NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Led by a gritty effort along the net and a solid showing by the back row, the 24th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team capitalized on a suffocating defensive performance to punch its ticket to the Capital Athletic Conference semifinals after downing York (Pa.), 3-0 (25-19, 25-6, 25-19), during the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday evening at the Freeman Center.
 
During the contest, the Captains held the Spartans to a -.064 hitting percentage, marking the lowest by an opponent since 2014. Leading the way on the front row, Riley Garrison assisted on six blocks, while Katie Piper played a role in four. Katelyn Newsome also added three rejections during the contest.
 
Meanwhile, on the back row, Evelyn Harper pocketed a match-high seven digs, while Hope Webb added six to go along with 18 assists. On the offensive side, Briana Sutton led the team with nine kills, and Hannah Miller chipped in with seven on just 13 swings.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 24-8 on the year and advances to the CAC semifinals for a date with second-seeded Salisbury on Thursday at 7 p.m. The setback wraps up a 21-10 campaign for York (Pa.).
 
In the beginning of the match, Garrison and Newsome set the tone early on the defensive side with a quick block before Sutton erupted. Blasting York's front row with a relentless assault, the senior drilled three kills off block attempts before adding a tip over the Spartans to snatch an 11-8 lead. Moments later, Garrison blistered a kill following a great save by Webb before teaming with Piper on another block to gain a 16-10 advantage.
 
Following a York timeout, the visitors managed to chip into their deficit and pull within one at 20-19. Unfazed by the comeback attempt, Sutton rocketed another shot off the block, Newsome came back with a kill and rejection, and Maddie McCann followed with a laser to cap off a five-point run that iced the first set, 25-19.
 
Looking to carry that momentum over into the second frame, the Captains pieced together a tremendous effort on the way to one of their most impressive set victories of the year. Kicking things off, McCann and Newsome bounced back-to-back kills off a pair of defenders before Webb snapped off an ace. Later, McCann capped off a six-point run with an ace of her own, marking the senior's first in over two years.
 
Holding an 11-2 lead, Christopher Newport continued to do work all over the court. Pulling away in the middle of the frame, Garrison drilled another ace, while Sutton and Miller showed off finesse as the senior All-Americans deflected a pair of tips off the YCP front line. Shortly thereafter, Harper pumped the squad's fifth ace of the frame, and Newsome showed off defensively with a great up before Tylar McGill punched the ball off the near sideline for a 22-5 advantage.
 
Still cruising, McCann eventually earned set-point after ripping a kill off the tip of a block attempt before smoking a screamer down the sideline to close out the 25-6 triumph.
 
Although the Spartans rebounded early in the third and kept the score close, CNU capitalized on its defense to pull away. Garrison badgered York's attackers all along the net, teaming with Piper on a pair of blocks and Newsome on a third rejection. Meanwhile, on the back row, Rachel Close chased down a tough deflection along the end line with a great sliding save, while Harper also went to her knees to keep the court clean on the way to a 14-6 lead.
 
Although York managed to pull back within four, the Captains never lost their groove. Miller fired back-to-back kills during the middle of the stanza, while Newsome capitalized on a tip to snare a 19-13 advantage. Later, Garrison added a pair of kills, including a shot off an overpass, before joining up with Piper on one last block to grab a 23-16 edge.
 
With little left to prove, Sutton dropped the hammer on the penultimate kill before Piper added the final blast with a bullet to the center of the YCP defense to wrap up the 25-19 win.
 
McCann and Garrison both contributed six kills during the match, while Piper had five on 11 attempts. Overall, CNU finished the match with a .377 hitting percentage, marking the squad's third-highest of the season.
 
---CNU---