WHITEWATER, Wisc. -- The 13th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team kicked off the Wisconsin-Whitewater Invitational by splitting a pair of top-25 showdowns on Friday as the Captains topped No. 24 Millikin, 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 18-25, 25-23), before falling to No. 14 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-21), at the Russell Arena.
 
Entering the tournament ranked sixth in the NCAA in blocking, CNU showed off its prowess along the net with 17 rejections during the two matches. Katelyn Newsome led the team with 11 blocks, while Hannah Miller assisted on nine. Riley Garrison also chipped in on eight stops and added 14 kills with a .367 hitting percentage during the day.
 
On the back row, Rachel Close also made history on Friday. The senior libero collected 22 digs in the opener and 15 in the nightcap. With those efforts, she has now tallied at least 10 digs in all 14 contests this season. That stands as the longest single-season streak of double-digit dig efforts in program history, topping the previous mark of 12, which was accomplished by Jenna Williams on three occasions.
 
With the split, Christopher Newport now sits at 10-4 on the season. Millikin is also 10-4 on the year, while Wisconsin-Whitewater is 10-3 overall.
 
In the opener against Millikin, the two teams looked evenly matched in the beginning of the contest. Miller kicked things off with a block and blast during the early part of the set before Rachel Blitt unleashed back-to-back darts on the way to a 13-13 deadlock. Looking to inch ahead, CNU capitalized on a string of MU miscues and kills by Miller and Hope Webb to grab control with an 18-14 advantage.
 
Although the Big Blue retaliated and managed to pull back within one, Christopher Newport regrouped and put the frame away after a late timeout. Newsome drove home the final few nails as she teamed up with Miller on a block before unleashing a dagger off a feed from Webb to ice the first, 25-21.
 
In the second stanza, Millikin ran out to an 8-5 lead before the Captains shot back. Taking over at the line, Josie Lucernoni kept the opposition on its heels with pinpoint accuracy, including a pair of aces, to headline a seven-point run that gave CNU a 12-8 edge. Later, Newsome and Maddie McCann dropped in two kills apiece before Garrison helped put the set away.
 
During a huge four-point surge, Garrison unloaded a kill and two aces to force a timeout by Millikin. Although the Big Blue managed to fire back with a four-point run of their own, Christopher Newport never lost control. Eventually, Webb earned set-point with her second kill of the contest before Blitt cleaned things up with the clincher to lock down the 25-20 triumph.
 
After dropping the first two sets, Millikin responded in the third. Although Miller and Blitt teamed up on a pair of early blocks and Garrison added two kills, the Big Blue snuck out to an 11-9 lead. Still dominating along the net, Miller and Blitt combined on another rejection, while Garrison and McCann added four kills, but the Captains still found themselves staring squarely at a 20-17 deficit.
 
Although Newsome landed a kill to pull CNU back within two, the opposition strung together five straight winners to gain new life with a 25-18 win in the third.
 
With another match looming, the Captains tried to end things quickly in the fourth set. Miller decked a pair of kills, and Garrison notched a block and blast on the way to a fast 11-4 lead. Later, Garrison teamed up with Newsome on another rejection before Blitt and Webb knocked down back-to-back kills to snare a 19-13 advantage heading into an MU timeout.
 
Following the stoppage, the Big Blue pieced together a late push to inch within one at 22-21, but Garrison had an answer. The freshman dropped the hammer on two final rockets, including the kill shot that wrapped up the contest with a 25-23 victory in the fourth.
 
Overall, Garrison finished with 11 kills, four blocks, and a .550 hitting percentage. Miller also clubbed 10 kills on 19 swings, while Newsome contributed seven rejections. On the back row, Close pocketed 22 digs, Lucernoni added 10, and Evelyn Harper was a pristine 16-for-16 on serve-receive.
 
After a short break, Christopher Newport returned to the court for a battle with the 14th-ranked Warhawks. Picking up right where they left off in the opener, Garrison and Newsome teamed up on a pair of quick blocks, while Miller came through with two kills during the early going. McCann also added a pair of lasers to keep the visitors within one at 13-12.
 
Unfortunately, Wisconsin-Whitewater began to pull away after that point. The hosts strung together four straight winners before CNU called for a timeout. Although Webb and McCann came back with kills after the break, their efforts proved to be too little, too late. Eventually, behind another four-point surge, UWW took the first frame, 25-19.
 
Looking to retaliate, Newsome got off to another fast start in the second frame. The junior standout pumped three kills, while Close snapped off an ace during an early rally, which helped CNU sneak out to an 11-8 lead. Moments later, Newsome returned with a block and kill in the span of three rallies to help Christopher Newport keep a slim edge at 13-12. Sadly, after that point, things began to go awry.
 
Wisconsin-Whitewater caught fire and won 10 straight rallies despite a pair of timeouts by the Captains. Although Miller eventually ended the run with a kill and Katie Crofford smacked an ace, the damage had already been done. The Warhawks shook off the momentary setback and rolled to the 25-17 triumph.
 
Entering their eighth set of the day, the Captains stumbled early in the third against UWW. Despite two kills and a block by Newsome, the hosts stole a 10-7 lead. Battling back on the defensive end, Miller, McCann, Garrison, and Webb all assisted on blocks during the middle of the frame, but the Warhawks were undeterred. Eventually, Wisconsin-Whitewater stretched its lead to 19-11 to put CNU against the wall.
 
Showing heart at the end, Miller and Webb joined forces on another block, Close ripped an ace, and Garrison added a late kill to help cut CNU's deficit down to three. However, their comeback simply fell short as the squad ran out of time on the way to a 25-21 setback.
 
During the match, McCann had a team-high eight kills, while Newsome, Miller, and Garrison all played a role in four blocks. On the back end, Close added 15 digs, and Crofford was perfect on her 12 reception attempts.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday for the final two matches of the Wisconsin-Whitewater Invitational. The Captains will take on Carroll at 10 a.m. before facing St. Norbert at noon.
 
---CNU---