Christopher Newport dropped No. 24 Ithaca in straight sets on Friday night to advance to the regional championship for the first time since 2014.
First Set (Captains 26-24)
A strong CNU attack that only recorded two errors in the first set brought the Captains out in front in the first set. A kill from
Macy Burk brought the score to 24-21 and a CNU set point.
Maddie Carter's attack down the line narrowly missed, and Ithaca took the next two points as well to tie the score at 24.
Sammy Carroll dumped a set over the net to return the lead to CNU, and a soft kill from Kyla MyIntyre claimed the first set for the Captains.
Second Set (Captains 25-17)
The Captains hit their best percentage of the match at .300 in the second set. CNU won the first three points, but Ithaca responded and evened the score shortly after. An Ithaca service error tied the score at ten, but also started a run that saw the Captains take complete control of the second set, taking 11 of 14 points and a 21-13 lead. Ace from
Anna Dean wrapped up the second set in favor of Christopher Newport.
Third Set (Captains 25-21)
Stingy defense from the Captains held the Bombers to a .000 hitting percentage in the third set.
Maddie Carter struck her team leading 11th kill to give the Captains a 21-17 advantage.
Macy Burk later followed with her own kill to start three straight CNU points. After grabbing two points in a row, Ithaca's serve went past the back line, giving the Captains passage to the region final.
News & Notes
- This marks the sixth time the Captains have advanced to the region final in program history, the first since 2014.
- CNU had double-digit kills in all three sets.
- The win is CNU's first over a ranked team since Sept. 17, when the Captains knocked off No. 14 Johns Hopkins.
Up Next
The Captains advance to play the hosts, Juniata, in the region championship. That match is set to start at 5:00 pm on Saturday.
