NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Starring on both sides of the ball,
Katelyn Newsome registered her first career double-double as the senior helped carry the 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team past Southern Virginia, 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-13), during a Capital Athletic Conference match on Friday evening at the Freeman Center.
Against the Knights, Newsome posted a career-high 11 blocks to go along with 10 kills. With that performance, she became the first Captain to register double-digits in both categories since former All-American
Hannah Miller had 10 kills and 10 blocks against Randolph-Macon on October 24, 2014. Additionally, her 11 blocks equaled the fourth-highest single-match total in program history and the most ever by a Captain in a four-set tilt.
Along with Newsome,
Katie Piper roped a team-high 14 kills, while
Riley Garrison collected 10 to go along with a .471 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, on the back row,
Josie Lucernoni secured 21 digs and hammered three of the team's 10 aces.
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 21-3 overall and 6-0 in league action. The setback drops Southern Virginia to 17-6 with a 5-1 mark in CAC play.
After the Knights took the opening set, CNU bounced back in the second frame. Newsome led the early surge with two blocks and a kill, while Lucernoni stung an ace on the way to a 10-5 edge. Although Southern Virginia cut its deficit down to one, the Captains never lost their lead.
Tylar McGill had an ace, kill, and assist during a six-point streak in the middle of the frame before Newsome came back with another solo block to help secure set-point at 24-17. Following an SVU timeout, McGill dropped in the clincher with a kill to snatch a 25-17 triumph.
Still rolling in the second set, McGill stung a pair of early aces, while Garrison pumped two kills to help grab a 9-6 lead. Once again, Southern Virginia battled back and managed to knot the score at 15, but Christopher Newport had a response at the tail end of the set. Newsome and
Kellyn DeChirico teamed up on three late blocks, while
Katie Crofford landed the final nail with a kill off a feed from McGill to lock up the 25-19 win.
Looking to close things out in the fourth, Newsome remained lethal on both sides of the ball. The senior notched two blocks and a kill before Garrison added a pair of blasts of her own on the way to a 10-5 edge. Still tormenting the Knights in the middle of the stanza, Newsome joined up with Crofford on her final two rejections, while
Abby Oren punched a pair of kills to push the lead to 19-10 heading into an SVU timeout. Following the break,
Tiaralyn McBride laced an ace, while Piper knocked down two kills, including the final shot, to ice the 25-13 triumph.
McGill finished the match with 19 assists and three aces, while
Ashley Burgess led the squad with 21 helpers. Helping quiet the Knights on serve-receive, Crofford converted all 36 of her reception attempts while adding six digs.
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the squad hosts Frostburg State in the regular season home finale at 1 p.m.
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