NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Capping off a perfect weekend at the Captains Classic, Rachel Conway was named the Most Valuable Player and three of her teammates collected All-Tournament accolades as the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team took down Hiram, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-23), before topping Bridgewater, 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-12), on Saturday afternoon at the Freeman Center.

Conway paced a potent offensive attack as the Captains combined for a .322 hitting percentage during their four matches. On an individual level, Conway averaged nearly 12 assists-per-set and finished with 143 total helpers. Wrapping up an outstanding run during the tournament, she tallied 69 assists to go along with 13 digs and a block on Saturday.

Equally impressive up front, Maddie McCann, Hannah Miller, and Briana Sutton also earned All-Tournament honors after piecing together amazing efforts. Together, the three standouts peppered the opposition with an endless string of kills throughout the two-day tournament. Sutton finished with a team-high 54 kills over the weekend, including 26 on Saturday. McCann also clubbed 44 kills, while Miller added 35 and compiled a sensational .478 hitting percentage.

With the two victories on Saturday, the Captains improve to 5-0 on the season. The setbacks drop Hiram to 2-2 and Bridgewater to 0-4.

In the opener on Saturday, the Captains gave their head coach a milestone victory. The win against Hiram marked the 100th different school that Lindsay Birch has defeated in her storied career. It also stands as her second victory against a team hailing from the North Coast Athletic Conference, joining Allegheny in 2006.

Against the Terriers, Christopher Newport left little to doubt early on as the squad ran out to a 5-0 lead, including two kills apiece by Miller and Sutton. Still in a groove, Sutton blistered three more winners, while Miller spiked a pair during a back-and-forth surge that gave the hosts a 10-7 lead.

Looking to add a little breathing room, McCann stepped up and unloaded a pair of darts before Conway dropped in a floater and Abby McIntyre smashed an ace to force a timeout with a 17-8 advantage. Although Hiram continued to fight and stole a few rallies at the tail end of the set, the result was never in doubt. Sutton and Miller capped off the frame with three kills apiece before McCann roped a shot into the heart of the HC defense to ice the first-set victory, 25-17.

Following the same script that worked in the opening frame, the Captains vaulted out to another big lead in the second. Miller came through with a block and blast, while McIntyre elevated and fired a back-row bullet to the far corner on the way to a 4-1 lead. Later, the hosts pieced together a circus-like rally to extend their advantage. Off a tough Hiram attack, McIntyre made a spectacular diving dig to keep the ball up before Sutton unleashed a dagger that hit a defender and ricocheted off the scoreboard high above court. Amazingly, the visitors kept the play alive, but eventually, Ashley Rock took a feed from Conway and closed out the rally with a shot down the line to snatch a 7-2 lead.

With everything going right for the Captains, Rock ripped an ace before Conway fed a beautiful pass to the far pin, which Eliza Fisher clubbed for a cross-court kill on the way to a 12-8 edge. Shortly thereafter, Miller skied high for a kill before Sutton added two and McCann closed things out with a pair of her own, including a laser off an overpass, to seal the 25-20 win.

In the third set, Hiram was able to find its rhythm early and took an 8-6 lead before CNU battled back. McCann continued her solid afternoon with back-to-back kills before Conway did her best impression of a hitter and unloaded an absolute rocket off a pass from Evelyn Harper to knot the score at nine. Later, a rash of Terrier miscues and a titanic blast by McCann, which forced a defender to duck rather than face the ball's wrath, pushed the advantage to 15-12.

Once again, the visitors regrouped and even grabbed a minor 21-20 lead late in the frame, but the Captains refused to back down. The hosts regained the edge after two straight kills by Rock and Sutton before three Hiram errors handed CNU the 25-23 triumph in the final frame.

Overall, Sutton came through with a team-high 13 kills, while Miller and McCann each added 12. Miller also hit .462 against the Terriers and tallied a pair of solo blocks, while Rachel Close collected a dozen digs. Conway and Harper also added eight digs apiece, while Madi Wickens was a flawless 8-for-8 on serve-receive.

Hours after toppling Hiram, Christopher Newport returned to the court to cap off the weekend with a bout against Bridgewater. Early in the contest, the hosts got off to a sluggish start and found themselves staring at a modest 6-5 deficit. Needing a spark, Rock stepped up to the line and clocked a pair of aces, while Fisher laced two kills to turn CNU's luck around on the way to a 14-8 advantage.

After regaining the lead, the Captains turned to Sutton, who set up the defense with a high-arcing floater before showcasing her power with two straight bullets. Later, she added a kill and ace during the span of four rallies to give the hosts a 19-16 lead.

Although Bridgewater swiped the next rally, CNU closed out the set in style. The Captains won six straight points, including an ace by Rock and two kills by McCann. Conway also stretched high to save a ball from clearing the net before tapping it back to Miller, who laid out a defender with a dart to help lock up the 25-17 victory.

In the second stanza, Sutton and Tessa Klimaitis dropped in a pair of early kills before the seniors teamed up for an acrobatic play. McIntyre started things off with an outstanding dig before Conway chased down the ricochet and tipped the ball back to Rock. With her momentum leading her in the opposite direction, Rock simply popped the ball backwards, and it spun perfectly into open spaces on the way to an 8-4 advantage.

Once again, Bridgewater battled back and grabbed a slim 13-12 lead, but CNU pieced together an intimidating response. The hosts won six of the next seven rallies as Klimaitis clubbed a cross-court dagger and Sutton punched a pair of kills, including one off the top of the BC blockers, to grab an 18-14 edge.

With little left to prove, Christopher Newport eased into the victory. Rock and Sutton teamed up on a block and added a pair of late kills to close out the 25-18 win.

With their sights on another three-set sweep, the Captains rolled out to a 5-0 lead in the third, including two aces by Rock and a down-the-line dart by McCann. Later, Close blistered an ace and Conway won a joust along the net for her second kill in two rallies on the way to an 11-4 edge.

Looking to wrap things up quickly, Klimaitis, Rock, and McCann tallied late kills before Sutton closed out the weekend with another solid run. Over the final six rallies, the junior unloaded a pair of bullets before pushing the clincher through the Bridgewater block to close out the 25-12 triumph.

Sutton finished with a match-high 13 kills, while McCann had 12 and hit .455. Capping off her MVP weekend, Conway dished out 36 assists and added five digs as well.

Joining the four Captains on the All-Tournament, fellow CAC member Mary Washington placed Emma Murphy and Emma Olson on the squad, while Hiram's Lindsay Brewer and Susquehanna's Sarah Paluck rounded out the honorees.

Following an outstanding week at the Freeman Center, Christopher Newport will head out on the road for the Beacons Invitational beginning next weekend in Boston. The Captains will open up the tournament with a twin bill against Saint Benedict and UMass Boston on Friday before taking on Tufts and No. 12 Eastern the following day.

---CNU---