VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Despite a historic effort by Lauren Tracy, the 20th-ranked Christopher Newport volleyball team dropped a hard-fought five-set marathon to Virginia Wesleyan, 3-2 (22-25, 25-16, 14-25, 25-23, 15-13), during a non-conference showdown on Wednesday evening at the Batten Center.
 
During the contest, Tracy established a new single-match freshman record for assists after dishing out 60 helpers against the Marlins. That toppled the previous freshman standard of 55 established by former All-American Brittany Collins against Averett on September 26, 2004. Her 60 assists also marked the sixth-highest total by any player in CNU history and the second-best mark since the NCAA switched to 25-point sets in 2008.
 
Along with her 60 assists, Tracy also plucked 13 digs for her third consecutive double-double.
 
Equally electric on the offensive side, Katie Piper unloaded 20 kills against Virginia Wesleyan. That performance marked her second consecutive 20-kill outing after unleashing 21 blasts against No. 3 Wittenberg on September 8. Only five players in program history have collected two straight 20-kill outings, and Piper joins current head coach Lindsay Birch as the only Captains to perform the feat twice. The third-year star also fired 20 kills in consecutive matches during an outstanding postseason run in 2017.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 5-3 on the season. The victory bumps Virginia Wesleyan to 6-3.
 
Along with the headliners, Riley Garrison added 14 kills and a team-best .435 hitting percentage, while Megan O'Hara also chipped in with 13 kills. Doing solid work all over the court, Katie Crofford collected seven kills and starred on the defensive side. The junior notched nine digs and finished 42-for-42 on serve-receive. She has now converted 56 consecutive reception attempts dating back to the squad's win over No. 24 Carnegie Mellon on September 8.
 
Also lending a hand on the defensive side, Josie Lucernoni finished with a match-high 22 digs, while Piper contributed a double-double with 12 digs to go along with her 20 kills. Garrison also posted a pair of blocks, and Kellyn DeChirico added a solo stop against the Marlins.
 
During the contest, the Captains won two of the first three sets, but Virginia Wesleyan swept the final two frames, including a three-point surge at the end of the fifth stanza to flip a 13-12 deficit into a 15-13 triumph.
 
Christopher Newport will look to bounce back on Saturday when the squad opens Capital Athletic Conference action with a noon battle against York (Pa.).
 
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