NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Kicking off the CNU Invitational on Friday evening, the 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team split its twin bill as the Captains upended Virginia Wesleyan, 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-23), before falling to No. 20 Berry, 3-2 (26-24, 18-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-10), during a marathon nightcap at the Freeman Center.
During the two matches,
Megan O'Hara led the Captains with 21 kills and a .333 hitting percentage.
Katie Piper also clubbed 19 kills during the doubleheader, while
Riley Garrison made a little history on the defensive end. The junior registered eight blocks on Friday, bumping her season total to 105. She is now the first player in program history to record at least 100 blocks in each of her first three seasons.
Equally impressive on the defensive end,
Josie Lucernoni secured a team-high 27 digs on Friday while also converting 56 of her 57 reception attempts.
Katie Crofford also collected 23 digs and posted her second double-double of the season during the opener against Virginia Wesleyan.
With the split, Christopher Newport now stands at 21-5 on the season. The victory bumps Berry to 21-3, while Virginia Wesleyan now sits at 15-10.
In the first match of the day, CNU got revenge against Virginia Wesleyan, who posted a five-set victory against the Captains earlier this season. Leading the squad to the three-set sweep, Crofford pieced together a starring performance on both sides of the ball. The junior contributed 11 kills and 10 digs. She also tossed in an ace and a pristine 11-for-11 effort on serve-receive to round out a tremendous showcase all over the court.
Along with Crofford's work,
Abby Oren tallied 10 kills while hitting at a .400 clip. Balancing out an efficient attack, O'Hara punched eight kills on 16 swings, and
Kellyn DeChirico pummeled seven on 17 attempts. Overall, Christopher Newport finished with a .283 hitting percentage during the match, including a sparkling .483 mark during the opening set.
Helping balance out the attack,
Hope Webb contributed 20 assists against the Marlins, while
Ashley Burgess handed out 16. Burgess also popped three of the squad's seven aces. Additionally,
Tiaralyn McBride launched a key winner late in the third set to break a 22-22 deadlock on the way to the victory.
On the defensive side, Webb and Piper both plucked seven digs, while Lucernoni secured six and converted 26 of her 27 reception attempts. Along the net, DeChirico had a hand in three blocks, and O'Hara assisted on a pair.
In the nightcap, Christopher Newport held strong against No. 20 Berry in the nationally-ranked showdown. The Captains took advantage of a phenomenal performance from the service line to keep the Vikings within reach. CNU eventually finished the contest with 16 aces, marking the ninth-highest single-match total in program history and the highest in a five-set tilt.
On an individual level, Lucernoni unloaded four aces against Berry to go along with 21 digs. Webb, Crofford, and Garrison also fired three winners apiece, while Piper poked a pair. Meanwhile, on the other side, Lucernoni converted all 29 of her reception attempts, and Piper was a perfect 13-for-13.
Leading the attack, O'Hara hammered 13 kills at a .312 clip, while Piper knocked home 11. Starring on both sides of the ball, Webb and Burgess both contributed double-doubles. Webb handed out 24 assists to go with 10 digs, and Burgess contributed 21 helpers and 19 digs. Crofford rounded out the back-row stars with 13 digs and seven kills.
Capping off her historic evening, Garrison posted nine kills and seven blocks against the Vikings. DeChirico and O'Hara also assisted on five rejections apiece.
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday at noon when the squad hosts Averett on Senior Day.
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