NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Krista Hughes matched her career-high with 12 kills and the Captains slugged 19 aces as the 13th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team stormed past Penn State Harrisburg, 3-0 (25-10, 25-10, 25-13), during a Capital Athletic Conference battle on Saturday afternoon at the Freeman Center.

During the contest, Hughes pumped 12 kills to go along with a sizzling .579 hitting percentage. Abby McIntyre also pounded nine blasts without a single attack error, while Katelyn Newsome and Jessie Kolden contributed seven kills apiece. Handling the setter duties, Brooke Sanders dished out a career-high 23 assists, while Tylar McGill contributed 12.

Two days after hitting Wesley with 18 aces, CNU one-upped that performance with 19 against Penn State Harrisburg. That total equals the most by the program since the Captains dropped 20 against Shenandoah on October 24, 2007. Rachel Close led the way at the line as the sophomore stung six aces, which stands as the most winners by a Captain since 2010. Nicole Nee also dropped in four aces, while Newsome had three.

On the defensive end, CNU limited the Lions to a -.018 hitting percentage. Nee anchored the front-line efforts with three blocks, while Kolden added two. Evelyn Harper led the way on the back row as the second-year standout kept the floor clean with a match-high 11 digs. McIntyre and Kolden contributed six apiece as well.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 23-3 on the season, including 5-0 in CAC action. The setback drops Penn State Harrisburg to 1-20 overall and 0-5 in league tilts.

In the first frame, Nee set the tone with a tremendous run. The freshman opened with a kill before drilling three aces during a six-point stretch. Kolden also added three quick blasts and Newsome laced an ace to push the lead to 10-4. Later, McIntyre and McGill both lined aces of their own and Nee cashed in with a block and blast on back-to-back rallies to extend the advantage to eight at 15-7.

Looking for a quick resolution, Kolden and Nee both crushed a pair of kills before the hosts used a five-point run to cap off the frame. During the late streak, the squad showed off some heads-up defense in addition to its offensive prowess. On one rally, Kolden chased down a ball with a tremendous effort near the end line before Close added a diving dig in the middle of the court to keep the play alive. McIntyre eventually finished off that rally with a bullet before chipping in with another kill to help ice the 25-10 victory.

In the second, Hughes and Kolden combined for four quick kills and Newsome tattooed a pair of aces to snatch a 6-1 lead. Searching for even more breathing room, Close put on a clinic at the serving line. During a 14-point run in the middle of the set, the sophomore fired six aces, which amounted to more winners than any Captain has had in an entire match in four years. With Close keeping the defense on its heels, McIntyre demolished three kills while Sanders showed off a well-balanced skill set with a block, kill, and five assists to grab a 21-3 lead.

With the victory all but sealed, Sanders dumped in another kill and McGill ripped an ace before Nee and Newsome finished off the Lions with a pair of rockets to clinch the 25-10 triumph.

The third set belonged to Hughes as the senior led the Captains to another insurmountable lead. She unloaded five kills during the opening moments of the frame to help earn a 9-3 advantage. Later, Harper and McIntyre dropped in aces, while Kolden and Nee teamed up on a rejection along the far pin to push CNU's advantage to nine at 15-6.

Still in a groove, Hughes blistered two more kills, while Newsome landed a pair to continue the onslaught. With a double-digit lead, Christopher Newport quickly put an end to the action. Following a pair of late miscues by the Lions, Nee wrapped up the match with one final kill off an overpass to cap off the 25-13 win.

Nee finished the match with six kills in addition to her four aces and three blocks. Overall, CNU posted a .432 hitting percentage after walloping 44 kills against only nine errors. The squad also did excellent work on serve-receive, including perfect 8-for-8 efforts by McIntyre, Harper, and Close.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when St. Mary's visits the Freeman Center for a 7 p.m. clash.

---CNU---