FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Claiming the program's second straight Capital Athletic Conference Championship, the 25th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament as the Captains survived a back-and-forth battle to upend Mary Washington, 3-2 (26-24, 25-17, 22-25, 21-25, 15-13), in the title bout on Saturday evening at the Ron Rosner Arena.
 
Piecing together an epic defensive effort, CNU registered 17 blocks during the contest, which marked the sixth-highest single-match total in program history and the third-highest in a postseason tilt. Leading the way, Megan O'Hara frustrated the opposition with a career-high nine rejections. Riley Garrison also assisted on seven blocks, while Kellyn DeChirico had her hand in six stops.
 
Along with her defensive efforts, O'Hara was electric on the other end as well. The sophomore laced 16 kills and hit .368 against the Eagles. Her 16 blasts also established a new career-high. Meanwhile, Katie Piper and Katie Crofford landed 11 kills apiece, while DeChirico clubbed seven on 16 swings.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 25-5 on the season and earns a spot in the program's 12th straight NCAA Tournament. The Captains will find out their destination on Monday at 12:30 p.m. The selection show will be broadcast on NCAA.com.
 
The setback drops Mary Washington to 20-11 on the season.
 
Making the victory even more impressive, Saturday's win marked the first time the Captains claimed a CAC title in hostile territory. The program's previous four league championships came in the cozy confines of the Freeman Center. Christopher Newport last won a league title on the opposition's home court in 2005 when the program posted a similar five-set win at Greensboro to claim the USA South crown.
 
After winning the first two sets on Saturday, the Captains withstood a late comeback bid by the hosts. Mary Washington eventually evened the match and forced a fifth set, but Christopher Newport held on. Following the same script in the final stanza, CNU vaulted out to a 7-3 lead before the Eagles stormed back and stole a 13-12 advantage heading into a timeout.
 
Following the stoppage, Garrison unloaded back-to-back kills to earn match point before Crofford drove home the final nail to lock up the championship with a 15-13 triumph.
 
The victory marked Christopher Newport's second straight five-set win in the CAC Tournament after the squad upended York (Pa.), 3-2, in a semifinal clash on Thursday. It also was the second straight year the Captains eliminated the Eagles in a marathon battle after CNU won the 2017 title in a similar five-set thriller.
 
In addition to the stellar work by the stars on the front row, Josie Lucernoni secured 13 digs, handed out five assists, and converted 27 of her 28 reception attempts. Rebecca Frey, who was one of the heroes on Thursday with four clutch aces against York, continued her strong postseason run with 13 digs and a flawless 17-for-17 effort on serve-receive as well.
 
Equally effective on the defensive side, Crofford added a double-double after pocketing 15 digs to go along with her 11 kills. Piecing together a well-rounded effort, the junior also converted 30 of her 31 reception attempts and blasted two aces. Garrison and Hope Webb also clocked a pair of winners for the Captains. With her pair, Webb finished the CAC Tournament with nine total aces during the squad's three matches.
 
Along with her work at the service line, Webb also tallied 20 assists on Saturday, while Lauren Tracy dished out 28.
 
Capping off a strong tournament, O'Hara finished the playoffs with 31 kills and 14 blocks. Piper also pounded 31 total kills during the three matches to go along with 16 digs. Meanwhile, DeChirico collected 13 blocks during the CAC Tournament, and Garrison sent back 11 attack attempts to help limit the opposition to a miniscule .133 hitting percentage during the postseason.
 
---CNU---