GALLOWAY, N.J. -- The fifth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team kicked off the NCAA Tournament with a solid all-around effort as the Captains toppled Hunter, 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-21), on Friday afternoon at the Stockton Sports Center.
 
Leading a well-balanced attack, Maddie McCann clubbed 13 kills and hit .478 against the Hawks. Meanwhile, Abby McIntyre added nine kills and four aces, while Hannah Miller unloaded eight blasts to go along with a team-high three blocks. Rachel Conway also contributed 27 assists, and Rachel Close helped keep the court clean with a match-high 11 digs.
 
Overall, CNU hit .315 as a team and limited Hunter to a .108 mark.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 30-2 on the season and advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Captains will continue the postseason on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when the squad battles Randolph-Macon, who advanced following a 3-1 triumph over Stevenson on Friday afternoon.
 
Hunter wraps up the year with a 23-14 record after winning the CUNYAC Championship to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
 
From the outset, McCann and McIntyre got the Captains off on the right foot. McCann opened the action with three early kills, while McIntyre found her rhythm at the service line. The senior blistered an ace before hammering another rocket that was mishandled by the opposition and eventually led to a kill by McCann. Miller also cranked a bullet off a Hunter block attempt to help snatch an 11-6 lead on the way to a Hawk timeout.
 
Following the break, Madi Wickens had a nice run at the line with two tough serves to go along with an out-stretched dig, which saved another rally and led to an HC miscue. Continuing to flash some defense, Evelyn Harper went down to her knees for a great save before McIntyre laced a kill. Later, McIntyre joined forces with Miller on a block before firing a serve that caught the tape and dripped over for an ace on the way to a 21-11 edge.
 
With more than enough cushion, the Captains benefited from three Hunter missteps before Conway dropped in a picture-perfect setter dump to close out the 25-14 victory.
 
Hoping to keep the momentum, Miller and McIntyre jumpstarted the action in the second. The two standouts closed off the far pin with a block before Miller came through with a pair of kills. McIntyre also added an absolute tracer that tattooed the 10-foot line and got the crowd on its feet to help snatch a quick 6-2 advantage.
 
Although Hunter was able to dig out of its early deficit and knot the score at six, Katelyn Newsome had a response. The second-year star crushed a kill and teamed with Ashley Rock on a momentum-turning block to take an 11-7 lead heading into a Hawk timeout. Later, the back row stepped up with a highlight-reel run. First, Harper had a great up after a Hunter block attempt before scurrying to the back corner and digging a deep push just seconds later, which led to another kill by Newsome. Shortly thereafter, during a frantic rally, Close came through with a heads-up play as she drop-kicked a dig and sent the ball sailing to the Hunter back row, which got the Hawks off-balance and led to an HC miscue and a 16-11 edge.
 
Looking for a little more breathing room, McCann clubbed four kills during a seven-rally span, which handed CNU a 22-14 advantage. Closing things out quickly, Tessa Klimaitis drilled one off the block, Miller added another dart, and Josie Lucernoni lofted a high-arcing floater into open spaces for the clinching ace, which iced the 25-17 win.
 
In the third, Newsome and Miller joined up on a block before adding a kill apiece to secure an early edge. Rock also spun an ace, while McIntyre drilled a dagger right through a Hunter block attempt to collect a 6-2 lead. Although the Hawks responded and were actually able to sneak away with a modest one-point advantage, McCann never lost her touch. The junior smacked four kills during the middle of the frame to keep the Captains within striking distance.
 
Following a 9-9 deadlock, McCann continued her hot-streak with a kill off the top off the block before Rock rose up and slammed down a free ball. Still rolling, McIntyre added another kill, while Wickens unleashed a wicked serve that grazed the net and fell to the court for a well-placed ace on the way to a 14-9 advantage.
 
Although the Hawks were able to make things interesting late in the third, the Captains continued to attack. Facing a host of blockers, Rock simply went through them with a laser before Miller tipped a kill over their out-stretched arms. McIntyre also pin-balled a shot off a pair of defenders before lining an ace to help secure a 19-16 lead.
 
With their season on-the-line, the Hawks mounted a comeback and evened the score at 19, but CNU had one last response. Following two HC errors, McIntyre took control. The senior slammed another kill through a blocker and off a back-row defender before floating to the left pin and crushing another one-timer to earn match-point at 24-21. On the very next rally, Lucernoni came through with a diving dig and Miller disrupted an attack attempt before the Hawks committed an error to seal the 25-21 victory.
 
Along with her 11 digs, Close was a perfect 12-for-12 on serve-receive. Harper and Lucernoni also combined to convert all 15 of their reception attempts while helping limit the Hawks to just three aces. Hunter had entered the match ranked seventh in the NCAA this season with 319 total aces. Meanwhile, the Captains pumped seven winners on Friday, including four by McIntyre.
 
---CNU---