SALISBURY, Md. -- Ashley Rock tied a single-match program record with 12 blocks, while Hannah Miller equaled her career-high with 19 kills as the ninth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team survived a hard-fought five-set thriller as the Captains took down Salisbury, 3-2 (26-24, 23-25, 26-24, 23-25, 15-7) in their Capital Athletic Conference opener on Tuesday evening at SU's Maggs Physical Activities Center.

Rock was simply a wall along the net as the sophomore stifled the Salisbury attack with an unbelievable defensive effort. She registered 12 blocks, including four solo stops, to stun the Sea Gulls. Her performance equaled the single-match program blocks record established by Angie Cook against N.C. Wesleyan in 1984 and matched by Bailey Jensen against Emory in 2012.

Although Rock's historic effort paced the defense, CNU was strong across the board. The squad eventually finished with a season-high 19 blocks. Hannah Miller and Eliza Fisher assisted on six apiece, while Briana Sutton helped out on four rejections. Those efforts helped limit Salisbury to a .189 hitting percentage.

CNU's offensive attack was tremendous as well. Miller led the hitters with 19 kills while hitting .333. Maddie McCann also pumped 14 kills, and Fisher chimed in with 12. Rachel Conway, the two-time reigning CAC Player of the Week, contributed a career-high 55 assists to go along with seven digs, five kills, and three blocks.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 17-1 on the season. The setback drops Salisbury to 14-6 and snaps the Sea Gulls' 15-match home winning streak.

After Salisbury evened the contest at two sets apiece with a 25-23 triumph in the fourth, the two squads headed to the fateful fifth frame. Looking for a quick start, CNU capitalized on fast blasts by Fisher and McCann before the defense took over. Following a minor run by the Sea Gulls, Miller teamed up with Conway on a block before McCann contributed a solo stop to snatch a 5-3 lead heading into an SU timeout.

Although the two programs traded a few blows over the next three rallies, the Captains took control with a five-point run. Sutton kicked off the streak by pushing a shot down the line before Brooke Moore unleashed an ace. Later, Rock went back to work along the net as she joined forces with Sutton on a rejection before taking care of a block by herself on the way to a 10-4 advantage.

Looking for some extra breathing room, Moore and Conway kept things rolling on the next rally. Moore unloaded a serve that caught the tape and gently spilled over onto Salisbury's side. Although the Sea Gulls were able to keep the ball alive for a moment, Conway eventually drilled the overpass into the center of the SU defense for an 11-4 lead. From there, it was all Captains. Rock added another solo rejection before Abby McIntyre clocked an ace for match-point at 14-6. Two rallies later, Rock sent a feed out to McCann, who hammered home the kill shot to ice the 15-7 win.

During the fifth set, the Captains combined to hit an incredible .700 after uncorking seven kills on just 10 swings. Overall, the squad compiled a .280 hitting percentage during the match.

Although CNU made quick work of the fifth set, the first four stanzas were closely-contested, back-and-forth battles. In the first frame, the Sea Gulls stole an early 8-3 lead before Rock shot back with a block and blast. Later, Fisher and McCann both stunned the hosts with bullets, but Salisbury was able to stretch its lead to 19-11.

Facing an imposing deficit, the Captains remained calm and started an improbable comeback bid. Sutton, Fisher, and Rock kicked off the late push with one kill each before teaming up on a pair of blocks. Later, Fisher came back with another dart to cap off a seven-point surge, which pulled CNU back within one at 19-18.

Still battling, Fisher eventually punched another kill to even the frame at 20 before McCann landed a tremendous blow. The sophomore drilled a shot that ricocheted off a Sea Gull and went spiraling deep into the stands to secure CNU's first lead since the opening rally. Rock also continued her dominance with another block and kill before Fisher earned set-point at 24-23. Although Salisbury held the Captains off for one rally, McCann landed another kill before Fisher painted the end line with a perfectly-placed ace to seal the 26-24 triumph.

In the second, CNU got off to a decent start as Miller popped four early kills before Sutton added a pair to nail down an 11-10 lead. Later, during a seesaw affair in the middle of the frame, Rock kept things knotted at 14 with a tremendous solo block after stuffing a quick hitter by Salisbury following a CNU overpass. Unfortunately, the tide began to turn against the Captains. McCann looked strong late in the frame with two kills and a block, but the hosts were able to string together a pair of rallies, including a back-breaking four-point roll that locked up a 25-23 victory for SU.

In the third, Salisbury capitalized on its momentum and stormed out to an 11-8 lead. Needing a mid-set surge, Miller and Fisher joined forces on a pair of blocks, while McCann knocked in a kill to seize a little control and take a 13-11 lead following an SU timeout. After that point, the two teams continued to trade shots. Miller kept CNU going with three kills, while Fisher added one on the way to a 21-21 tie.

Although Miller continued her hot streak with another rope and McCann chipped in with a kill of her own, Salisbury was eventually able to grab set-point at 24-23. Unfazed by the pressure, Christopher Newport had an emphatic response. Miller evened the frame with another kill before an SU miscue gave CNU a 25-24 lead. Looking to wrap up the late rally, Sutton rocked an SU block attempt with a tremendous dart that shot off the defense and sealed the 26-24 win.

Back on top in the match, the Captains could not quite cap things off in the fourth. Once again, the hosts got off to a quick start and nabbed a 13-6 lead. Digging out of an early hole once again, Miller punched two kills, Rock stoned an SU attack, and both McCann and Conway slung aces to pull back within one at 16-15. Later, another CNU streak, which was bookended by a kill and block by Miller, evened the score at 22. Unfortunately, Salisbury was able to withstand the surge and grabbed three of the final four rallies to win the fourth, 25-23.

Fortunately, Christopher Newport simply had enough left in the tank to win the grudge match with a remarkable effort in the fifth and final frame.

During the contest, Moore led the back-row defense with 12 digs, while McCann just missed a double-double after contributing nine in addition to her 14 kills. McIntyre also dropped in two aces for CNU.

Christopher Newport will be back in action on Friday when the squad opens up the Pikes Peak Challenge in Colorado Springs. CNU will begin the tournament with a doubleheader against UC Santa Cruz and Colorado College.

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