YORK, Pa. -- The 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team locked up the outright Capital Athletic Conference regular season championship on Friday evening as the Captains stormed past York (Pa.), 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-20), during a CAC showdown at the Wolf Gymnasium.
 
Guiding CNU to its 11th straight victory, Riley Garrison put on a show along the net as the sophomore tied the single-match program record with 12 blocks, including a pair of solo stops. Her 12 total rejections also established a new school standard for a three-set tilt. Beth Ann Pauler set the previous record of 11 during a sweep against Chowan on September 29, 1993.
 
Along with Garrison's work on the defensive end, Megan O'Hara assisted on four blocks for the Captains, while Katelyn Newsome and Katie Piper had a hand in three apiece. Overall, the Captains finished with 14 stops, falling just 1.5 blocks short of the program record for a three-set match. The Captains had 15.5 rejections during a 3-0 victory against Eastern Mennonite on September 1, 2001.
 
With the victory, the Captains improve to 23-3 on the season, including 8-0 in league action. The win also guarantees CNU the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the upcoming CAC Tournament.
 
On the other side, York (Pa.) now stands at 19-8 overall with a 5-3 mark in CAC play.
 
In addition to her work on the defensive end, Piper also roped a team-high 12 kills while hitting .370. Newsome and Katie Crofford also punched four kills apiece. Helping feed the hitters, Ashley Burgess dished out a team-high 13 assists, while Tylar McGill handed out a dozen helpers.
 
On the back row, Allie Plumlee posted her first double-digit dig effort after pocketing 10 against the Spartans. The freshman was also flawless on 12 reception attempts. Additionally, Piper added six digs for CNU, and Crofford was 15-for-16 on serve-receive. Tiaralyn McBride chipped in with three ups and peppered one of the team's five aces as well.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action tomorrow for a pair of matches in Pennsylvania. The Captains will open the day with a 10 a.m. bout at Penn State Harrisburg before traveling to Messiah for a 4 p.m. tilt.
 
---CNU---