Christopher Newport University

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Hours after moving up a spot in the latest AVCA National Coaches Poll, the 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team continued its winning ways as the Captains took down William Peace, 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-21), during a non-conference tilt on Tuesday evening at the Freeman Center.
 
Putting the entire roster on display, Christopher Newport saw 14 different Captains record at least one point during the three-set victory. Katelyn Newsome led the charge with seven kills and three blocks, including a pair of solo stops. Katie Piper also laced seven kills, while Riley Garrison had six on 10 swings. Overall, CNU notched a .309 hitting percentage during the match, which marked the squad's sixth-highest of the season.
 
Helping balance out the potent attack, Ashley Burgess collected a match-high 15 assists and drilled four aces. Tylar McGill also contributed 12 helpers, while Hope Webb had 11. Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Josie Lucernoni pocketed a match-high 10 digs. That marked her 18th consecutive double-digit effort, which stands as the second-longest streak in program history. Former teammate Rachel Close notched at least 10 digs in 24 straight appearances from October 24, 2015 through September 27, 2016.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 18-3 on the season. The setback drops William Peace to 10-13.
 
In the first frame, the Captains cruised out to a 15-3 lead, which included three straight aces by Burgess. Although the Pacers were able to cut their deficit back down to single digits for a moment, Abby Oren clocked three late kills, while Piper pumped a pair to help close out the 25-12 triumph.
 
Still rolling in the second set, Burgess drilled another ace, while Garrison and Newsome unloaded two kills apiece to help lock up an 11-4 lead following a WPU timeout. Looking to extend the advantage, Kellyn DeChirico came through with two kills during a mid-set surge before Lucernoni unleashed back-to-back aces to grab a 10-point edge at 19-9. From there, Webb knocked down an ace before assisting on the final dagger by Zoe Smith, which iced the 25-15 triumph.
 
In the third stanza, William Peace kept pace with the Captains in the early going as the two squads fought to an 8-8 tie. Quickly breaking the deadlock, Megan O'Hara punched a kill before Garrison added two straight darts to grab an 11-8 advantage. After that point, CNU never lost its lead. Rachel Blitt came through with a block and blast, and Smith added two late kills to close out the match with a 25-21 win.
 
Overall, Smith finished with four kills on nine attempts, while DeChirico had four on seven swings. Christopher Newport also shined on serve-receive as the Captains converted all 46 of their reception attempts. Katie Crofford was flawless on 22 attempts, while Piper, Lucernoni, and Allie Plumlee all had at least five successful conversions.
 
CNU will return to action on Thursday when the squad heads up to Fredericksburg for a Capital Athletic Conference match-up with Mary Washington at 7 p.m.
 
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