Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LEXINGTON, Va. -- Behind a strong defensive effort, headlined by Chastity Lacy and Rachel Close, the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team swept a pair of matches on Saturday as the Captains upended Meredith, 3-0 (25-7, 25-9, 25-12) before taking down Washington & Lee, 3-1 (15-25, 27-25, 25-16, 25-21) at the Warner Center.

In Saturday's nightcap against the Generals, Lacy posted a career-high nine blocks to lead an impressive performance up front by the Captains, who finished with 15 stops as a team against Washington & Lee. Close anchored the back row with 21 digs while successfully converting 27 of her 29 reception attempts during Saturday's action. For their efforts, both Close and Lacy earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.

On the offensive side, Briana Sutton wrapped up Saturday with a team-high 22 kills during the two bouts. Abby McIntyre also crushed 21 to go along with 15 digs. Hannah Miller excelled in all facets of the game, unloading 16 kills in addition to her seven blocks.

With the two victories, Christopher Newport improves to 6-2 on the season. Meredith sits at 3-5, while Washington & Lee is 6-2.

In Saturday's opener, Christopher Newport looked like its old self as the squad matched up against former USA South rival Meredith. From the outset, CNU asserted itself with a quick start in the first set. Miller opened up the action with a block and blast on the first two rallies before Lacy and Chance Rye posted a pair of kills each on the way to a 13-5 advantage.

Following a Meredith timeout, the Captains never lost their rhythm. Miller pumped two more kills, while Close smacked an ace to give the squad an incredible 21-7 edge. Four points away from an opening set victory, Lacy and Sutton took care of business with two kills apiece to cap off an eight-point run that sealed a 25-7 win.

Riding a wave of momentum from the first stanza, Christopher Newport wasted little time securing another gigantic lead in the second. Sutton found her footing early with three quick shots before McIntyre caught fire behind three kills and a block on the way to a 15-4 edge and a Meredith timeout.

Just like the first set, the stoppage did little to hinder the Captains. Lacy stepped up with three darts, while Rachel Conway added a stunning solo block to grab a 23-8 lead. Putting her offensive chops on display as well, Conway came back with a kill to earn set point before dishing to Sutton, who capped off the frame with a tracer to seal a 25-9 win.

One set away from their third sweep of the season, the Captains stormed out of the gate again with an imposing run to start the final frame. Sutton opened the surge with two kills before Miller chimed in with back-to-back blasts. Later, McIntyre looked simply unstoppable. After a huge match in Friday's finale, the sophomore blistered the Avenging Angels with five kills during the span of seven rallies to give CNU a tremendous 14-6 lead.

After Meredith won the next two rallies, Christopher Newport eased into the victory. Lacy kicked off the final push with a kill before McIntyre lined an ace. Later, Conway chipped in with a kill and two blocks before Sutton added her final statement with three more daggers. After the freshman's final kill gave the squad match point, Krista Hughes finished off the contest with a laser to seal the 25-12 win.

Sutton had the finest match of her young career with 14 kills and a .500 hitting percentage against the Avenging Angels. McIntyre also had double-digit kills for the second straight contest after finishing with 10 blasts on just 19 swings. Conway paced the attack with 23 assists to go along with four blocks, while Close contributed a team-high 12 digs in addition to a perfect 6-for-6 performance on serve-receive.

With little break between matches, the Captains stumbled out of the gate in the nightcap against Washington & Lee. Right from the start, the Generals looked to be on top of their game. The hosts bolted out a 14-5 lead despite a pair of early kills by Miller. After that, Rye chipped in with a block and blast before Conway added two kills, but CNU could not cut into its deficit. Eventually, W&L used a late push to close out the opening frame, 25-15.

Stung by the setback, Christopher Newport stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the second, highlighted by a block and kill by Sutton. Following the early run, the visitors hit a rough patch in the middle of the set as the Generals retaliated and used an imposing surge to overcome its deficit on the way to a 13-8 edge.

Refusing to let Washington & Lee run away again, McIntyre landed a blow before Miller fired a shot and chipped in with a block to help the squad pull back within two. Later, Miller slammed the door on two more attack attempts during a four-point surge that gave CNU a modest 21-20 lead.

Although the Generals responded again and earned set-point at 25-24, Christopher Newport showed true grit at the end of the frame to stay alive. Lacy knotted the score at 25 with a bullet before Sutton unloaded a kill to give the Captains a 26-25 edge. Needing a victory, Lacy came through again with another rocket to even the match at one set apiece.

In the third, the two squads traded blows early before CNU exploded in the middle of the frame. Trailing 6-4, the Captains reeled off eight straight winners, including two blocks and a kill by Lacy, to secure a 12-6 advantage. Although the hosts broke that string with a pair of points following a timeout, Christopher Newport shot back with a five-point run on the way to a 17-8 lead.

With more than enough cushion, the visitors rolled to the win. McIntyre chimed in with two late kills before Close chucked back-to-back aces to earn set-point at 24-14. Although the Generals staved off the inevitable for two straight rallies, Sutton ripped a kill to cap off the 25-16 victory.

Looking to finish Washington & Lee off in the fourth, Christopher Newport rolled out to a 6-2 edge, headlined by two kills and a block by Lacy. After sustaining its lead all the way to 12-9, CNU lost its rhythm in the middle of the frame as the Generals orchestrated a mid-set surge to regain a 14-12 lead.

Unfazed, the Captains kept their composure and ripped off eight of the next nine winners, including an ace and two more rejections by Lacy. Leading 20-15, CNU kept its opposition at bay for the remainder of the match. Although Washington & Lee landed a few late blows, McIntyre and Conway came through with two kills each to button up the contest with a 25-21 win in the final frame.

Against the Generals, McIntyre posted a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs, while Paxton Crooks did the same with 15 assists and 12 digs. Miller was equally well-rounded after clocking 10 kills to go along with six blocks. Close chipped in with nine digs and a pair of aces as well.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Friday when the Captains open up the Emory Classic with a doubleheader against Cal Lutheran and the host Eagles.

---CNU---