NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team advanced to the Capital Athletic Conference Championship for the fifth straight year as the Captains upended Salisbury, 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-18, 25-13), during a semifinal bout on Thursday evening at the Freeman Center.
 
Against the Sea Gulls, Katelyn Newsome stepped up with a double-double as the senior registered 10 blocks and 10 kills while hitting at a .429 clip. Meanwhile, Katie Piper unloaded a team-high 14 kills, and Josie Lucernoni plucked 20 digs while converting all 13 of her reception attempts.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 26-3 and advances to Saturday's title bout for a date with Mary Washington, who toppled Southern Virginia in a three-set sweep on Thursday. It sets up a rematch of last year's championship, which the Eagles won in Fredericksburg. Game time is slated for noon on Saturday at the Freeman Center.
 
The setback drops Salisbury to 19-10 overall.
 
In the first frame on Thursday, Piper came out with three early kills, while Abby Oren added a pair during a mid-set surge that evened the score at 16. Later, the Sea Gulls inched ahead and earned a 22-19 advantage, but CNU fought back. Newsome stymied the SU attack with three blocks, including a pair of solo rejections, while Lucernoni drilled an ace to grab set-point at 24-22. Following a timeout, a Salisbury error eventually handed the Captains a 25-23 triumph.
 
Keeping the momentum, Katie Crofford came out with two kills and a block during the early part of the second set, but Salisbury retaliated. The visitors strung together a lengthy run to snatch a 15-9 edge heading into a CNU timeout. Following the break, Piper pumped a pair of kills and landed an ace, but the hosts could never overcome the deficit as the Sea Gulls stole a 25-18 victory.
 
In the third, Newsome stormed out with a block and blast, while Ashley Burgess snapped off an ace, but Salisbury secured a minor 13-11 edge. Flipping the script, Riley Garrison drilled two darts, while Newsome added a pair of her own and joined forces with Oren on back-to-back blocks to grab a 23-16 lead. Although Salisbury staved off the inevitable for a short time, Oren returned with a kill before an SU miscue gave Christopher Newport a 25-18 win.
 
Looking to close things out in the fourth, the Captains blew the game open in the middle of the frame. Taking over at the line, Tiaralyn McBride kept the Sea Gulls on their heels and landed an ace during a seven-point streak that handed CNU a 14-7 advantage. Later, Newsome added her final two kills and a pair of blocks to push the edge to double-digits at 21-10. Ending things quickly, Garrison came through with a solo rejection before landing the fatal blow off a feed from Burgess to ice the 25-13 victory.
 
Garrison finished the match with eight kills, while Crofford had six to go along with 17 digs. Additionally, Burgess notched a team-high 20 assists, and Tylar McGill added 19 helpers. On the defensive side, CNU finished with 12 total blocks. Along with Newsome's starring role along the net, Crofford had a hand in four rejections, while Oren, Garrison, and Megan O'Hara helped out on two apiece.
 
---CNU---