NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The 22nd-ranked Christopher Newport University Volleyball team picked up a three-set win over Marymount in the Captains Classic, 25-21, 25-19, 25-21. The Captains improve to 2-1 on the season while Marymount drops to 0-2, with both losses coming to ranked teams. Katie Piper and Rebecca Frey were named to the All-Tournament team along with Marie Gonsar and Emma Davis of Juniata, Mackenzie Bachmann and Taylor Scalia of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Mykael Johnson of Marymount.

The first set proved to be one of runs. With the set evenly contested at 11-10 CNU, Christopher Newport picked up the next five points with three courtesy of Marymount errors along with an Abby Oren kill and a Katie Piper ace. After going up 16-10, Marymount reeled off the next four points and nine of the next 10 to roar ahead 19-17. 

The Captains bounced back as a Riley Garrison kill ignited the comeback with the Captains taking four of the next five markers to go ahead 22-20 as Megan O'Hara, Piper, and Crofford each contributed a point. The Saints drew within one on the next play, but Garrison finished off Marymount with a kill and an ace sandwiched around a Marymount attack error.

Christopher Newport dominated for much fo the second set, holding huge leads of 5-1, 13-4, and 17-8. Marymount finally found some traction after trailing 17-8, proceeding to tale the next five points to get within four, 17-13. That would be the closest they would get the rest of the set. The Captains secured four of the next five points off the backs of two Mackenzie Wright kills, a Piper kill, and a Sammy Carroll ace to go back ahead 21-14. Marymount fought back to within four, 23-19, but a CNU sealed the set with a Garrison kill and a Marymount error.

CNU rolled to open the third frame, leading 5-1 and 6-2, but the Saints clawed to within one at 8-7 and 11-10. Katie Crofford picked up the next two points via kills, but Marymount evened the score with the next three tallies. CNU pulled away with a huge 8-2 run to go ahead 21-15 as Garrison and Piper put on a clinic. Of the eight points, three came off the hands of Garrison (two kills, one block) and three from Piper (two kills, one assisted block with Wright).

The Saints stormed back to get within one points, 22-21, as they notched six of the following seven points. The Captains shut it down from there behind a Oren Kill, a Garrison rejection, and a Rebecca Frey ace to end the set and match.

Garrison notched a team-high 13.5 points on nine kills, one ace, and six blocks (one solo, five assisted). Crofford contributed 8.5 points courtesy of five kills, three aces, and one assisted block while adding eight digs. Wright also chipped in with 8.5 via seven kills, one solo block, and one assisted rejection. Carroll had a team-high 19 assists while Hope Webb dished out 12. Piper contributed five kills, two aces, two blocks, and nine digs for 8.0 points. Oren registered six kills and two assisted blocks, and Frey tallied 11 digs

Christopher Newport returns to the court next weekend in Rome, Ga. for the Berry College Tournament Friday-Saturday. They face defending national champions Emory University on Friday at 3 pm and then square off against the hosts at 7 pm.