WHITEWATER, Wisc. -- The 13th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team capped off its Midwestern road trip with a pair of sweeps as the Captains took down Carroll, 3-0 (25-13,25-15,25-20), before upending St. Norbert, 3-0 (29-27,25-23,25-14), on the final day of the Wisconsin-Whitewater Invitational on Saturday at the Kachel Fieldhouse and Russell Arena.
 
During the two matches, Hannah Miller and Maddie McCann both roped 20 kills, while Hope Webb averaged over 10 assists per set and laced five aces. The freshman setter also recorded her second double-double of the week after totaling 28 assists and 12 digs against Carroll. Fellow first-year standout Riley Garrison also capped off an impressive tournament with 16 kills and a .448 hitting percentage.
 
For their efforts during the two-day invitational, McCann and Miller both secured All-Tournament honors. McCann led the Captains with 36 kills during the weekend, while Miller pounded 34 to go along with a .360 hitting percentage. She also contributed a team-high 13 blocks.
 
With the two victories, Christopher Newport improves to 12-4 on the season. St. Norbert is 5-12 and Carroll is 5-10.
 
In the opener on Saturday, the two teams found themselves deadlocked at nine before Rachel Blitt found her groove. The freshman hammered back-to-back kills on the way to a Pioneer timeout. Following the stoppage, she came back with another dart before Evelyn Harper pounded an ace to help lock up a comfortable 16-10 advantage.
 
Following a block by Webb and Miller, McCann closed out the action. Stepping up with a late surge, the senior drilled four kills, including three straight winners, to help earn set-point. With nothing left to prove, Webb capped off the first with an ace, which sealed the impressive 25-13 triumph.
 
In the second stanza, the Captains wiggled out to a modest 9-6 lead before a sensational mid-set surge put the game out-of-reach. Headlining a thunderous seven-point run, Miller notched three kills and a block, while Harper dropped in another ace to snatch a double-digit edge at 16-6. Although Carroll was able to pull back within 10 on several occasions, CNU's lead was never in doubt.
 
Over the final few rallies, Garrison and McCann both notched two kills apiece, while Rachel Close anchored the back row and added an ace to help ease into the 25-15 victory.
 
After a pair of one-sided affairs, Christopher Newport faced a tougher challenge in the third. Katie Piper roped two quick kills, while Webb and Katie Crofford cracked aces, but the Captains only managed a one-point lead at 12-11. Later, while still nursing a modest advantage, Garrison stretched the lead with an ace before Mary Kathryn Hall dropped a dagger on the Pioneers to push the edge to 20-17.
 
Inching towards the victory, Miller kicked off a four-point streak with a kill, while Crofford unleashed her second ace of the contest to help secure match-point. Although Carroll staved off the inevitable for two rallies, Webb brought the game to a close with her first kill to nail down the 25-20 win.
 
Overall, McCann led the team with 11 kills, and Miller had nine on just 13 swings. Defensively, Close and Webb picked up 12 digs apiece, while Crofford had seven and flawlessly converted her five reception attempts.
 
With one win in the books, CNU returned to the court and went to work early on St. Norbert in the nightcap. McCann found her rhythm quickly with three darts before Garrison blistered two kills of her own during a four-point run, which helped the Captains lock up a 12-5 lead. Unfortunately, the tide turned as the Green Knights strung together seven straight winners to even the score at 12.
 
Digging in for a gritty battle, Christopher Newport capitalized on three kills by Miller and an ace by Webb to grab a slim 20-19 lead heading into an SNC timeout. Following the break, St. Norbert managed to rebound and snatch a pair of set-points, but CNU brushed aside both attempts. Later, kills by Garrison gave the Captains a pair of late one-point leads before a Green Knight error finally closed out the set and handed CNU a hotly-contested 29-27 victory.
 
Fittingly, after the contentious first set, the two teams found themselves knotted at nine early in the second. Uninterested in embarking on another seesaw battle, the Captains took control in the middle of the stanza. Blitt fired three kills, while Harper smacked an ace to help the team take a 17-13 lead. Unfortunately, St. Norbert had a response.
 
Battling back at the tail end of the set, the Green Knights tied the score at 18 and kept things interesting until the very end. Miller retaliated with two kills, while McCann and Katelyn Newsome also chipped in with bullets to help earn set-point at 24-22. Two rallies later, Garrison took a pass from Webb and rocketed the clincher to ice the second, 25-23.
 
Keeping the Captains on their heels, St. Norbert slipped out to a modest 8-7 lead in the third set before Christopher Newport fired back. Unwilling to take part in another back-and-forth battle, CNU ripped off a seven-point streak, including two kills by Garrison and an ace by Josie Lucernoni, to secure a 14-8 advantage. Later, Blitt came back with two straight lasers to keep a comfy lead at 17-10.
 
Facing a long flight back to Virginia, the Captains made sure to end their trip on a high note with a great run at the end of the match. Showing off its offensive diversity, the team took advantage of kills by Blitt, Webb, Miller, and McCann to gain a 22-11 lead. Shortly thereafter, McCann added another shot to help earn match-point before Close brought an end to the festivities with an ace, which sealed the 25-14 win.
 
Against the Green Knights, Miller clubbed a team-high 11 kills, while Garrison had 10. Blitt and McCann also contributed nine apiece, and Webb dished out 36 assists. On the defensive end, Close finished with 16 digs, and Lucernoni collected 12 to go along with a 21-for-21 effort on serve-receive. Harper also converted all 12 of her reception attempts against St. Norbert.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Tuesday when the team hosts William Peace at 7 p.m.
 
---CNU---