Box Score

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Following a pair of victories on Friday, the 12th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team wrapped up the weekend with a perfect record as the Captains claimed the Juniata / ASICS Invitational Championship after CNU capped off the tournament by upending Franklin & Marshall, 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-20) on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Gymnasium.

During the contest, Christopher Newport simply dominated from the service line as the Captains tied a season-high with 12 aces, including four by Ashley Rock. Rachel Conway and Abby McIntyre also unloaded three apiece, while Eliza Fisher punched two winners to round out the lethal attack.

In addition to their work as servers, Fisher and Rock clubbed eight kills apiece, while Maddie McCann led the team with 13. Conway also contributed 34 assists to round out a sensational tournament for the junior setter. Overall, she averaged 10.2 assists-per-set during CNU's three victories in Huntingdon. Aided by that effort, Conway became just the seventh Captain in program history to reach 1,500 career assists after eclipsing that benchmark on Friday evening.

For her efforts, Conway was named the MVP of the ASICS Invitational. McCann and Briana Sutton also earned All-Tournament honors. McCann posted a team-high 36 kills to go along with a .338 hitting percentage during CNU's three victories. Sutton added 32 kills while hitting at a .412 clip over the weekend.

With the squad's 3-0 performance in Huntingdon, Christopher Newport improves to 14-1 on the season. The setback drops Franklin & Marshall to 9-6.

After a thrilling five-set victory over No. 6 Juniata to cap off Friday's action, the Captains carried that momentum into Saturday as they jumped on the Diplomats quickly in the first. During the early onslaught, Rock and Fisher both slung two aces, while McCann drilled Franklin & Marshall with four quick kills on the way to a double-digit lead at 15-4.

Continuing to overpower the opposition, Rock unloaded a pair of kills, while Fisher and Hannah Miller each laced one during a mid-set surge. Following an ace by McIntyre, which pushed CNU's lead to 22-8, Fisher, McCann, and Conway tacked on late kills to cap off the frame, 25-12.

Trailing by a set, the Diplomats came out strong in the second. Although Rock unleashed another ace and McCann pounded three more kills, the Captains found themselves staring squarely at a 13-10 deficit. Later, after the squad whittled F&M's lead down to two, Christopher Newport went on a tremendous run. Guided by Conway, who fired three straight aces and teamed with Rock on a block, CNU rattled off seven straight winners to snatch a 21-16 lead.

Although Franklin & Marshall remained aggressive, the team could never regain its momentum. Following a three-point run by the Diplomats, Fisher put an end to their roll with a back-breaking blast. Later, Miller chimed in with a kill of her own to secure set-point before F&M committed a service error, which locked up the 25-22 win for CNU.

Leading by two sets, the Captains left little to doubt in the third. McIntyre spun a pair of aces in the early going before McCann caught fire. The second-year star clubbed five kills and joined up with Miller on a block to snag a 12-7 lead. Although the Diplomats pieced together a minor response, Rock and Sutton kicked off a four-point run with back-to-back bullets to push CNU's advantage to six at 16-10.

Looking for their ninth sweep of the season, the Captains closed out the set in style. Despite another push by Franklin & Marshall, Rock registered two more kills before Sutton added the final punctuation mark. The sophomore smacked a kill to earn match-point before unloading another one just two rallies later to cap off the 25-20 triumph.

Sutton finished the match with six kills for the Captains, while Miller had four to go along with two blocks. Brooke Moore led the way on the back row with nine digs, and McIntyre contributed seven in addition to her three aces. Overall, CNU finished the match with a .330 hitting percentage and limited Franklin & Marshall to a .090 mark.

Christopher Newport will be back in action on Tuesday when the Captains continue their road swing with a 7 p.m. showdown at Virginia Wesleyan.

---CNU---