NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Coming up big on Senior Day, the veteran members of the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team pieced together solid efforts to help lead the Captains past York, 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-7), during a Capital Athletic Conference clash on Saturday afternoon at the Freeman Center.
Celebrating their day in style,
Rachel Conway,
Abby McIntyre, and
Ashley Rock showed what they can do with all-around solid efforts. Conway posted 28 assists, while Rock recorded seven kills and hit .333 to go along with three blocks. Meanwhile, McIntyre also pocketed 14 digs and chipped in with six kills and an ace on the offensive end.
Along with the seniors,
Briana Sutton came through with another double-double after leading the team with 16 digs and 11 kills. She also hit .500 against the Spartans and added three aces for good measure.
Maddie McCann roped nine kills and tallied a .471 hitting percentage as well.
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 25-2 on the season, including 7-0 in the CAC. York falls to 11-16 overall with a 2-4 mark in conference action.
Shortly after wrapping up the pregame Senior Day festivities, the veterans immediately found their groove. McIntyre and Rock both roped early kills, while Conway added four assists on the way to an 8-4 lead.
Madi Wickens also drilled an ace to highlight the early run before the seniors came back for more. Rock contributed two kills and a block, while McIntyre fired three darts, including back-to-back kills, to push the lead to 14-9.
Although the Spartans managed to whittle their deficit down to three, Sutton retaliated. The junior flashed some muscle with three late kills before Rock closed things out. Wrapping up a tremendous first set, she slammed home a pair of bullets, including the clincher, to ice the 25-17 victory.
Carrying the momentum into the second set, McIntyre drilled two early aces, while Conway dumped in a pair of kills to snatch a 6-3 edge. Shortly thereafter, Rock showed off her diverse skill set with a kill, block, and ace, while McCann tacked on two kills and a pair of rejections to steal a huge 14-7 lead in the middle of the stanza.
Once again, York continued to battle and chipped away at the deficit, but the Captains kept the opposition at bay. Sutton headlined a late push with two kills, while Rock and
Hannah Miller also put down darts to take a 23-14 lead heading into a YCP timeout. Following the stoppage, McIntyre laced a kill to earn set-point before Sutton added the final nail with an ace to clinch the 25-14 triumph.
Following the same script that worked in the second set, Christopher Newport stormed out to a fast lead in the third and never looked back.
Josie Lucernoni helped jumpstart the early rally with a blistering ace, while Rock added a block and kill to grab a 6-1 edge. Later, Sutton toyed with the York defense as she pummeled back-to-back rockets before flashing a gentle touch with a tip over the block to earn an 11-3 advantage.
Shortly thereafter, McCann demolished a shot that ricocheted off a defender and into the stands before Sutton bookended a YCP timeout with a pair of aces to earn a 14-4 edge. With a healthy lead, Christopher Newport put its future on display to help close out the match.
Freshman
Cat Boyle helped headline a seven-point streak with two kills, including a laser that dropped just inside the far sideline.
Katelyn Newsome also decked a pair of aces, while
Kellyn DeChirico caught the defense out-of-position with a great tip into open spaces to lock up a 22-7 lead. Continuing to roll, DeChirico came back with a solo block before Boyle closed things out with two more kills to seal the 25-7 victory.
Overall, the Captains finished the match with a .407 hitting percentage while limiting the Spartans to an .043 mark. On an individual level,
Tylar McGill chipped in with seven assists late in the third set, while
Rachel Close added 10 digs on the defensive end.
Christopher Newport will be back in action on October 28 with a 7 p.m. showdown against Wesley at the Freeman Center.
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