Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Behind another tremendous performance by Hannah Miller and an electrifying effort by Eliza Fisher, the 13th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team remained unbeaten and improved to 10-0 on the season after toppling William Peace, 3-0 (25-14, 25-12, 25-7) and Berry, 3-1 (21-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-19) on the first day of the CNU Invitational on Friday evening at the Freeman Center.

During the two matches, Miller showed why she is the reigning AVCA National Player of the Week after unloading a team-high 22 kills while hitting at a .538 clip. The sophomore committed just one attack error during the two matches and chipped in with seven blocks on the defensive end.

Along with Miller, Fisher pieced together an incredible performance during the two contests. The freshman blasted 21 kills, including a career-high 18 in the nightcap against Berry. Both effective and efficient, she posted her 21 kills on just 36 swings while hitting .500 on Friday.

In addition to the top offensive threats, Rachel Conway chipped in with 78 assists and 12 digs. Anchoring the defense, Brooke Moore contributed a team-high 25 digs, while Ashley Rock was a force to be reckoned with along the net with nine blocks.

Kicking off the day against William Peace, the Captains got off to a strong start as the squad jumped out to a 9-4 advantage behind two kills and a block by both Miller and Briana Sutton. Although the Pacers made a bit of a run, CNU had an emphatic response. Miller continued to dominate with another blast after teaming with Maddie McCann on a rejection. Later, Fisher slung an ace and McCann hammered home a dart to give the hosts a 19-13 edge.

With more than enough breathing room, Christopher Newport capped off the frame with a huge six-point run. Sutton got things started with three kills before Conway iced the set. First, the junior setter teamed with Rock on a block before dropping in a floater that caught the visitors off-guard and clinched the 25-14 win.

With one set in their pocket, the Captains jumped out quickly again in the second. Rock led the charge with three bullets during a five-rally stretch, while Conway stung the Pacers with an ace on the way to an 8-5 edge. Although the two squads traded blows in the middle of the frame, Christopher Newport grabbed an insurmountable lead after snatching seven points in an eight-rally run.

During that stretch, Conway dropped in a pair of floaters, while Miller unloaded two kills and added a block on the way to a 17-9 advantage. Following a Peace timeout, CNU closed out the set in style. Sutton rocketed back-to-back bullets to kick off the string before Conway and Brooke Moore each crushed aces. Later, Katelyn Newsome capped off the run with a pair of kills to seal the 25-12 victory.

In the third set, the two teams embarked on an early seesaw affair before the Captains broke loose again. The Pacers simply could not find an answer for Miller and Sutton in the middle of the frame as the two second-year stars peppered the Peace defense. The two combined for six kills and also teamed up on a gorgeous rejection on the far pin to nail down a 13-5 edge.

Although a Pacer kill momentarily broke the run, Christopher Newport never lost its footing. The hosts kept Peace off-balance with four blocks as Newsome and Rock each helped out on three rejections to stun the visiting attack. Later, Krista Hughes and McCann both fired kills, while Abby McIntyre did incredible work at the serving line. The junior smacked three aces, including back-to-back lasers, to clinch the 25-7 triumph.

Incredibly, the Captains hit .500 during the contest and committed just four attack errors. Miller led the way with 10 kills on 15 swings, while Sutton added 10 on 18. Rock also contributed five kills and five blocks, while Conway dished out 30 assists. The squad also converted 30 of its 31 reception attempts, including perfect 7-for-7 efforts by McCann and Evelyn Harper.

With barely any rest before their nightcap against Berry, the Captains looked a little slow out of the gate against the Vikings. McCann got the squad off to a decent start with a block and kill on the way to a 6-1 edge, but the visitors retaliated and eventually took the lead at 11-10. Although Miller and Fisher did their best to keep the game close after that point, combining for six kills during the waning moments of the set, Berry escaped with a 25-21 victory.

Staring at a one-set hole, Christopher Newport got off to another tough start in the second. Although Miller and Sutton each hit the Vikings with two early kills, the hosts found themselves trailing, 16-5, entering their second timeout of the set. Fortunately, the break paid immediate dividends as the squad regrouped and looked refreshed coming out of the stoppage. Fisher and Miller took control as Fisher punched two kills and an ace, while Miller unloaded two blasts and teamed with Conway on a block to pull the squad within one at 18-17.

With the tide turning, Conway dumped in a pair of kills to knot the score at 20. Shortly thereafter, Sutton and Rock joined up on a block before Fisher landed a huge blow. After the Vikings took back the lead at 22-21, the freshman southpaw responded. Taking a feed from Conway, Fisher uncorked an absolute rocket that ricocheted off a defender and spun into the fifth row of the bleachers to retie the set. Stunned by the turn of events, the Vikings committed three straight miscues at the tail end of the frame to give CNU a 26-24 win.

After grabbing the momentum, CNU stormed out to a huge lead in the third set. McCann and Miller established the tone early with two solo blocks, while Sutton and Fisher each contributed a pair of kills on the way to a 14-8 edge. Later, after Rock smacked an ace, Fisher nearly singlehandedly put the set away. The freshman punched a kill and followed that up with two aces on the way to a 20-11 advantage.

Although Berry made a bit of a run at the end, Fisher came back to add the punctuation mark to an incredible set. She unloaded another kill before McCann added one of her own to earn set point at 24-17. Wasting no time, Fisher wrapped it up. Off another feed from Conway, she abused the block with another dart to seal the third, 25-17.

One set away from capping off their come-from-behind victory, the Captains came out sharp in the fourth. McCann hit the Vikings with two daggers before Sutton began spraying the opposition with a slew of kills. The strong-armed sophomore unloaded one shot that ricocheted off the block and drilled the down ref in the chest. Two rallies later, she dropped in another bullet that smacked a Viking and went spinning halfway up the stands on the way to a 10-7 lead.

Despite a decent Berry surge, which pulled the visitors back within one, Fisher finished what she started with an unbelievable run at the end of the match. With the assistance of Conway, Fisher punched three straight kills before McIntyre added a back row blast that painted the end line and gave the hosts a 22-16 lead. Fittingly, after a Berry miscue, Fisher capped off the contest with two more kills to seal the 25-19 victory.

Fisher finished the match with 18 kills, three aces, and a .500 hitting percentage. Miller also had 12 kills and hit .458, while both McCann and Sutton chipped in with 11 blasts. Conway contributed a double-double with 46 assists and 10 digs, while Moore pocketed a match-high 16 digs.

Christopher Newport will return to action tomorrow for another doubleheader. The squad will open up at noon against Johns Hopkins before wrapping up the CNU Invitational with a 4 p.m. showdown with No. 7 Mount Union.

---CNU---