NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Behind an electric performance from
Briana Sutton, the No. 6 Christopher Newport volleyball team looked sharp in its first action of the 2015 season as the Captains stormed past Virginia Wesleyan, 3-0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-15), during a non-conference battle on Tuesday evening at the Freeman Center.
Coming off of an All-American campaign in 2014, Sutton looked just as dominant on Tuesday as the junior smashed 12 kills on just 23 swings while hitting at a .522 clip. She also blistered five aces and added six digs to round out a well-balanced performance.
Along with Sutton,
Ashley Rock and
Maddie McCann were on-point throughout the match as well. McCann dropped in eight kills on 12 attempts, while Rock clocked seven on 13 swings. Neither standout committed a single attack error while hitting above .500.
Early in the first stanza, the two teams engaged in a back-and-forth affair after Rock pumped a pair of kills and
Rachel Close spun an ace on the way to a 10-10 draw. Shortly thereafter, Sutton pounded home a pair of free balls along the net to give the hosts a 13-10 advantage heading into a Virginia Wesleyan timeout.
Following the stoppage, Rock stretched high and tipped a shot over the extended arms of the VWC defense before McCann and
Abby McIntyre added kills on the way to a 17-12 edge. One rally later, Sutton put the exclamation point on the mid-set surge with her first ace of the match as she ripped a screaming missile that just caught the back line before the defense could even move.
After another VWC timeout, the Captains eased into the victory behind a strong defensive presence. Following a pair of kills by McCann,
Madi Wickens made a tremendous diving play to keep a ball up before
Rachel Conway tipped it to
Eliza Fisher, who ripped a shot off the block. Later, Conway and
Hannah Miller blanketed the net and joined forces on a set-clinching block to take the first frame, 25-17.
In the second stanza, the Captains left little to doubt from the outset. McIntyre set the tone early after launching back-to-back aces before Rock took over with a tremendous run. The senior posted two straight blocks, including a textbook rejection off a quick hitter. Following a timeout, she showed off her offensive skills with two straight kills on the way to a 13-4 advantage.
With more than enough cushion, Christopher Newport rolled from there. Sutton added another ace before McCann chimed in with two more kills, including a gorgeous dart that painted that back corner. Later, Close took over at the service line to put the set away as the junior libero kept the Marlins off-balance and added an ace on the way to a 25-11 victory.
One set away from a three-set sweep, Sutton was ready to end the match quickly with a pair of early darts before Miller added two shots of her own on the way to a 10-6 advantage. Following a VWC timeout, Conway laid in a perfect kill before
Tessa Klimaitis blasted a rocket off the block that nearly sailed into the stands on the other side of the court.
Continuing to surge, Sutton took over at the line and picked apart the Marlins. First, she peppered the defense with a bullet for her third ace of the match. Later, after Virginia Wesleyan settled in for another dart, she floated a soft serve that gently landed in the middle of the defense for another winner. After one final ace, which gave the hosts a 21-11 lead, the Captains rolled to the victory.
Fittingly, Rock and McCann added two late bullets on the way to match-point before Sutton closed things out with one last kill to seal the 25-15 triumph.
In addition to the heavy hitters, Conway finished the match with 32 assists and a pair of blocks, while Miller tied Rock for the team-lead with three rejections. McIntyre also contributed nine digs, while
Evelyn Harper added eight to go along with a spotless performance on serve-receive.
Christopher Newport will be back in action on Friday when the team kicks off the annual Captains Classic at 4 p.m. against Meredith at the Freeman Center.
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