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FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The 19-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team extended its winning streak to eight games after wrapping up the Mary Washington Invitational with a perfect record as the Captains dispatched of Randolph-Macon, 3-1 (26-24, 22-25, 25-19, 25-13) and Lynchburg, 3-1 (25-12, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23) on Saturday at the Anderson Center.

With the two victories, Christopher Newport improved to 8-0 for the first time in program history. CNU's previous best start was 6-0 during the 2012 campaign, which eventually helped vault the team to the NCAA Final Four.

During the final day of the Mary Washington Invitational, Hannah Miller continued her outstanding play as she finished with a team-high 32 kills, five blocks, and a .381 hitting percentage. Briana Sutton also pumped 21 kills and Maddie McCann launched 20, while Rachel Conway averaged 9.57 assists-per-set to go along with 15 digs.

On the defensive end, Brooke Moore helped anchor the back row with 23 digs on Saturday. Rachel Close also had 21, while Evelyn Harper pitched in with a perfect day on serve-receive after converting all 21 of her attempts. McCann also went 26-for-26 to help stymie the opposing servers.

Kicking off the day against Randolph-Macon, the Captains continued their revenge tour. Having already defeated Eastern and Washington & Lee, who handed CNU three of its losses last year, the squad looked for redemption against the Yellow Jackets as well. In the early going, McCann and Ashley Rock carried the squad. McCann fired three kills and added a block, while Rock stuffed the stat sheet with an ace, kill, and rejection on the way to a 13-8 lead.

Despite the early advantage, Christopher Newport went through a bit of a dry spell in the middle of the frame as Randolph-Macon came storming back to grab set-point at 24-22. With their backs firmly planted against the wall, the Captains fought hard. Miller pumped a kill before Sutton out-smarted the opposition with an impressive roll. Finding little space in the R-MC blocking scheme, she opted to go around and above the Yellow Jackets. First, she knotted the score at 24 after going down the line with a spinner that circled around the defense. Later, after an ace by Abby McIntyre gave the squad set-point, Sutton floated a rainbow over the blockers that dropped in perfectly to seal the 26-24 victory.

Trailing by a set, Randolph-Macon shot back in the second. The team ran out to a 7-3 lead before Sutton answered again. The sophomore cranked three kills and an ace during a 10-rally stretch, which handed CNU an 11-9 edge. Unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets remained unfazed. Despite a pair of kills by both McCann and Sutton during the tail end of the frame, R-MC came back and hung on to steal a 25-22 victory.

Back on even ground, Christopher Newport began to find its rhythm in the third set. Miller imposed her will during the early part of the frame as the second-year star chimed in with three kills and a block to grab a 12-5 advantage. Later, the Yellow Jackets went cold from the service line, handing the Captains three points, while McCann and Rock each stung the squad with bullets to sustain a 17-15 edge.

Although Randolph-Macon eventually pulled back within one, Miller closed out the set with a bang. She uncorked three late kills before Sutton added one and Rock chipped in with the clincher to secure the 25-19 win.

Looking to close out the game quickly, CNU jumped all over the Yellow Jackets in the fourth. Conway came through with a kill and ace before Sutton added three darts on the way to a huge 13-4 advantage. From there, the Captains continued to roll. Sutton had a nice defensive run in the middle of the frame, teaming with Rock on a rejection before chasing down a tough ricochet near the Captain bench that Moore eventually sliced for a kill.

Leading by double-digits at 18-8, Christopher Newport never let R-MC back into the game. Miller chipped in with a block and blast before McCann added two darts, including a gorgeous cross-court kill that landed just inside the far corner to gain match-point at 24-12. Although the Yellow Jackets staved off the inevitable for one rally, Close made a nice play on a tough serve and sent a free ball over the net, which managed to find open spaces to ice the 25-13 victory.

During the match, Miller and Sutton both had 15 kills and hit above .330 for the Captains. McCann also chipped in with 12 kills and Conway registered 42 assists. On the defensive end, Close did exceptional work on the back row with 15 digs, while Moore contributed 11. The pair was also strong on serve-receive, going 25-for-25 on reception attempts. McCann was a perfect 16-for-16 and Harper was a pristine 13-for-13 as well.

Following the early victory, Christopher Newport had a mid-afternoon break before returning for a showdown with intrastate rival Lynchburg. Hoping to close out the tournament quickly, the Captains jumped all over the Hornets in the first. Sutton and Conway both contributed a pair of kills, while McIntyre and Rock launched aces to snatch a 15-5 lead heading into a Lynchburg timeout.

Although the Hornets were able to steal back a little of the momentum after the stoppage, CNU had an emphatic response. McCann, Fisher, and Miller hit the opposition with three straight kills during a rapid-fire assault. Later, after McCann came back with another kill, McIntyre's work from the service line iced the frame. The junior standout lined an ace for set point before her last serve was mishandled and turned into a free ball, which Miller hammered home to clinch the 25-12 victory.

Riding high, the Captains pulled out to a 10-6 lead in the second behind two kills by Miller and single shots by Sutton, Brooke Sanders, and Katelyn Newsome. Unfortunately, Lynchburg surprised CNU with a mid-set surge. Although Newsome continued to do fine work, including a block and blast, LC managed to knot the stanza at 18. Later, after Newsome hit the Hornets with another dart, Lynchburg closed out the set behind an imposing 5-1 run to even the match with a 25-23 win.

Knotted at one set apiece, the two teams engaged in a seesaw affair in the third as both squads tried to grab the momentum. Miller punctuated the early going for the Captains with a kill and ace, while Newsome added a block and kill on the way to an 8-8 draw. Finally, CNU took control a bit behind a tremendous defensive effort. Krista Hughes stunned Lynchburg with a solo block, while Conway and Miller each contributed a pair of rejections on the way to a 21-17 advantage.

With a four-point edge, McCann made sure the lead held up with an excellent effort at the end of the frame. The sophomore blasted back-to-back kills before joining forces with Newsome on a block. Later, she stepped up to the serving line and got the Hornets off-balance, which resulted in an attack error that capped off the third, 25-20.

One set away from their eighth straight victory, the Captains certainly made it interesting in the fourth. Despite three quick kills by Miller and a pair of bullets by Rock, the squad found itself starting squarely at a 10-7 deficit. Fortunately, things improved from there.

Once again, McCann and Miller were at the forefront of the resurgence as the two teamed up for a block and three kills, which helped even the score at 12. Still battling, Sutton clobbered a pair of kills before Tylar McGill hit Lynchburg with a well-timed ace to nail down a 21-18 lead. From there, Miller capped off her weekend with one last kill before three LC miscues handed CNU a 25-23 victory in the fourth.

During the contest, Miller posted 17 kills and a .433 hitting percentage, while McCann had eight winners and four blocks. Conway also contributed 25 assists and seven digs in three sets of action. On the defensive end, Moore chimed in with 12 digs, and McIntyre had 10. Newsome also tallied four blocks to go along with five kills for the Captains.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Friday when the squad kicks off the CNU Invitational. The Captains will open up against William Peace at 6 p.m. before battling Berry at 8 p.m.

---CNU---