BOSTON, Mass. -- Behind another offensive assault by Briana Sutton and an excellent showing by Rachel Close on the back row, the third-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team captured the Beacons Invitational Championship after posting a pair of victories on Saturday afternoon as the Captains took down Tufts, 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-22), before upending 12th-ranked Eastern, 3-1 (18-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-22), to cap off the tournament at UMass Boston's Clark Athletic Gymnasium.

Following her first career 20-kill effort on Friday, Sutton one-upped herself on Saturday after peppering Eastern with 21 blasts in the nightcap. That total stands as the most by a Captain in a four-set match since Tricia Nelsen pumped 23 against Elizabethtown on October 2, 2004. Overall, Sutton finished with 31 kills on Saturday and 70 during the four-match tournament.

While Sutton was dominating on the offensive end, Rachel Close put together another outstanding performance on the back row. The junior libero collected 35 digs on Saturday, including 23 against Eastern. Overall, she averaged 5.0 digs-per-set during the tournament and converted 59 of her 62 reception attempts.

Also excelling on Saturday, Rachel Conway dished out 74 total assists while adding 13 digs and three aces. Against Eastern, she was especially impressive, registering her second double-double of the season with 41 assists and 10 digs. She also added a pair of blocks and two kills during the match.

With the two victories, Christopher Newport improves to 9-0 on the season.

Following a win against Tufts earlier in the day, the Captains came back to wrap up the weekend with a top-20 showdown against Eastern. Facing a tough test against a regional rival, CNU stumbled a bit out of the gate before regrouping. In the first set, the Eagles pulled out to a 13-7 lead despite a pair of kills by Maddie McCann. Refusing to lay down, Sutton hit the opposition with two kills, while Close crushed an ace to pull within on at 13-12.

After Eastern whistled for a timeout, Sutton fired back with two more shots and Eliza Fisher unloaded a rocket to keep the Eagles close. Unfortunately, EU was able to string together four straight points to close out a 25-18 victory.

Unfazed by the setback, the Captains retaliated in the second stanza. Ashley Rock got things rolling with a kill and two blocks, while Sutton pounded a pair of blasts to run out to an 11-1 lead. Later, McCann came through with a solo rejection, Fisher whipped an ace, and Sutton added two more darts to push the edge to 19-11.

With Eastern on its heels, CNU put the Eagles away. Hannah Miller cleaned up along the net with a devastating solo block before McCann capped things off with two late kills to seal the 25-18 victory.

Back on even ground, the two squads battled to a 4-4 draw before a slew of Eastern errors and an ace by Rock gave Christopher Newport a modest 9-4 lead. Although the Eagles soared back and got within one, the squad could never pull even. Following the resurgence, CNU called for a timeout, and the stoppage worked perfectly. After the break, McCann clocked EU with two straight kills before Miller came through with a block and blast on back-to-back rallies to grab a 20-16 advantage.

Once again, Eastern whittled its deficit back down to two, but the Captains were steadfast. Conway and Rock dropped in kills before Fisher added a pair of lasers to take set-point at 24-20. Two rallies later, Abby McIntyre drove home the clincher off a feed from Conway to seal a 25-21 triumph.

Trailing in the match, the Eagles bounced back and grabbed an 8-3 edge in the fourth before CNU regained its footing. Rock smashed an ace, while Miller and McCann added kills and teamed up on a block to pull within one at 9-8. Although Eastern was able to sneak away again and steal a 15-10 lead, Sutton reeled them back in.

Overpowering the opposition with a bevy of blows, Sutton pounded four straight kills to bring the Captains back within one. Following the run, the Eagles called for a timeout, but the momentum had already shifted. Rock registered another ace before McCann and Fisher posted kills to even the score at 20.

After working so hard to pull even, Christopher Newport had no interest in letting Eastern slip away again. Sutton bashed two more kills to force another timeout before Rock hammered home another one to earn match-point at 24-21. Although Eastern was able to win the next rally, an Eagle miscue sealed the 25-22 victory for the Captains.

In addition to Sutton's 21 kills and Conway's double-double, McCann finished with 10 kills and hit .348. Defensively, Madi Wickens came through with eight digs and McIntyre added seven to go along with a flawless 25-for-25 performance on serve-receive. Miller also tallied four blocks to help cap off the win.

Hours before upending Eastern, the Captains faced their earliest wake-up call since the 2012 campaign when the squad kicked off Saturday with a 10 a.m. tilt against Tufts. Coming off of a grueling Friday doubleheader, CNU still managed to jump out to a quick lead in the opener. Miller found her rhythm early with four kills and a solo block, while Sutton and Rock also joined forces on a rejection to help collect a 15-7 advantage following a Tufts timeout.

Staring at a modest deficit, the Jumbos were able to make things interesting with a solid mid-set surge that helped them pull within three at 21-18. Refusing to let Tufts back in the set, CNU called a timeout and regrouped. Following the stoppage, Miller and McCann clubbed back-to-back bullets before Fisher closed things out. The second-year standout smacked a kill to earn set-point before unleashing an ace to seal the 25-19 victory.

After stumbling in the second set of both matches on Friday, Christopher Newport nearly suffered the same fate against Tufts. Although Conway and McIntyre both stung aces before Rock came through with two huge solo blocks, the Jumbos still managed to steal a 14-13 edge heading into a CNU timeout.

Once again, the stoppage worked as Fisher fired another ace, Conway teamed with Miller on a block, and Sutton unloaded a dart to grab a 20-17 advantage. Although the Jumbos retaliated with a four-point run, the Captains shook it off and shot right back. Conway came through with a kill and ace to help grab set-point before Rock stoned another attack attempt for her third solo block of the frame, which iced the 25-21 triumph.

One set away from victory, Christopher Newport bolted out of the gate in the third. Miller, Sutton, and McCann each clocked a pair of kills, while Conway smashed another ace to grab a 13-5 lead heading into a Tufts timeout. After the break, Miller continued her surge with two more kills, while McCann added another winner as well to keep the eight-point lead at 18-10.

Following another timeout, the Jumbos pieced together a last-ditch effort. Clawing back into the contest, the opposition eventually stole six straight rallies and pulled within one at 22-21. Having no interest in another lengthy match, the Captains quickly closed the door on the comeback bid. Fisher got things rolling with a kill before Miller and McCann pounded home two straight rockets to lock up the 25-22 win.

Against the Jumbos, Miller finished with 11 kills and a .364 hitting percentage, while Sutton added 10 blasts. Defensively, Rock chipped in with five blocks, including four solo rejections, and Close cleaned up with a dozen digs. Evelyn Harper came through with seven digs as well. Additionally, Conway did her usual work, adding 33 assists, four kills, three aces, and a block.

With the four victories over the weekend, CNU won the Beacons Invitational for the second time in four years after also claiming the 2012 title. Making their run this season even more impressive, the Captains faced a scheduling oddity during the tournament. During each of the four matches, the squad battled a well-rested team as every one of CNU's opponents opened their day against Christopher Newport. Meanwhile, the Captains had to take on perennial powers Eastern and UMass Boston after already playing a match earlier in the day.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Friday when the squad kicks off the annual CNU Invitational at the Freeman Center. The Captains will open up against former USA South foe Averett at 3 p.m. before battling No. 5 Juniata at 8 p.m.

---CNU---