Christopher Newport continued their strong play with a commanding 3-0 sweep over conference rival Mary Washington, but later in the day fell to UC Santa Cruz in a hard-fought 3-1 loss.

Christopher Newport 3, Mary Washington 0

First Set 

The Captains came out firing, winning six of the first eight points against Mary Washington. Alyssa Dozier had three kills during this early run and finished the first set with five total. Despite a tight set, Christopher Newport pulled away with four straight points, including back-to-back aces from Samantha Dorn and a kill by Megan James. Dozier's fifth kill and an ace from Avery Hanly secured the first set for the Captains, 25-20.

Second Set 

Christopher Newport dominated the second set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and hitting an impressive .548 with 19 kills on 31 swings. A mid-set run of five consecutive points, fueled by kills from Megan James and Kyla McIntyre and a block from McIntyre and Macy Burk, extended the Captains' lead. Burk and McIntyre each added a kill at the end to close out a dominant 25-11 win.

Third Set 

The Captains continued their offensive dominance in the third set, hitting .444. Dorn contributed four kills, while Hanly and James each added crucial points. A block by Dozier and James followed by a James kill sealed a 25-16 victory, completing the sweep.

UC Santa Cruz 3, Christopher Newport 1

First Set 

The Captains battled hard in the opening set, with two kills each from Dorn and Dozier helping CNU reach set point. However, UC Santa Cruz mounted a comeback, winning the final four points to steal the set 26-24.

Second Set 

Christopher Newport took an early 4-2 lead in the second set behind kills from Dorn and a setter kill from Alyssa Vitale. But the Banana Slugs responded with a strong offensive performance, hitting .405 and building up a lead. Back-to-back kills from Megan James tried to spark a rally, but UC Santa Cruz closed out the set 25-15.

Third Set 

CNU came alive in the third set, scoring four straight points to stay in the match. Key plays included kills from McIntyre and Dozier, a block by Dozier and James, and an ace from Dorn. A block by Dozier and McIntyre followed by a Burk kill clinched the set 25-21 for the Captains, keeping them in the match.

Fourth Set

A kill from Avery Hanly and an ace from Alyssa Vitale help the Captains out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth set. But UCSC were able to stop the run from CNU to take control of the third set. Dorn added three kills, but Christopher Newport wasn't able to recover and dropped the fourth set.  

News & Notes

• Alyssa Vitale had another double double with 21 assists and 15 digs against UC Santa Cruz. 
• The Captains hit .371 against Mary Washington, their best percentage this season. 

Up Next

CNU will get a rematch against UC Santa Cruz on Sunday morning at 11:00 AM to wrap up the C2C Invitational.