HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- The ninth-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team dropped a pair of three-set decisions to nationally-ranked opponents on Saturday as the Captains fell to No. 8 Wittenberg, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-23), before stumbling against No. 25 Carnegie Mellon, 3-0 (25-13, 32-30, 25-16), on the final day of the Juniata / ASICS Invitational at Memorial Gymnasium.

During the two matches, Hannah Miller led the Captains with 20 kills, while Maddie McCann contributed 16. On the defensive end, Miller notched five blocks on Saturday, and Rachel Close pocketed a team-high 23 digs. Katie Crofford also added 21 digs, including 12 in the nightcap.

With the two setbacks, Christopher Newport falls to 4-3 on the season. Wittenberg is now 4-2, while Carnegie Mellon is 7-1. Including yesterday's setback against No. 2 Juniata, the Captains have now lost three straight matches, which equals the program's longest losing streak since suffering a four-match drought to kick off the 2007 campaign.

In the opener on Saturday, Miller paced the CNU attack with 14 kills and a .367 hitting percentage. Tylar McGill also contributed 16 assists, while Close and Evelyn Harper tied for the team-lead with 12 digs apiece. Josie Lucernoni also added 11 digs and was flawless on serve-receive.

In a rematch of the 2011 NCAA Championship bout, Wittenberg vaulted to a huge lead as the Tigers scratched out a 16-7 advantage despite a pair of early kills by both Miller and McCann. Later, Hope Webb came through with a kill and solo block during a three-point rebound by the Captains, but Wittenberg cruised to the 25-15 victory.

Christopher Newport bounced back early in the second set as the squad nailed down a 10-6 edge, including a pair of kills by Mary Kathryn Hall. Later, Hall came back with a third dart, while Crofford and Close punched aces, but Wittenberg capitalized on a 12-4 onslaught late in the set to close out a 25-19 triumph.

The third set was more of a seesaw affair as Miller collected five kills and a block during the early part of the set on the way to a 12-12 deadlock. Unfortunately, the Tigers quickly grabbed control of the momentum behind a four-point run, which helped Wittenberg inch out to a 19-16 lead. Although three kills by Miller and a pair by Riley Garrison allowed CNU to even things again, the Tigers had more left in the tank and closed out the match with a 25-23 victory.

Wittenberg hit .254 in the contest and held the Captains to an .062 mark. Along with Miller's 14 kills, McCann contributed six and Hall had four.

In the nightcap, McCann led the Captains with 10 kills, while Katelyn Newsome contributed seven on 18 swings. On the defensive end, Miller posted a team-high four blocks, and Crofford pocketed 12 digs. Close also added 11 digs to help balance out the back row.

Against the Tartans, Christopher Newport fell behind early and struggled to catch up in the first set. Carnegie Mellon burst out to a 14-4 lead before an ace by Webb and a pair of kills by McCann helped the Captains pull back within six at 15-9. Despite the surge, CMU eventually eased into the victory, 25-13.

The second set was much more evenly matched as the two squads battled to an 18-18 deadlock, including a pair of blocks by Miller and a solo stop by Garrison. Later, a kill by Miller gave CNU set-point at 24-23, but Carnegie Mellon battled back. Despite late kills by Newsome, Miller, and McCann, the Tartans survived the marathon, 32-30.

The 30 points scored by the Captains equaled their most in a single set since notching 31 in the opening frame of the USA South Championship against Maryville on November 4, 2012.

Following the grueling second set, Christopher Newport grabbed an early 7-5 edge in the final frame behind a pair of kills by McCann. Despite the quick lead, the Captains were unable to keep Carnegie Mellon at bay. Although Garrison came back with two kills and a pair of blocks late in the stanza, the Tartans pulled away and cruised to a 25-16 victory.

Christopher Newport will look to rebound next week when the Captains host the CNU Invitational at the Freeman Center. The squad will open up play on Friday at 4 p.m. against Averett.

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