NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 22nd-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team kicked off Capital Athletic Conference action with a three-set sweep as the Captains took down St. Mary's (Md.), 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-21), during the league opener on Friday evening at the Freeman Center.
 
Leading the way for CNU, Abby Oren drilled 11 kills on just 20 swings while hitting at a .450 clip. Katie Crofford also clubbed seven kills on 16 attempts, while Megan O'Hara had five on seven swings. Overall, the Captains utilized a well-balanced attack to race past the Seahawks as seven players dropped in multiple kills to seal the conference victory.
 
Along with the stars up front, Josie Lucernoni secured 15 digs, while Ashley Burgess plucked six and added eight assists. Tylar McGill also dished out 14 helpers in two sets of work, while Hope Webb chipped in with nine during a stellar effort in the third frame.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 14-3 overall, including 1-0 in league action. The setback drops St. Mary's (Md.) to 3-11 with an 0-1 mark in CAC play.
 
Holding the Seahawks to an .022 hitting percentage during the match, the Captains posted seven total blocks during the victory. Katelyn Newsome led the way and assisted on three rejections, while Crofford, Rachel Blitt, and Brooke Stanley all helped out on a pair of blocks. Kellyn DeChirico came through with a solo stop in the second set as well.
 
In the first stanza, CNU capitalized on a mid-set surge to flip a 5-4 edge into a commanding 19-12 lead. O'Hara was electric throughout the set as the freshman dropped in four kills on just five attempts. Newsome also assisted on three blocks, including the final rejection, to lock up the 25-17 triumph.
 
With some momentum, the Captains stormed out to a tremendous 15-5 lead in the second set before St. Mary's whistled for a timeout. Following the stoppage, the Seahawks whittled their deficit down to six on multiple occasions, but CNU never lost control. Oren and Katie Piper both dropped in three kills during the set, while Tiaralyn McBride came back with the final nail after landing an ace to seal another 25-17 win.
 
Following a similar script in the third set, Christopher Newport rolled out to a 14-8 lead and withstood a rally by St. Mary's to close out the sweep. Although the visitors inched back within a pair of points late in the stanza, Crofford and Oren wrapped things up with kills to ice the 25-21 victory. Oren finished the set with six kills on seven attempts, while Crofford had five on eight.
 
CNU will return to action tomorrow at noon when the Captains continue CAC play with a bout against Marymount at the Freeman Center.
 
---CNU---