ASTON, Pa. - Christopher Newport Volleyball picked up a pair of 3-0 wins over Widener and Catholic to finish off a 4-0 trip as the champions at the Knights Invitational, hosted by Neumann University. The wins extended the CNU winning streak to six matches.

Sammy Carroll was named the MVP of the invitational while Riley Garrison joined her on the All-Tournament team. Carroll contributed 10.6 assists per set to go with overall totals of 117 assists, seven kills, five aces, 20 digs, and three blocks. Garrison posted 31 kills (3.1 per set) with six blocks.

Christopher Newport (10-6) rolled over Widener (4-12) 25-17, 25-19, 25-12 in the first match. CNU opened the first set 7-2 and expanded the lead to 10-3. After gradually building the lead up to eight, 19-11, Widener scored four of the next five points to get within five at 20-15, but that would be the closest it would get as the Captains rolled off four of the last five points with Sammy Carroll ending it on a service ace.

Widener started the second set on a high note, leading 9-4, but the Captains cut the deficit to one at 9-8 and 11-10. With Widener hanging on by a thread at 14-11, Christopher Newport took over with eight of the next nine points to go ahead 19-15. Widener picked up two straight and three of five to stay within three at 21-18 but was not able to complete the comeback as the Captains finished off the set taking four of the final five behind two Katie Crofford service aces and kills from Garrison and Katie Piper.

The third set was lopsided from the beginning with CNU building leads of 7-2, 11-3. They would lead by at least eight the rest of the set.

Riley Garrison registered 10 kills on just one error in 17 total attacks to go with three blocks. Sammy Carrol tallied 26 assists with an ace, a block, four digs, and two kills. Katie Piper added eight kills, two aces, and eight digs. Katie Crofford contributed six kills, three aces, a block, and three digs. Abby Oren and Mackenzie Wright each tallied six kills and two blocks. Rebecca Frey totaled three aces and six digs.

Catholic proved to be a tougher opponent, but the Captains would prevail 29-27, 25-15, 25-21.

Catholic started things off in dominant fashion. With the set tied at 1-1, the Cardinals rolled off eight straight points to lead 9-1. The Captains regrouped to get within four at 11-7, but Catholic tallied the next five points to go ahead by nine at 16-7. With Catholic on the precipice of winning the set at 21-15, CNU flipped the script and reeled off six consecutive points, highlighted by two points apiece from Riley Garrison and Katie Crofford along with a Kayleigh-Reagan Smith ace.

Catholic picked up the next point on a service ace to go up 22-21, but Sammy Carroll connected with Riley Garrison for two straight kills to give CNU their first lead of the set at 23-22. Catholic tallied the next two points to go ahead 24-23, but the squads traded the following two points to keep Catholic ahead 25-24 as the set went into extras.

Carroll fed Katie Piper for the next two points of the set to give CNU a one-point cushion, but a pair of Christopher Newport service errors were sandwiched around an Abby Oren kill to leave the game knotted at 27-27. The Captains then slammed the door shut on Catholic to complete a remarkable comeback as Oren teamed with Mackenzie Wright and Garrison on back-to-back blocks to get the 29-27 win.

With momentum and emotion riding high from the comeback, CNU kept things rolling into the second frame, building up leads of 7-3 and 16-6. No huge comeback was in the works for the Cardinals as they trailed by no less than six the rest of the way with Carroll and Garrison finishing it off with a block for point #25.

The final game was back and forth throughout. Catholic opened up an 8-5 edge, but the next four points went in the favor of Christopher Newport and the Captains extended it to a 9-2 spurt to go up 14-10. The lead stayed at four up thru 19-15, but CNU pushed the lead to six at 22-16. Catholic picked up the following four points to make things interesting at 22-20, but each team committed a service error down the stretch while Crofford and Oren picked up kills for the final score of 25-21.

Riley Garrison posted 13 points with three blocks, and Sammy Carroll tallied 40 assists with nine digs, two blocks, and an ace. Katie Piper double-doubled with 11 kills and 10 digs to go with two service aces. Abby Oren knocked in eight kills with three rejections. Mackenzie Wright smashed home seven kills and added two blocks. Katie Crofford contributed eight digs, six kills, and four aces. Rebecca Frey posted seven digs, three aces, and three assists, and Kayleigh Reagan-Smith added four digs and two aces.

Christopher Newport will take their win streak to the nation's capital, Washington D.C., this weekend for the Worthington Classic hosted by Gallaudet University. Friday's opponents include York College (Pa.) in the Captains Capital Athletic Conference opener at 2 pm followed by a 6 pm bout with Bethany College. A rematch with Catholic awaits on Saturday at 10 am and then an opponent to be determined later in the day.