NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Josie Lucernoni recorded her 1000th career dig and helped lead the 24th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team to an epic come-from-behind victory as the Captains stunned Bridgewater, 3-2 (21-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-11), during a non-conference showdown on Tuesday evening at the Freeman Center.
 
During the contest, Lucernoni pocketed a match-high 25 digs, including the 1000th of her career. With that performance, the reigning CAC Volleyball Player of the Week became the 13th Captain to reach that mark and the first since Rachel Close joined the exclusive club in 2015.
 
Along with her 25 digs, Lucernoni also went 24-for-24 on serve-receive. The senior libero has now converted 104 consecutive reception attempts dating back to September 19. That stands as the longest run of her career and the best streak by any Captain since Evelyn Harper ripped off 146 straight during the 2016 campaign.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 11-3 on the season and extends its winning streak to six straight matches. Meanwhile, the setback drops Bridgewater to 14-4 overall.
 
After dropping the first two sets, the Captains regrouped entering the third frame. Although the Eagles managed to slip out to a modest 11-9 lead in the stanza, CNU fired back. Katie Crofford used a light touch to drop a floater over a block attempt to kick off a four-point run. Later, Kellyn DeChirico lit up a back-row defender with a rocket before Katie Piper sent back an overpass following a screaming serve by Tiaralyn McBride.
 
Snatching a 15-12 lead, Christopher Newport never looked back. Although the visitors managed to whittle their deficit down to one on multiple occasions, the Captains never relented. Lucernoni and Lauren Tracy snapped off aces during the latter part of the frame, while Piper came through with a heads-up play. The junior absolutely unloaded on a block attempt, and although the Eagles managed to get enough on the ball to send it back over the net, Piper simply regrouped and tipped it over the out-stretched arms of the BC front row for a well-placed kill.
 
With little left to prove, Mackenzie Wright and Megan O'Hara walled off the near pin for the clinching block to lock up the 25-22 triumph.
 
Keeping the momentum, the Captains got off on the right foot in the fourth frame. On the second rally of the set, Hope Webb saved a ricochet with her back towards the net. Incredibly, she lofted a pinpoint, no-look, cross-court feed to Crofford, who capitalized for the highlight-reel kill. Later, Piper and Lucernoni both dropped in aces that dripped over the net before Webb connected with DeChirico on a back set to grab a 10-7 lead.
 
Although Bridgewater fought back and regained a 14-12 advantage, Christopher Newport answered. First, Crofford floated a kill over her head that just glanced off the top of the net and dropped in for a kill. Meanwhile, O'Hara unloaded on two darts, including a bullet that bounced into press row, which handed CNU a 19-16 lead. After that point, DeChirico landed two kills before O'Hara came back with the clincher to lock up a 25-21 triumph.
 
Back on even ground, Bridgewater slipped out to an 8-4 lead in the fifth frame, but CNU had a response. Crofford knocked home an overpass during a three-point surge that pulled the Captains back within one at 8-7. Later, Lucernoni came back with a solid run to give the hosts the lead. Putting a solid punctuation mark on her night, she hammered two aces during a five-point rally, which earned CNU a 12-9 lead heading into a Bridgewater timeout.
 
Moments later, after a scramble, Lucernoni sent a perfect feed out to DeChirico, who hammered a shot along the far pin to earn match-point at 14-10. Although Bridgewater held off for one rally, Riley Garrison put an end to the festivities after blasting a rocket through a block attempt to ice the 15-11 victory.
 
O'Hara eventually finished the match with 13 kills and five blocks, while Garrison and Piper added 11 kills apiece. Wright also helped out on five rejections, and Tracy contributed a double-double with 30 assists and 13 digs.
 
Although the final three sets provided most of the highlights for the Captains, the first two included Lucernoni's historic showing. She plucked seven digs in the first frame, including a great save from her knees on a tough shot down the far sideline. Closing in on 1000, she came back with six more digs in the second stanza, including her milestone effort.
 
During her push for 1000, she made another great play from her knees on a quick hitter to stymie a BC attack attempt. Later, she added her 999th and 1000th digs on the same rally. Keeping the court clean, she saved a soft bounce off a block attempt before snagging a hard liner in the back corner for the milestone.
 
Along with Lucernoni's work on the back row, Crofford picked up 18 digs during the match and converted 27 of her 28 reception attempts. Abby Oren also went 9-for-9 on serve-receive during her time on the court.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Friday when the squad hosts a twin bill against St. Mary's (Md.) and Marymount beginning at 5 p.m.
 
---CNU---