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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Capping off a marathon day with a perfect ending, the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team picked up a pair of victories in its first action of the season as CNU took down Lynchburg, 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-18) and Berry, 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-16, 28-26) during the first day of the Captains Classic on Friday at the Freeman Center.

After graduating four All-Americans from 2012's Final Four squad, Christopher Newport retooled and put its young guns on full display on Friday. Briana Sutton led the team with 23 kills and a .308 hitting percentage, while fellow first-year standout Harper Smith chipped in with 20 blasts. Ashley Rock anchored the team in the middle, firing 11 kills to go along with seven blocks during the two matches.

Along with the firepower up front, Paxton Crooks and Rachel Conway combined for 69 assists, while Brooke Moore led the way with 25 digs. Hannah Miller also made her presence felt on the defensive end with five blocks, including a momentum-swinging solo stop in the second match.

After CNU and Berry each won their first bouts of the season, the two squads squared off for an exciting late-night battle in front of a raucous crowd. With little break after their previous contest, the Vikings looked strong at the start. The visitors won five of the first six rallies before using a modest mid-set run to secure a 12-8 edge.

Staring at a four-point deficit, the Captains fired back. Sutton led the resurgence with three rockets before several Berry miscues knotted the score at 18. Unfortunately, the Vikings had an answer. Despite a last-minute timeout by CNU, Berry capitalized on a pair of kills by Anna Keappler and the clincher by Emily Stromberg to seal a 25-20 first-set victory.

After Berry landed the first blow, Christopher Newport answered with an emphatic counter punch. In the second, Smith uncorked three early kills before reigning All-American Jessie Kolden found her groove. Showing a hot hand, the junior took control and blistered five kills in the span of seven rallies to give CNU a 14-7 lead.

With a comfortable advantage, the Captains held Berry at bay. Sutton roped a pair of kills in the middle of the frame, while Rock fired a tracer and stuffed a Viking attack with a gorgeous solo block. Inching closer to the victory, CNU earned set point after a BC error before Rock and Kolden teamed up to slam the door shut on another Viking attack attempt and seal the victory, 25-19.

Back on even ground, Christopher Newport stormed out in the third set. Smith lit up the opposition with three straight kills, while Rock added a pair of bullets on the way to a 7-1 edge. Although Berry went on a bit of a spurt and pulled back within four, Smith launched an ace before Miller contributed a block and blast on back-to-back rallies to extend the lead to 13-5.

Wasting little time, the Captains put a cap on the set with a strong performance at the end of the frame. Conway lined an ace and kill before Rock added two more blasts. Leading 22-13, CNU grabbed control of the momentum and rolled to a 25-16 victory following another kill by Smith and two tracers by Miller.

One set away from the victory, Christopher Newport found itself in a hotly-contested battle in the fourth. Kolden and Sutton added two early kills and Abby McIntyre pumped an ace, but the Captains found themselves deadlocked at 11. Refusing to let Berry take control, CNU took advantage of several Viking errors before Kolden smacked an ace to give the hosts a 17-13 lead heading into a Berry timeout.

Unfortunately for the home team, the stoppage paid dividends for BC. The visitors won seven of the next 10 rallies to even the set at 20. Later, despite a pair of Rock blocks, the Vikings earned set point at 24-23.

After the teams traded errors, Miller came through with the play of the day. In just her second career appearance, the freshman brought the fans to their feet and set the place ablaze with an incredible solo block to even the score at 25. With the momentum and a lively crowd, Conway put the match away with back-to-back kills, including a perfectly placed shot to seal the victory with a 28-26 win.

Conway finished with a double-double after notching 31 assists and 13 digs to go along with four kills. Smith led the way offensively with 14 kills and a .281 hitting percentage, while Kolden added 12 blasts and Sutton chipped in with 10.

On the defensive end, Rock had five blocks, while Kolden and Miller each had four. McIntyre, Smith, Rachel Close, and Brooke Moore joined Conway with double-digit dig efforts as well.

Prior to the thrilling nightcap, the Captains opened the year with a three-set victory over Lynchburg. Despite featuring a large number of first-year competitors, Christopher Newport got off to a strong start. During an early run that helped the Captains vault out to a 9-5 edge, Crooks blistered an ace on her very first serve, while Smith rocketed back-to-back kills. Although Lynchburg was able to claw back and knot the set at 11, CNU rolled from there. Rock and Sutton ripped two straight kills leading to a Hornet timeout. Later, Sutton caught fire again with three blasts during the waning moments of the set, while Rock launched an ace and kill to lift the squad to a comfortable 25-18 victory.

The beginning of the second stanza was marked by a pair of runs leading to a 5-5 draw. Despite trailing momentarily after that point, the Captains ripped off five straight winners, including a kill and two assists by Crooks, on the way to a 10-7 advantage. Following a Hornet timeout, the visitors regrouped for a brief moment before Christopher Newport sealed the win with a commanding run. Kolden and Sutton drilled two kills apiece before Crooks joined the fun with a pair of her own on the way to set point. Showing a well-rounded skill set, the freshman setter dished to Chastity Lacy, who unleashed the final blow to cap off the 25-18 win.

With two sets in hand, the Captains looked to end the match quickly. Once again, the squad pulled away behind a strong effort by the freshman class. Smith added a block and kill, Sutton and Miller chipped in with a rocket apiece, and Crooks lined an ace on the way to an 8-3 edge.

Although Lynchburg used a solid mid-set run to pull within one, Christopher Newport never lost its lead. Smith and Miller teamed up on a block and added one kill apiece to gain some breathing room. Later, Miller added another rocket before a smash by Rock helped give the team set point. Looking for the team's third straight 25-18 victory, Crooks capped off the match with one last ace to seal the sweep.

In her collegiate debut, Crooks posted 31 assists and four aces, while Sutton blasted the opposition with a team-high 13 kills while hitting at a .500 clip. Rock and Smith each chipped in with two blocks apiece on the defensive end, while Moore scooped up 13 digs.

Christopher Newport will return to the court tomorrow for the final day of the Captains Classic. CNU will open at noon against SUNY New Paltz before taking on Edgewood at 4:30 p.m.

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