Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Christopher Newport volleyball team claimed its first outright Capital Athletic Conference regular season championship and beat its first top-25 opponent of the season during a tremendous tri-match on Saturday afternoon as the Captains took down Marymount, 3-0 (25-13, 25-22, 25-20) before toppling No. 20 Stevenson, 3-2 (25-20, 19-25, 25-16, 16-25, 15-12) at the Verizon Sports Arena.

After clinching the top seed in the CAC playoffs on Wednesday, CNU secured the outright regular season title and capped off a perfect 8-0 conference record with its sweep over Marymount. Overall, the Captains now sit at 22-12.

During the two matches, Chastity Lacy and Hannah Miller kept the opposition off balance and combined for 15 blocks. Lacy also led the team with 22 kills and five aces, while Miller chipped in with 16 kills and a lofty .361 hitting percentage.

In addition to the middle hitters, Rachel Conway dished out 73 assists and collected her third double-double with 11 digs and a career-high 43 helpers against Stevenson. Krista Hughes stepped up with an incredible performance against the Mustangs as well, punching 11 kills on just 19 attempts in Saturday's nightcap.

The setback leaves Stevenson at 32-2 overall, while Marymount is 18-12, including 5-3 in the CAC. The Saints will be the No. 4 seed in the conference playoffs.

In the first match of the day, Marymount was able to secure an early lead in the first frame, but Christopher Newport bounced back and picked apart the Saints with a fantastic mid-set surge. Lacy was at the heart of the resurgence with a block, two kills, and three aces on the way to a 14-7 advantage. Although the hosts momentarily broke CNU's streak, the visitors never slowed down.

Hughes, Harper Smith, and Briana Sutton peppered Marymount with three kills to push the lead to double-digits at 21-11. Later, Conway fired an ace before Lacy came back with the clinching kill to cap off a 25-13 victory in the first.

Continuing her efforts in the second stanza, Lacy came right back with four kills and a block to give the Captains a quick 9-5 advantage. A few rallies later, Sutton unloaded back-to-back bullets before Lacy also hit two straight winners to earn a 17-14 lead.

Although the Saints continued to battle and made a concerted push at the end of the set, Christopher Newport never fell behind. Smith, Hughes, and Jessie Kolden all added kills during the final moments of the frame before one last Marymount miscue sealed the 25-22 win for CNU.

Keeping the momentum, the Captains once again jumped out to a nice lead in the third stanza behind two kills by Lacy and an ace from Brooke Moore. Despite a six-point rally by Marymount that eventually knotted the frame at eight, Christopher Newport settled back in following a timeout.

After the stoppage, Smith lined a kill and Lacy popped an ace to break the deadlock before Sutton recorded a block and two kills to push CNU's lead to five at 18-13. Although Marymount clawed back into the set and chipped its deficit down to one at 19-18, Christopher Newport closed out the contest with one last push. Smith blasted another dart before Miller collected a block and kill to help ice the frame, 25-20.

Miller finished the match with six kills and a pair of blocks, while Hughes and Sutton came through with two rejections as well. Moore was sturdy on the back row, collecting 16 digs for the Captains. Kolden also chipped in with eight.

With its league slate in the books, Christopher Newport returned to the court looking for its biggest non-conference victory of the year against Stevenson. Picking up right where she left off, Lacy came out with an ace, two kills, and a block, while Rachel Close smacked an ace as well on the way to a 12-7 lead. Although the Mustangs eventually pulled back within two, Smith answered with a block and two blasts during a thrilling three-point run to take an 18-13 edge.

Later, Smith added another kill to keep the five-point cushion before Sutton chimed in with two tracers over the final three rallies to seal a 25-20 victory.

Unsettled by the first-set loss, Stevenson rebounded in the second. The Mustangs ran out to an early lead before CNU retaliated in the middle of the frame. Lacy and Hughes each tallied kills and the squad benefited from a spate of SU errors to help knot the score at 17. Unfortunately, Stevenson outlasted the Captains and evened the match with a 25-19 win in the second.

Refusing to fall behind, Christopher Newport bounced right back. In the beginning part of the third stanza, Miller collected a block and two kills, while Conway assisted on a pair of rejections to secure a 12-6 lead. Later, Miller teamed up with Sutton on another block before Lacy uncorked two kills to keep a 16-11 advantage.

After that point, CNU rolled. Miller slammed the door on back-to-back SU attacks, while Hughes added a block and kill to take a 22-13 lead. On the very next rally, Close slung an ace before Miller landed another blow with a bullet to help lock up the 25-15 win.

Continuing the back-and-forth battle, Stevenson took the fourth frame. Although Hughes lit up the Mustangs with five kills during the early part of the set, the Mustangs snatched 10 of the next 11 rallies to grab a 22-11 lead. Doing the best they could at the tail end of the stanza, Miller and Smith combined for three kills and a block, but the Captains eventually dropped a 25-16 decision.

With one final frame left on the docket, Christopher Newport came storming out in the fifth. Miller and Abby McIntyre connected on two kills apiece, while Close continued to do work at the service line with another ace on the way to a 9-4 lead. Although Stevenson ran off three straight winners in the middle of the frame, CNU would not be denied.

Lacy smacked two kills to help stymie the Mustangs before Hughes and Smith each landed one apiece to take a 13-11 advantage. At that point, SU called for a timeout, but the break did nothing as Stevenson committed two late miscues to seal the 15-12 victory for CNU.

During the contest, four Captains reached double-figures in kills as Hughes notched 11, while Lacy, Miller, and Smith tacked on 10 apiece. Just as effective defensively, Miller posted six blocks and Conway had four to go along with her double-double. Moore anchored the back row with 19 digs, and Close picked up 13 in addition to her three aces.

Christopher Newport will return to action next Thursday when the Captains host the semifinals of the CAC Tournament at the Freeman Center.

---CNU---