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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Sophomore Briana Sutton earned MVP honors, while Hannah Miller and Brooke Moore also secured spots on the All-Tournament team after helping lead the 25th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team to a pair of sweeps on the final day of the Captains Classic as CNU took down Cabrini, 3-0 (25-14, 25-12, 25-12), and Bridgewater, 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-19) on Saturday afternoon at the Freeman Center.

Sutton was lights-out during the entire tournament, finishing with a team-high 50 kills while hitting at a .460 clip. Incredibly, she was even more impressive on Saturday. During the team's final two matches, the second-year standout hit .578 with 31 kills. Saving her best effort for last, Sutton unloaded 18 kills on just 25 swings during the three-set finale against Bridgewater.

Not to be outdone, Miller also was tremendous along the front line. She hit a tournament-best .486 during CNU's four matches while tallying 41 kills and nine blocks. Moore also was a key on the defensive end as the senior libero anchored the back row with 52 digs while recording a .945 reception percentage during the Captains Classic.

Following a pair of sweeps on Friday, Christopher Newport went right back to work on Saturday and took care of business. In a rematch of last year's NCAA First Round battle, CNU and Cabrini were evenly matched at the start before the Captains took off. After securing a slim one-point lead at 13-12, Sutton caught on fire. She roped five kills during the tail end of the set, while Conway chimed in with a kill and block to clinch the first frame, 25-14.

The second set was similar to the first as the Cavaliers hung around early before the Captains pulled away late. Ashley Rock got off to a great start, snapping off two kills and an ace on the way to a 12-8 lead. Later, Eliza Fisher came through with a kill and ace, while Miller followed up with two blocks and a blast to grab an imposing 22-9 lead. With the set in hand, Rock, Rachel Conway, and Katelyn Newsome capped off the stanza with kills to secure a 25-12 triumph.

One set away from a sweep, the Captains turned to Miller. At the start of the third frame, Cabrini simply had no answer for the middle hitter as she unloaded three quick kills right out of the gate. Following a bit of a back-and-forth affair in the middle of the set, CNU pulled away with an excellent five-point run, highlighted by a bullet by Newsome that she buried into the chest of a Cavalier defender.

Leading 21-10, the squad eased into the victory. Newsome found a nice rhythm with Brooke Sanders at the end of the match as the pair connected on two final kills to ice the sweep with a 25-12 win in the third.

During the contest, Miller finished with 12 kills on just 19 swings, while Sutton had 13 on 20. Conway helped balance the attack with 25 assists, and Moore did outstanding work on the back line with 21 digs. Abby McIntyre also slung a pair of aces against the Cavaliers.

After a mid-afternoon break, Christopher Newport came back for a battle with Bridgewater. The first set was won at the serving line as the Captains smacked five aces, including two apiece by Conway and Fisher. Sutton also had her way with the Eagles, drilling the opposition with seven kills, including two during a seven-point run in the middle of the frame. Later, as Bridgewater made a bit of a run at the end, the Captains closed out a 25-20 victory with a block by Miller and Maddie McCann.

In the second set, Sutton took control and never looked back. Blistering the Eagles with an incredible combination of screaming darts and well-placed tips, she pieced together a perfect frame, finishing with eight kills on eight swings. Rock also was electric in the second and peppered Bridgewater with back-to-back aces during an unstoppable 13-2 CNU run, which gave the hosts a 20-8 lead. Not surprisingly, Sutton capped off the set with four kills before Fisher added the final blow to lock up the 25-12 win.

One set away from finishing off their fourth straight sweep, CNU found itself in a tough battle early in the third. Although Moore slung two aces and Hughes launched two straight kills, the Captains led by only one at 13-12. With a slim lead, Conway and Newsome joined forces on a key rejection that kicked off the final push for the squad. After that block, Hughes fired four more rockets before McIntyre added a pair on the way to match-point at 24-17. Although the Eagles staved off the inevitable for two rallies, Newsome landed the fatal blow that ended the 25-19 victory.

In addition to Sutton's 18 kills, Miller had seven and Krista Hughes chipped in with six on just seven attempts. Conway was outstanding as well, dishing out 43 assists to go along with a pair of aces. Overall, the offense finished the match with a .424 hitting percentage after landing 48 kills against only nine errors.

Incredibly, the Captains finished the tournament with a .364 hitting percentage. Along with Sutton and Miller, who were nothing short of sensational, Rock had 13 kills and no errors during the four matches, while McCann had 25 blasts and Fisher added 13.

The defense was also solid throughout the tournament and limited the opposition to a .105 hitting percentage. CNU especially excelled on serve-receive, allowing just eight aces. Evelyn Harper and Rachel Close led the way as the two sophomores were a perfect 60-for-60 on reception attempts during the Captains Classic.

In addition to the three Captains on the All-Tournament team, six other players earned recognition for their efforts. Washington & Lee's Alex Kinzer and Anna Lausberg, Virginia Wesleyan's Marin Crowder and Alex Lamberg, Meredith's Karlie Long, and Southern Virginia's Kaitlyn Eaton all earned a spot on the All-Tournament team as well.

Christopher Newport will return to action next Friday for the start of the Mary Washington Invitational. The Captains will kick off the tournament against Eastern and Geneva on September 5 before battling Randolph-Macon and Lynchburg the following afternoon.

---CNU---