GALLOWAY, N.J. -- Despite a gutsy effort from start to finish, the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team bowed out of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon as the Captains dropped a hard-fought decision to Randolph-Macon, 3-2 (21-25, 25-18, 25-22, 20-25, 15-13), in the Regional Semifinals at the Stockton Sports Center.
 
Making history on Saturday, Rachel Close registered the 1000th dig of her career, becoming the 12th player in program history to join the exclusive club and the eighth junior to reach the mark. During the contest, she tied for the team-lead with 22 digs and also converted 28 of her 29 reception attempts to help anchor a strong serve-receive unit.
 
Along with Close, Abby McIntyre was simply fantastic on Saturday. The senior punctuated her career with another incredible effort as she roped 19 kills and collected 22 digs. She also was a perfect 29-for-29 on serve-receive. Meanwhile, her fellow classmates also stood tall against the Yellow Jackets. Rachel Conway dished out 50 assists to go along with seven digs, while Ashley Rock chimed in with seven kills, five aces, and two blocks.
 
With her two rejections on Saturday, Rock became the 11th Captain in program history to register a 100-block season. The senior finished the year with exactly 100, which helped cap off her illustrious career.
 
Along with the seniors, Maddie McCann clubbed 16 kills for CNU, while Josie Lucernoni and Evelyn Harper were nothing short of magnificent on the back row. Both standouts collected 15 digs, while Lucernoni also contributed a pair of aces to highlight an outstanding effort at the service line.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport caps off the year with a stellar 30-3 record. Meanwhile, Randolph-Macon improves to 27-7 and advances to the Regional Championship match, which will be played on Sunday.
 
After the Captains fell behind, two-sets-to-one, CNU showed the same resiliency it displayed all season. In the fourth, Christopher Newport quickly overcame an early 5-2 deficit with a furious rally. Hannah Miller pin-balled a kill off two defenders before McCann hit Macon with a pair of tips and Close drilled an ace to help snatch a 9-6 edge. Later, following an RMC timeout, McCann abused the block with a dagger before adding two more kills in the middle of the frame to take a 14-8 advantage.
 
Keeping the pressure on the Yellow Jackets, Rock ripped another ace, while Miller and Katelyn Newsome teamed up on a tremendous block along the near pin to secure an 18-9 edge. Although Randolph-Macon pieced together a late run, McIntyre capped off the frame. First, the senior drilled a cross-court rocket that bounced into press row to help earn set-point. Later, she peppered the clinching kill off an RMC block attempt to lock up the 25-20 win and send the contest into the fateful fifth set.
 
Back on even ground, the Captains took an early lead in the fifth with heart and hustle. First, after a frantic stretch got CNU off-balance, Newsome tracked down a tough ricochet along the near sideline and saved the rally by sailing a free ball over the net, which led to an RMC error. Later, McIntyre hit the opposition with two kills, including a hot rocket off a back row defender, which nailed down a 4-2 lead for Christopher Newport.
 
Unfortunately, Randolph-Macon retaliated and pieced together a four-point run, which handed the Yellow Jackets a 6-4 edge. Needing to respond, Lucernoni was a beast on the back row as she dove around the court, saving attack-after-attack, before McCann punched a kill off the blockers. Later, Newsome hit a cut shot to knot the score at seven, while Rock pushed a well-placed kill down the near sideline to keep things even at eight.
 
Continuing the back-and-forth affair, McIntyre tooled the block again to earn a 9-9 deadlock, but RMC refused to back down. The squad won three straight rallies to put the Captains in a tough 12-9 hole. Still fighting for every point, Newsome slung a kill off a defender and McIntyre hit the far sideline to inch closer.
 
Unfortunately, CNU could never quite pull even. Conway punched a kill to the back line and McCann nailed a roll shot after a huge dig by Lucernoni to pull within one at 14-13. Sadly, the Yellow Jackets had just enough left to withstand Christopher Newport's late rally and put the final punctuation mark on the match with a kill to lock up the 15-13 triumph.
 
Coming up big on both sides of the ball, Newsome posted seven kills and led the team with four blocks. Miller also contributed seven kills for CNU.
 
It seemed only fitting that the contest went five sets as both teams looked evenly-matched throughout the bout. In the first set, the two squads battled to an 8-8 tie before Rock took over at the line. Putting her serving prowess on full display, the senior drilled three straight aces before Newsome added a block and blast to headline a huge mid-set surge, which gave CNU a comfortable 14-8 advantage.
 
Still pushing, Lucernoni popped an ace before McIntyre hammered a kill and later made an incredible, out-stretched dig to save another rally that led to a tip by McCann. Holding a 20-13 lead, CNU withstood a late run by Macon to close out the opening set victory. Capping things off, Newsome laced a kill and Rock tattooed the back line with a rope to help lock up the 25-21 win.
 
Looking to keep the momentum, CNU vaulted out to a big lead in the second frame.  McCann flashed her arsenal as the junior hit a roll shot, tipped a kill over the RMC block, and muscled a rocket straight through the Yellow Jackets to help nail down a fast 12-6 lead heading into a Macon timeout. Unfortunately, the stoppage paid immediate dividends for the opposition and turned the momentum around.
 
Ripping off 12 straight winners, Randolph-Macon stole an 18-12 lead. Trying to respond, Rock spun another ace, while McIntyre, Miller, and Conway dropped in kills, but the Yellow Jackets held on for a 25-18 victory.
 
Still riding high, RMC kept the momentum early in the third stanza as the team pulled out to a 13-5 edge heading into a CNU timeout. Following the stoppage, the Captains scratched and clawed their way back into the frame. McCann collected a pair of kills, Miller and Conway teamed up on a momentum-turning block, and McIntyre crushed an ace after seeing an opening along the far sideline to pull Christopher Newport back within four at 17-13.
 
Still excelling at the line, Close and Madi Wickens both pumped aces to pull within two at 21-19 heading into a Macon timeout. Later, the Captains showed more of their gritty determination to keep the game close. After McIntyre tooled the block again, Harper came through with a gutsy, acrobatic, diving dig towards the CNU bench to save a rally before an RMC error pulled the Captains within one at 22-21.
 
Sadly, the Yellow Jackets shook off the late setbacks and retaliated to earn set-point at 24-21. Although Tessa Klimaitis staved off the end after sending back an overpass to pull within two, Macon ended things on the next rally to win the third, 25-22.
 
As they did all year, the Captains battled until the end. Brushing off the setback in the third, the squad rebounded to win the fourth and kept the contest close throughout the fifth but eventually succumbed in the hard-fought showdown.
 
Despite the end of the year, CNU's seniors could walk away with their heads held high. Along with carrying the team throughout the 2015 campaign and through a grueling postseason run, Conway, McIntyre, and Rock finished their careers as one of the most accomplished and decorated senior classes in program history.
 
The three standouts helped sustain Christopher Newport's proud tradition of successful volleyball. Together, they helped CNU compile an incredible 129-23 record over the past four years while winning four conference championships and two NCAA Regional crowns.
 
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