NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Hannah Miller and Rachel Conway both posted double-doubles to help lift the 13th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team to a thrilling victory over Randolph-Macon as the Captains took down the Yellow Jackets, 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 28-26, 25-11), on Friday evening at the Freeman Center.

During the game, Miller became the first Captain since Caitlyn Jansen in 2010 to record 10 kills and 10 blocks in the same match. Conway, who had her ROTC Swearing-In Ceremony on the court prior to the contest, was equally impressive during the match. The junior setter dished out 39 assists and added 13 digs against the Yellow Jackets.

Maddie McCann helped pace the offense as well with a team-high 12 kills. Ashley Rock also pumped five aces, while Brooke Moore slung four. The senior libero also pocketed 18 digs to help limit the Yellow Jackets to a .038 hitting percentage.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 25-3 on the season and 11-1 on its home court. The setback drops Randolph-Macon to 17-8 on the year.

The Captains got off to a tremendous start in the match as the hosts snatched the first six rallies behind an impressive display by Rock. During the early surge, she painted the back corner with two straight aces and kept the Yellow Jackets off-balance throughout the run. Unfortunately, the visitors regrouped in a timeout and quickly evened the score at six.

From there, the two teams traded blows. McCann fired two darts and Briana Sutton landed a pair of shots as well to keep the frame knotted at 14. In a fight for momentum, the Captains eventually came out on top. McCann, Miller, and Jessie Kolden roped three straight kills before Rock smacked her third ace of the frame to grab an 18-14 advantage.

Following another RMC timeout, the Yellow Jackets were able to battle back and retie the set at 21, but CNU had a little more left in the tank. After three Macon miscues gave the hosts set-point, Eliza Fisher added the final nail. Although her first attempt was just barely saved by the visitors, her next one was untouchable. Following a feed by Conway, the freshman southpaw unloaded a titanic blast that tucked just inside the back line to seal the 25-22 victory.

Trailing by a set, Randolph-Macon answered in the second. Although Fisher and Miller teamed up on a pair of blocks, RMC used a five-point run to secure an 8-3 lead. Looking for an answer, the Captains got one with Rock's right arm. Once again, she took over at the service line and peppered a pair of aces, while McCann and Miller each contributed a block and blast to give the Captains a 14-13 edge.

Continuing the seesaw affair, the Yellow Jackets went on another run and took a three-point lead before Miller and Sutton pumped kills and Moore ripped an ace to tie the score at 19. Unfortunately, RMC took over from there. Stealing six of the final seven rallies, the visitors evened the match with a 25-20 triumph in the second.

With the momentum, Randolph-Macon pulled away in the third, notching a 12-7 lead despite two blocks by Miller. Needing to halt the skid, CNU called a timeout, and the stoppage paid immediate dividends. Once again, Rock's serving was crucial as she dropped in a string of well-placed serves to put the Yellow Jackets on their heels. Miller did the rest with a pair of back-breaking kills to pull the hosts within one at 13-12.

Although RMC was able to continue to hold the lead for a little longer, Christopher Newport shot back. Fisher led the resurgence with two kills and a block, while Miller added a solo stop of her own to earn a 24-22 lead. Despite a modest run by the Yellow Jackets, which actually gave the squad a late 26-25 edge, the Captains never slipped up. With Macon looking for a big blast, Conway tipped in a rainbow to even the score. After that, Miller took care of the rest as she teamed up with McCann on a huge rejection before driving home the kill shot to seal a 28-26 triumph.

Following a big comeback in the third, the Captains benefited from some hustle to grab an early lead in the fourth. On the very first rally, Abby McIntyre made a solid play on the near sideline to prevent an ace. However, her reception shot back towards the end line. With incredible instincts, Kolden tracked it down and kept it alive before Fisher made a magnificent play. Benefiting from some heads-up hustle and a little bit of luck, the freshman simply shot the ball over her head with her back to the net. Hoping to just keep the rally alive, the free ball did even more as it found a perfect opening in the middle of the RMC defense to give CNU the lead.

After showing off her finesse game, Fisher put her canon on display with an absolute bullet during a three-point run, which gave the Captains a 9-6 edge. Although the Yellow Jackets were able to pull back within one, the visitors could never completely overcome their deficit. Fisher continued to dominate with two kills, a block, and an ace. Later, following a kill and block by Miller, Christopher Newport put the match on ice behind a sensational seven-point surge.

McCann opened up the final push by blistering the RMC block with three straight kills. Moore also crushed it from the line with two aces to cap off the match with a 25-11 victory in the fourth.

Overall, CNU finished the contest with 11 total blocks. In addition to Miller's 10 rejections, Fisher assisted on six. Kolden also helped out on the defensive end with nine digs, while McIntyre had eight. Moore also converted 20 of her 21 reception attempts to help stabilize the serve-receive unit.

Christopher Newport will return to action tomorrow for a tri-match with Marymount and Bethany. The Captains will open up with a 1 p.m. showdown against the Saints before battling the Bison at 5 p.m. Senior Day ceremonies will take place before the opening contest against Marymount.

---CNU---