NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Behind a well-balanced attack and a gritty defensive effort, the ninth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team advanced to the Regional Finals after toppling Stevenson, 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 25-19), during the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday evening at the Freeman Center.

Receiving big contributions from up and down the roster, CNU had three players register double-digit kill efforts and four notch at least 10 digs. Briana Sutton led the way on the offensive end with 14 kills and just missed a double-double after adding nine digs. Hannah Miller also pumped 12 kills, while Eliza Fisher contributed 10 to go along with a .381 hitting percentage. Rachel Conway dished out 40 assists to help balance out the attack.

On the back row, Brooke Moore cleaned up with 18 digs, while Rachel Close snagged 14. Jessie Kolden and Abby McIntyre added 12 apiece as well. McIntyre was also flawless on serve-receive, converting all 16 of her attempts.

With the victory, the Captains improve to 33-3 on the season and advance to the Regional Finals, which will be held tomorrow at 4 p.m. In the title bout, CNU will take on No. 13 Eastern, who advanced with a 3-0 triumph over Haverford.

In a sign of things to come, the match opened as a back-and-forth battle in the first set. Although Fisher unloaded three kills and Conway dropped in a pair, the Captains found themselves deadlocked at 12. Later, Maddie McCann stepped up with a nice run as she teamed with Krista Hughes on a rejection and ripped a kill off the very top of a Stevenson block attempt to nab an 18-16 advantage. Unfortunately, the Mustangs answered and tied things up again two rallies later.

Still in a groove, McCann showed off a soft touch on a perfectly-placed tip that broke the deadlock before the Captains pieced together a nice roll. Miller dropped in an ace to highlight a four-point run before Kolden out-smarted the Mustangs with another tip to grab set-point at 24-20. Although the visitors were able to whittle their deficit back down to two, Fisher put an end to the comeback with a dart off a feed from Conway to seal the 25-22 victory.

Staring at a one-set deficit, Stevenson got off to a great start in the second stanza. Despite an ace by Ashley Rock and a block and blast by Miller, the Mustangs rolled out to an imposing 14-7 advantage before CNU called for a timeout. The stoppage seemed to help as Sutton stole the show in the middle of the set. The sophomore standout displayed a well-rounded arsenal as she pummeled three kills and snapped off an ace, which pulled the Captains back within four. Later, Rock teamed with McCann on a block before punching another ace to highlight a four-point streak, which helped the hosts pull within one at 16-15.

Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort, CNU could never completely overcome its deficit. McIntyre contributed a pair of late kills and Moore smoked an ace, but Stevenson was able to hang on for a 25-22 triumph.

Back on even ground, the two teams engaged in a seesaw affair early in the third. McIntyre made a quick statement for the Captains as the junior tattooed a Mustang defender with a bullet that ricocheted all the way to the entrance of the Freeman Center. Later, she teamed with Rock on another rejection before Fisher rolled a dart off the block to keep the score tied at 11.

Looking to pull away, the Captains used hustle and heads-up defense to grab the lead with a game-changing six-point streak. After Fisher knotted things at 12 with a kill, Kolden made a spectacular diving dig before Conway chased a tough deflection into press row to save a rally that ended with a Stevenson miscue. Later, Close made a pair of acrobatic saves to keep the ball up before Miller hammered home one of two kills, which helped cap off the surge and gave CNU a 17-12 edge.

With the momentum on their side, the Captains received kills from McIntyre and Conway before Sutton added two on the way to a 23-18 lead. Following a minor resurgence by the Mustangs, Fisher drilled a rope that gave the squad set-point. Hoping to close things out quickly, Miller appeared to have the set won with a dart, but after Stevenson was able to save it, the second-year star simply went back to work and uncorked a huge blast that bounced off the defense and deep into the stands for a 25-19 win.

Back on top in the match, Christopher Newport fell behind early in the fourth before regrouping in a timeout. Following the stoppage, Rock made an incredible play to save a tough attack attempt with her head before Fisher unleashed a kill. Later, the freshman added another dart and McIntyre played pin-ball with the defense as she crushed a blast that bounced off a pair of defenders and sailed into the crowd.

Still digging out of an early hole, Close knotted the score at four with an ace before Miller and Sutton pumped back-to-back kills to help snare a 7-5 advantage. Shortly thereafter, Sutton continued to abuse the Stevenson defense. She pounded a shot that the Mustangs managed to keep alive, but the damage had been done. Although Stevenson kept the ball up and sent it back to CNU's side, the SU defense crashed down to defend another bullet. Noticing the alignment, Sutton simply took the pass from Conway and floated a roller to the back corner, which found nothing but open spaces to help nail down an 11-7 lead.

Although Stevenson eventually regrouped and pulled back within one, Christopher Newport never lost its advantage. McIntyre had a solid run with two kills and an ace, while Fisher went cross court with a rocket that painted the end line. Leading 22-15, the Captains ended the match in style. Fittingly, the squad turned back to Sutton, who drilled two straight kills, including one that ricocheted into the bleachers. Two rallies later, she put an end to the action with one final blow to cap off the 25-19 victory.

In addition to her solid play on the back row, McIntyre also contributed eight kills during the match. Rock and Moore also clocked two aces apiece, while Miller spun one and added a team-high four blocks.

---CNU---