest in extending the evening any longer, McIntyre took a pass from Conway and hammered home the clincher to seal the fourth, 25-16.

Along with her team-high five blocks, Miller also came through with six kills. Hughes also added six rockets, while Rachel Close did work on the back row with 10 digs. Brooke Moore also secured eight to help lead the defensive effort.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Friday when the squad heads to Ashland, Virginia for a 7 p.m. showdown with Randolph-Macon.

---CNU---