NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Katie Piper was honored as the Most Valuable Player, while three of her teammates also earned a spot on the All-Tournament squad as the Christopher Newport volleyball team wrapped up a perfect weekend during the Captains Classic after registering two more sweeps against Neumann (25-14, 25-21, 25-13) and Meredith (25-19, 25-13, 25-18) on Saturday at the Freeman Center.
 
During the two-day tournament, Piper posted a tournament-high 52 kills while hitting at a .325 clip. She also collected a pair of double-doubles, including an 11-kill, 10-dig showcase against Neumann in the opener on Saturday. Meanwhile, Katie Crofford, Josie Lucernoni, and Katelyn Newsome also earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for their work during the opening weekend of the 2017 campaign.
 
During the four matches, Crofford finished with 23 kills, 28 digs, and a .974 reception percentage. Just as effective on serve-receive, Lucernoni converted 24 of her 25 reception attempts during the tournament and added a 4.50 digs-per-set average. Newsome was sturdy on the front row, blasting 23 kills while chipping in with eight blocks.
 
With the two victories on Saturday, Christopher Newport improves to 4-0 on the season. Neumann and Meredith both leave Newport News with 1-3 records.
 
In the opener on Saturday, the Captains got things rolling with a gritty effort in the first set against Neumann. Lucernoni and Hope Webb both hit the floor for diving saves on an early rally, while Newsome added a tip and dart off the block to help pace the offensive attack. Later, Tiaralyn McBride painted the sideline with an ace, and Crofford kept the court clean with a sprawling dig of her own during a three-point rally that gave the hosts a 15-8 edge.
 
Still leading by seven at 21-14, Christopher Newport put an end to the early action with a late push. McBride kept the Knights off-balance with a steady stream of well-placed serves before Crofford drilled a shot off the block and Megan O'Hara went straight down the middle of the NU defense for the clinching kill to lock up a 25-14 victory.
 
In the second stanza, Riley Garrison opened up with two straight kills before Cat Boyle snapped off back-to-back aces on the way to a 7-1 edge. Shortly thereafter, O'Hara came through with a block and blast during a five-point streak in the middle of the frame to snatch a 15-5 lead following a Neumann timeout.
 
Holding a double-digit advantage, the Captains cruised to the victory. Abby Oren jump-started the late surge by flashing some power along the pin with her second kill of the set. Later, Boyle connected with O'Hara on a cross-court feed that caught the Knights out-of-position, while Webb sniped an ace to take a 22-14 lead.
 
Although Neumann fought hard to cut the deficit back down to two at 23-21, CNU regrouped in a timeout. Following the stoppage, Brooke Stanley knocked a kill off the sideline before an NU miscue gave the Captains a 25-21 triumph.
 
Looking to end the match quickly, Piper dropped five quick kills on the Knights, including a bolt that ricocheted high into press row. Crofford and Ashley Burgess also clocked aces during the early surge, which eventually gave CNU a comfortable 20-8 advantage following another Neumann timeout.
 
Once again, the Knights made a solid run at the end of the set, but O'Hara and Garrison closed off the far pin to help stifle the surge with a back-breaking block before McBride fired another ace to help seal the 25-13 win.
 
Overall, Piper finished the contest with 11 kills, 10 digs, and an ace, while Crofford had six kills to go along with a team-high 11 digs. Tylar McGill also paced the Captains with 18 assists in the opener.
 
Following a mid-day break, Christopher Newport returned to the court to close out the tournament with another bout against Meredith. Continuing her Saturday showcase, Crofford opened the nightcap with two kills and a block. Later, McGill showed her athleticism with an out-stretched save to prevent an overpass that Oren eventually deposited for a kill. Moments later, O'Hara tooled the block and both Lucernoni and Webb roped aces to snatch a 16-12 lead heading into a Neumann timeout.
 
After the stoppage, Piper handcuffed a defender with an absolute screamer before Lucernoni flashed her defensive skills with a nice cover on a setter dump before chipping in with an assist on a shot by Crofford. With everything going right for the Captains, Crofford laced two more kills, Oren split a double-block along the far pin, and Garrison added a kill and rejection to help put the first set on ice, 25-19.
 
In the second stanza, Christopher Newport flashed its firepower from the start. Piper blistered a back-row defender before Garrison made Meredith pay for an overpass with a gym-rattling rocket on the first two rallies. Later, O'Hara added a pair of darts, including a shot off the block, while Crofford sent back another overpass to lock up a 14-6 lead.
 
Later in the frame, the squad opened the floodgates with a brutal assault. Piper bruised the tape with a back-row bullet, which eventually deflected over the net and dripped into open spaces. Garrison also lit up another overpass before Piper uncorked a screamer that gave the team a 20-9 advantage. With little left to prove, Burgess made a spectacular diving play to keep a rally alive on the way to an MC error before two more miscues helped lock up the 25-13 triumph for CNU.
 
One set away from a perfect opening weekend, the Captains vaulted out to another quick lead. Oren smacked a kill off the body of a back-row defender, while Webb launched back-to-back aces to steal a fast 15-7 lead. Just as active on the defensive end, Sam Plesce and Rachel Blitt teamed up to close off the far pin with a huge block during a mid-set rally that gave the hosts a 23-14 edge.
 
Although Meredith managed to cut the deficit down to six, Newsome had an answer. The senior stepped up with two final kills, including a rocket through an MC block attempt, to finish off the Avenging Angels, 25-18.
 
Crofford wrapped up the contest with 10 kills, five digs, and a 20-for-21 effort on serve-receive. Piper also unleashed eight kills to go along with 14 digs, while Garrison assisted on four of the squad's seven blocks.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on September 8 for the start of the two-day Southwestern University Tournament in Georgetown, Texas.
 
---CNU---