Salisbury, MD - Christopher Newport split a pair of matches in Salisbury, Maryland, on Saturday, falling to Salisbury 3-0 before bouncing back with a 3-1 victory over Scranton.

Salisbury 3, Christopher Newport 0 (25-17, 28-26, 25-23)

First Set

Christopher Newport matched Salisbury point for point in the early stages of the first set, with Avery Hanly delivering three kills and an ace to keep the Captains close. However, a seven-point run by the Sea Gulls put the set out of reach, and CNU dropped the first frame 25-17.

Second Set

The Captains got off to a fast start in the second set, opening with a 3-0 run powered by two kills from Hanly and an ace from Noelle Starr. Hanly and Megan James each tallied four kills in the set, and after a late rally sparked by an ace from Audrey Stenger, the Captains tied the score at 23. James' back-to-back kills gave CNU a set point at 26-25, but Salisbury answered with three consecutive points to take the set 28-26.

Third Set

CNU looked strong early in the third set, building a 14-9 lead behind kills from Megan James and Alyssa Dozier. The Sea Gulls responded, pulling ahead 23-21. James' fifth kill of the set and a block from Macy Burk tied the score at 23, but Salisbury won the final two points to seal the match with a 25-23 win.

Christopher Newport 3, Scranton 1 (25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 25-16)

First Set

The Captains stormed out to a 6-0 lead in the opening set, with Vitale firing five aces during the run. Avery Hanly led the offense with six kills in the set, and Vitale set up Alyssa Dozier for the set-winning kill to give CNU a 25-21 victory.

Second Set

Dozier and Hanly each contributed kills early in the second set as CNU built a 5-2 lead. After trailing 15-17, the Captains went on a 9-2 run to take control. Dozier added six more kills in the frame, including another set-clinching swing that gave CNU a 25-20 win.

Third Set

Scranton pushed back in a tightly contested third set. Despite late kills from Megan James and Samantha Dorn, Scranton pulled away at the end, winning four straight points to claim the set 25-21 and force a fourth frame.

Fourth Set

The Captains' defense shined in the final set, holding Scranton to a -.054 hitting percentage. After a kill from James put CNU in front, the defense forced four consecutive attack errors from the Royals. With a 21-16 lead, the Captains finished strong with a block from Dozier and Vitale, two kills from Dorn, and Vitale's eighth ace of the match to secure the 25-17 win and the match.

News & Notes

• Alyssa Vitale set a new career high with eight service aces in the win over Scranton.
• In the same match, Vitale also recorded a double-double with 43 assists and 14 digs
• Noelle Starr added 20 digs to lead the defense in the win over Scranton, her fourth 20+ dig performance in the last six matches.
• Macy Burk recorded her 300th career block on Saturday.

Up Next

After this weekend's match against one C2C opponent in Salisbury, the Captains will face two more C2C teams next weekend at the C2C Invitational. They'll face Mary Washington and UC Santa Cruz next weekend in Fredericksburg.