Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Capping off a marathon evening with an unbelievable come-from-behind thriller, the 12th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team opened up the Juniata / ASICS Invitational with a pair of victories on Friday as the Captains swept SUNY Cortland, 3-0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-16), before posting an epic five-set victory over No. 6 Juniata, 3-2 (23-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-15, 15-12) at JC's Memorial Gymnasium.

Following a quick sweep in the opener against Cortland, CNU showed incredible heart and a never-say-die attitude as the squad overcame a two-set deficit to stun the sixth-ranked Eagles. That effort marked the first time the Captains have won a match after dropping the first two frames since the NCAA switched to 25-point sets. The last time Christopher Newport ever came back from a 2-0 hole was nearly 10 years ago as the program previously accomplished the feat against Averett on September 25, 2004.

Overall on Friday, Briana Sutton led CNU with 26 kills while hitting at a .480 clip. Maddie McCann also unloaded 23 kills, while Hannah Miller contributed 16 and nine blocks. Rachel Conway also stuffed the stat sheet as she dished out 79 assists, tallied nine rejections, and added 10 digs.

Anchoring the back row, Brooke Moore had an outstanding effort as well. The senior libero notched 25 digs, including 19 against Juniata. She was also lethal from the serving line, unleashing seven aces during the two matches.

With the two victories, the Captains improve to 13-1 on the season. SUNY Cortland is now 6-8, while Juniata is 10-2.

In the nightcap against the host Eagles, CNU held leads in the first two sets but could not hang on as Juniata continued to fight back. Eventually, the Captains found themselves staring at a 2-0 hole entering the third frame. Incredibly, the squad simply brushed aside its early struggles and began piecing together a comeback for the ages.

In the third stanza, Miller got off to a fast start and set the tone quickly with three early kills. Later, Sutton smoked a pair before Abby McIntyre lined an ace on the way to a modest 12-11 lead. Although the Eagles eventually battled back and grabbed their own one-point edge, CNU never relented. Displaying an unshakeable resolve, Sutton pounded three more kills before Conway contributed an ace and solo block en route to a 20-15 lead.

Following a Juniata timeout, the Captains put the set away. McIntyre punched another ace before Eliza Fisher earned set-point after drilling a shot off the block, which secured a 24-17 lead. Although Juniata hung around for two more rallies, a service error eventually gave CNU a 25-19 triumph.

With a little momentum, Christopher Newport looked unstoppable in the fourth. McCann jumpstarted the attack with three bullets before Moore chimed in with an ace and kill on the way to an 11-6 edge. Later, during a huge mid-set streak, Fisher clubbed a kill and ace before Conway dropped in a floater and added a crushing solo block to nab a 20-11 advantage.

With a fifth set fast approaching, Sutton collected two more kills before Fisher closed out the frame. The freshman southpaw fired a cross-court screamer late in the set before overpowering a block attempt to earn set-point at 24-12. Once again, Juniata staved off the inevitable for a short time before an Eagle miscue sealed the 25-15 victory.

Back on even ground, Christopher Newport continued its resurgence in the do-or-die fifth frame. Fisher, Miller, and Sutton all pumped kills, while McCann smacked an ace to grab a 5-3 lead. Unfortunately, the hosts showed some resilience and regrouped as JC stole six of the next seven rallies to secure a 9-6 advantage heading into CNU's second timeout of the stanza.  

Of course, after overcoming a two-set deficit in the match, it only seemed fitting that the visitors had to dig out of another hole in the fifth to cap off the comeback. Sutton got things rolling with a rocket before Fisher and Ashley Rock teamed up on a block, which wrapped up a four-point roll and gave CNU a 10-9 lead. Although Juniata was able to knot the frame again, Christopher Newport kept up its defensive intensity as Miller stoned a pair of attack attempts to nail down a 13-10 lead.

Two points away from a victory, Miller showed off her offensive chops as the second-year standout blistered a kill off the block to earn set-point. After showing off the team's firepower, CNU put its savvy on display to seal the win. Following a solid reception by Rachel Close, Conway scooped up the feed and laid in a teardrop that caught the defense off-guard and nailed down the 25-12 win.

Against Juniata, Sutton and McCann both had 13 kills and hit above .300, while Conway served up 45 assists and added six blocks. Miller also chipped in with five rejections and nine kills. On the back row, Moore stabilized the defense with 19 digs in addition to a pair of aces.

Although the final match ended well for the Captains, it started a bit shaky. Miller got the team off to a great start with a kill and two blocks on the way to a 9-5 lead in the first set. Unfortunately, Juniata responded and grabbed a 20-16 advantage. Still battling, Miller shot back with another kill and block in the waning moments of the stanza, but the hosts were able to hang on for a 25-23 win.

In the second, Christopher Newport got off to another strong start as McCann chucked five kills, Fisher laced a pair, and Conway contributed a solo block on the way to a 17-14 lead. Once again, Juniata retaliated as the hosts fired back with a late surge. Although Rock came through with a block and blast, the Eagles won 11 of the final 16 rallies to win the second, 25-22.

Despite the two-set deficit, the Captains remained unfazed. The squad simply used the early setbacks as building blocks for its epic comeback as Christopher Newport won the final three frames to stun Juniata.

Prior to CNU's historic effort in the nightcap, the team opened the tournament against SUNY Cortland earlier in the evening. During the opener, the two teams found themselves deadlocked at five early in the first set before Sutton went on a spectacular run. Looking to give the Captains a little breathing room, she blasted the Red Dragons with a bevy of blows, firing six kills during a nine-rally stretch. Later, the sophomore standout came back for more as she unloaded three more darts during a rapid-fire assault, which pushed CNU's lead to 20-14.

With a comfortable advantage, Fisher and McCann both roped a pair of kills to earn set-point. From there, the defense did the rest as Miller and Conway teamed up to slam the door on a Cortland attack attempt, which sealed the 25-17 triumph.

In the second set, Christopher Newport jumped all over the Red Dragons with an incredible effort in the middle of the frame. Conway continued her defensive efforts after teaming with Miller and Rock on a pair of blocks, while Moore simply dominated at the serving line. The senior libero peppered the opposition with a slew of well-placed serves, including four aces during a seven-rally run, which pushed CNU's lead to double-digits at 15-5.

After that point, the Captains never let Cortland back in the set. Krista Hughes contributed a stunning solo block before McCann fired a kill on the way to set-point. Looking to close it out quickly, Miller hammered home a pass from Conway to ice the 25-9 win.

With a pair of impressive victories in the books, Christopher Newport had a tougher fight early in the third. Although McCann came out strong with four quick kills and an ace, the Captains held a modest one-point lead at 8-7. Fittingly, two of the stars from the first two sets teamed up for another impressive run. Sutton hit Cortland with three straight kills before Moore unleashed her fifth ace of the match on the way to a 13-7 edge.

Although the Red Dragons responded and made a minor push in the middle of the set, their efforts were too little, too late. McCann and McIntyre both punched aces during the waning moments of the contest, while Miller capped off the game with three final bullets, including the kill shot, which wrapped up the third, 25-16.

During the bout, Sutton led the Captains with 13 kills and hit a scorching .765, which stands as the third-highest single-match hitting percentage in CNU history. McCann also registered 10 kills, while Conway was crisp with her passes and finished with 34 assists, including 18 in the first set. Moore also added six digs to go along with her five aces.

Christopher Newport will be back in action tomorrow when the squad caps off the Juniata Invitational with a 3 p.m. match-up against Franklin & Marshall.

---CNU---