NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Playing in front of a packed arena, the ninth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team got the crowd jumping and held tough against top-ranked Calvin before dropping a hard-fought decision to the Knights, 3-1 (25-21, 25-15, 22-25, 25-16), during the quarterfinals of the National Championships on Friday evening at the Freeman Center.

Facing the No. 1 team in the nation, the Captains kept it close and won the third set before coming up just short in the end. All-American Hannah Miller pieced together a strong performance with 10 kills and three blocks, while Briana Sutton pumped nine kills and added four aces. Eliza Fisher also crushed eight kills without a single attack error, and Rachel Conway dished out 28 assists.

Holding tough against one of the top attacks in the country, Brooke Moore did commendable work on the back row with eight digs and also converted 24 of her 26 reception attempts. Abby McIntyre also was a perfect 23-for-23 on serve-receive.

With the setback, Christopher Newport wraps up the 2014 campaign with a 34-4 record after reaching the Elite Eight for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Calvin advances to the National Semifinals for a meeting with No. 2 Hope, which will take place tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

Playing in front of the largest crowd in CNU history, the Captains got each of the nearly 2,000 fans on their feet with a tremendous run at the start of the match. Out of the gate, Sutton found her rhythm with two quick kills, including an absolute bullet off a Knight overpass. Later, Miller and Ashley Rock also drove home darts to help grab a 7-3 edge in the first frame.

Although the visitors were able to battle back and take the lead with a five-point surge, Sutton had a run to remember. Toying with the Calvin defense, the howitzer-armed sophomore peppered the Knights with three straight aces to help retake an 11-8 lead. Later, Maddie McCann rolled a shot off the block before Miller added a kill of her own to sustain a one-point advantage at 14-13.

Despite another surge by the Knights, which gave the visitors an 18-14 edge, Christopher Newport never lost its confidence. Sutton came through with two more kills, including a laser off an overpass, which sent shockwaves through the arena. On the very next rally, Conway and Rock joined forces on a huge rejection before another Calvin miscue knotted the score at 19.

Unfortunately, the Captains could never completely take control again in the set. Still battling, McIntyre skied from the back row and hit a ball off the Knights that bounced deep into the stands before Sutton roped her fourth ace of the frame. Sadly, Calvin had enough cushion to overcome the late CNU run and seal the 25-21 victory.

Similar to the first set, Christopher Newport jumped out quickly in the second as Sutton hammered a pair of quick kills to give the hosts a modest lead. Despite the early stumble, Calvin regrouped and used a huge push to snatch a 12-5 advantage. McIntyre responded with two bullets, including a shot off the head of her blocker. Miller, Sutton, and Fisher also came through with kills to help CNU pull within six at 16-10.

Unfortunately, the tide began to turn again. Calvin ripped off three straight winners to secure a 19-10 lead. Refusing to let up, Fisher showed incredible heart and hustle as the freshman chased a tough bounce into the bench to keep a rally alive. Later, she regained her footing and laced a crushing, cross-court dart to end the rally and snap Calvin's streak. Miller also hit the Knights with two kills, while Conway free-styled with a gorgeous, reverse dump to stave off set-point. Despite the late push, the Knights eventually took the second, 25-15.

With the crowd still rocking and the pep band providing a nice background track, the Captains refused to go down quietly in the third. Miller and McIntyre got things going with back-to-back kills before Rock added a block and blast on the way to a 5-2 lead. Later, Fisher absolutely peppered the Calvin blockers with three kills, which forced the visitors to call a timeout staring at a 9-5 deficit.

Refusing to let the stoppage affect their momentum, the Captains turned to McCann, who drilled another kill, before Miller stood up with an unbelievable defensive effort. Building a wall along the net, the sophomore standout blew the roof off the building with a back-breaking solo block before teaming with McCann on another rejection heading into a Calving timeout with a 14-6 lead.

Although the visitors were able to cut into their deficit, the Captains kept them at bay. Moore slung an ace before Fisher blasted a rocket off the Knight libero, which led to another Calvin timeout. Up 21-18, the hosts dropped the next two rallies but quickly regrouped. Conway and Miller joined forces on another block to snatch set-point at 24-20. Three rallies later, Miller showed off a delicate touch and tipped the final nail over a pair of Calvin defenders to seal the 25-22 victory.

On the board, Christopher Newport carried the momentum over into the fourth. Conway started things with a setter dump before painting the end line with an ace on the way to a 4-1 advantage. Later, Fisher added two kills before McIntyre smacked an ace and Miller hit Calvin with another kill to keep a one-point lead at 11-10.

Unfortunately, things slowly began unraveling after that point. Although McIntyre laced a beautiful cross-court kill and Sutton sent a dart that ricocheted into the stands, the Knights pieced together a tough mid-set streak, which allowed the visitors to steal a 19-13 lead. Swimming upstream, the Captains simply could not quite overcome their deficit. Miller tattooed Calvin with one final kill, but the Knights eventually closed out the match with a 25-16 victory.

In addition to the Miller, Sutton, and Fisher, McIntyre contributed five kills for the Captains, while Rock had three to go along with a pair of blocks. Rachel Close also did solid work to help keep the floor clean by converting 12 of her 13 reception attempts.

Friday's match served as the finale for Christopher Newport's decorated senior class. Receiving a hero's farewell in front of a remarkable crowd, Moore, Jessie Kolden, and Krista Hughes capped off their careers with the Captains. Kolden contributed six digs against the Knights, while Hughes saw action in two sets along the front line. The match was the 16th NCAA Tournament game for Kolden and Moore in their careers, while Hughes helped lead the team to three straight conference titles and a pair of regional championships after joining the program in 2012.

---CNU---