GEORGETOWN, Texas -- The Christopher Newport volleyball team split a pair of matches on the first day of the Southwestern University Tournament as the Captains upended Puget Sound, 3-0 (25-22,25-23,25-16), in the opener before falling to No. 3 Southwestern, 3-2 (25-23,25-14,23-25,11-25,21-19), during a marathon battle on Friday evening at the Robertson Center.
 
With their sweep in the opener, the Captains posted their fifth consecutive 3-0 victory to start the year. Only the 2012 and 2015 squads had previously started a campaign with at least five straight sweeps. Later, the team made a little more history, playing the longest fifth set in program history with the 21-19 thriller against Southwestern to close out the evening.
 
On an individual level, Riley Garrison registered 11 blocks in the nightcap against the Pirates. That equaled the fourth-highest single-match total in program history. It also marked the most by a Captain since current assistant coach Ashley Rock sent back a dozen attack attempts against Salisbury on September 30, 2014.
 
Overall, Garrison finished the doubleheader with 14 total rejections. Meanwhile, on the offensive end, Katie Piper smoked a team-high 21 kills during the twin bill, while Katelyn Newsome contributed 20 and hit .333. Megan O'Hara also chipped in with 18 blasts and a .311 hitting percentage, and Hope Webb dished out a team-high 37 assists. Abby Oren had a well-rounded day as well, tallying 11 kills and four blocks.
 
On the defensive side, Josie Lucernoni pocketed 37 digs, while Piper added 20. Katie Crofford was equally effective on the back row, converting 30 of her 31 reception attempts. The second-year standout also averaged 2.50 digs-per-set and clocked 11 kills as well.
 
With the split, Christopher Newport sits at 5-1 on the season. Meanwhile, Puget Sound stands at 3-3, while Southwestern improves to 6-0 overall.
 
Leading the charge in the opener on Friday, Newsome unloaded 10 kills on just 17 swings against the Loggers. That marked her first double-digit kill outing of the year and the second of her career. The senior also assisted on a pair of blocks against Puget Sound, while Garrison had a hand in three rejections during the match. Overall, the Captains posted five blocks and limited the opposition to a .162 hitting percentage.
 
Along with the team's defensive efforts along the net, Piper blasted nine kills and added 12 digs, while O'Hara punched eight kills and hit a team-best .368. Meanwhile, on the back row, Lucernoni collected 11 digs, and Crofford was flawless on 12 reception attempts. Tiaralyn McBride also added five digs and slammed three aces.
 
In the nightcap, Christopher Newport dropped its first two sets of the season after falling behind No.3 Southwestern, 2-0. Later, the Captains trailed 18-14 in the third frame but showed impressive resolve and never relented. Eventually, Piper came through with a block, kill, and ace during the waning moments of the set, while O'Hara also contributed a block and blast to flip the script and steal the stanza, 25-23.
 
With momentum, the Captains blistered Southwestern in the fourth frame, holding the Pirates to a -.108 hitting percentage during the set. Garrison posted three blocks in the fourth, while Crofford kept the court spotless with eight digs. Meanwhile, O'Hara laced four kills and Webb posted nine assists to help CNU lock up the lopsided 25-11 victory.
 
Back on even ground, the two teams dug in for an endless seesaw affair in the fifth. Christopher Newport brushed back five match-point attempts by Southwestern, including back-to-back kills by Newsome and O'Hara to knot the set at 14. Later, a block and kill by Piper helped the Captains earn match-point at 19-18, but the Pirates survived and stole the final three rallies to close out the marathon.
 
Along with Garrison's 11-block showcase against Southwestern, Piper laced 12 kills and chipped in with a career-high 18 digs for her third double-double of the season. Newsome also clocked 10 winners, while O'Hara added her first career double-digit kill effort as well after notching 10 blasts to go along with five blocks.
 
Lucernoni was equally masterful in the primetime bout, collecting 26 digs. Crofford also had 15, while Tylar McGill contributed a double-double with 19 assists and 10 digs.
 
CNU will return to action tomorrow when the Captains wrap up their Texas swing with a bout against East Texas Baptist at 12:30 p.m.
 
---CNU---