COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The ninth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team wrapped up the Pikes Peak Challenge with another split on Saturday afternoon as the Captains toppled Wisconsin-Superior, 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 25-23, 23-25, 15-5) after stumbling against No. 22 Nebraska Wesleyan, 3-0 (25-22, 25-10, 25-19) at Reid Arena.

During the two matches, Briana Sutton led the Captains with 22 kills, while Maddie McCann contributed 19. Rachel Conway also capped off the tournament with 70 assists and six blocks on Saturday. Aided by that performance, she earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.

On the defensive end, Hannah Miller led the way with 11 blocks, including 10 rejections during the nightcap against Wisconsin-Superior. Ashley Rock also had six blocks, including two solo stops, while Brooke Moore led the back line with 15 digs.

With the split, Christopher Newport now stands at 19-3 on the season. Nebraska Wesleyan, who finished undefeated in the tournament, stands at 15-3, while Wisconsin-Superior is 7-16.

The final match of the invitational proved to be an edge-of-your-seat thriller. After Wisconsin-Superior evened the contest with a victory in the fourth set, the two teams headed towards a fateful fifth frame. The Yellowjackets were able to secure an early 3-1 advantage before the Captains found their groove. Miller and Eliza Fisher hit the opposition with two straight bullets before Rock smacked an ace to highlight a quick five-point surge that gave CNU a 6-3 lead heading into a timeout.

The stoppage did absolutely nothing to stymie the squad as Miller and Fisher joined forces on a block before McCann put on an incredible display. First, she sent back an overpass with a well-placed kill for an 8-3 advantage. After showing off her precision, she opted to flash some power. The sophomore smoked the Yellowjackets with two darts and teamed with Miller on a block to help grab a 13-4 advantage.

Although Wisconsin-Superior added one final kill, CNU put the contest on ice with two straight winners. Fittingly, McCann unloaded one to earn match-point before a Yellowjacket miscue capped off the 15-5 victory.

During the battle, McCann led the Captains with 16 kills. Sutton also pounded 15, while Fisher rounded out the big hitters with 14. Miller was masterful as well, collecting 10 blocks in addition to nine kills. Conway also contributed 49 assists, seven digs, five blocks, and four kills.

Although the match ended well for Christopher Newport, the beginning was a bit shaky. In the first set, the Yellowjackets stung the Captains early and pulled out to an 8-5 edge. Unfazed, Sutton rocketed a kill and two aces before Fisher uncorked back-to-back kills to give CNU a slim 10-9 advantage. Later, Moore spun a pair of aces and Conway dropped in two kills, but Wisconsin-Superior kept fighting on the way to a 19-19 draw.

With a battle on their hands, the Captains could not finish off the opposition. Wisconsin-Superior eventually pieced together a late run and picked up six of the final seven points to steal the first, 25-20.

Following their opening set victory, the Yellowjackets continued their run in the second and jumped out to a modest 5-4 edge. After that point, the two squads engaged in a seesaw affair. CNU fought back and took the lead at 10-7, highlighted by a pair of rockets by Fisher. Later, Wisconsin-Superior responded and won five straight to retake a 12-10 edge heading into a Christopher Newport timeout.

The stoppage quickly paid dividends for the Captains. McCann came through with two kills and a block, Fisher snapped off a pair of aces, and Sutton clocked two blasts on the way to a 19-17 lead. After a Yellowjacket timeout, the two teams continued to trade blows. Sutton and Fisher landed shots for the Captains before Fisher and Miller joined forces on a block to take a 22-21 edge. Looking to close out the game, CNU strung together three straight winners, highlighted by a huge block from Miller and Conway, to win the second, 25-22.

The third stanza played much like the first as the two squads looked evenly matched. Christopher Newport earned an early lead before UWS used an impressive mid-set surge to secure an 11-9 edge. Battling back, the Captains turned to Fisher, who pieced together an incredible streak. The freshman southpaw unloaded four kills and crushed an ace to nail down an 18-14 edge. Later, Sutton blistered two more ropes and Rock contributed a block to stretch the lead to six at 22-16.

Although Wisconsin-Superior was able to orchestrate another late push, CNU held on. Sutton continued her hot streak with two more kills to lock up set-point at 24-21. Although the opposition held off the inevitable for two rallies, Rock and Fisher teamed up on a back-breaking block to wrap up the frame, 25-23.

Trailing for the first time in the match, UWS shot back in the fourth. The Yellowjackets rolled out to a 9-6 advantage despite early aces by Conway and Fisher. Hoping to avoid a fifth set, Rachel Close smacked an ace of her own, while McCann and Miller chimed in with kills during a four-point roll that gave the Captains a slim 10-9 lead. Unfortunately, the tide quickly turned against CNU.

Wisconsin-Superior ran away in the middle of the set with a tremendous push as the squad earned a 23-15 advantage. Reeling, the Captains showed unbelievable resolve and quickly shot back. Miller led the resurgence as the second-year star notched two kills and a pair of blocks. Close also smacked her second ace of the set, which helped CNU inch back within one at 24-23. Sadly, following a Superior timeout, the Yellowjackets forced a fifth set with a 25-23 triumph.

Fortunately, the Captains had enough left in the tank to close out the victory with a remarkable effort in the final frame. Christopher Newport was aided by a sensational performance at the service line as the squad crushed 13 aces, including four by Fisher. Sutton, Moore, Rock, and Close all added a pair as well.

Earlier in the day, Christopher Newport struggled to find any sort of consistency in a three-set loss to No. 22 Nebraska Wesleyan. Right from the start, the Prairie Wolves pulled away quickly. In the first set, McCann and Sutton each dropped in a pair of early kills, but the Captains found themselves trailing, 13-8, entering a timeout. Following the stoppage, CNU was able to pull even at 16-16 behind two darts by Miller and a block and blast by Rock.

Unfortunately, Christopher Newport could never completely overcome its deficit. Nebraska Wesleyan continued to inch away. Although Rock added two more kills, including one that pulled CNU back within two at 24-22, the Wolves capped off the frame on the very next rally to seal the 25-22 victory.

After a hard-fought setback in the first frame, the Captains could not find their footing in the second. Nebraska Wesleyan stormed out to an 11-1 lead. Although Abby McIntyre slowed the opposition down with a kill and Miller and Sutton teamed up on a block, the Prairie Wolves never relented. With an impressive push beginning in the middle of the set, the squad overcame two late darts by Sutton to ease into a 25-10 victory.

In the third, Nebraska Wesleyan looked to put the Captains away quickly once again after snatching a 6-1 lead. Refusing to let another set get out-of-hand, CNU responded. McIntyre came through with three early kills, Miller and Sutton added back-to-back blasts, and Rock chipped in with a huge solo block to pull Christopher Newport back within three at 12-9. Unfortunately, the Wolves had a response and swiped six of the next eight rallies to earn an 18-11 lead.

With the momentum firmly planted on Wesleyan's side of the net, the Captains continued to poke at the Prairie Wolves but could not pull much closer. Miller, Sutton, McIntyre and Krista Hughes each fired rockets late in the match, but CNU could not string together a complete response. Eventually, Nebraska Wesleyan capped off the contest with a 25-19 triumph in the third.

During the match, Sutton and McIntyre both posted seven kills, while Miller had five. Close led the defense with seven digs. Rock also had three blocks, including a pair of solo stops, for the Captains.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the team welcomes Southern Virginia to the Freeman Center for a CAC battle at 7 p.m.

---CNU---