LEXINGTON, Va. -- Rolling into the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the 22nd-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team kicked off the postseason with an electric 17-6 victory over Meredith during a first-round clash on Saturday afternoon at Washington and Lee's Alston Parker Watt Field.
During the contest,
Brookelyn Morrison stole the show while continuing to rewrite the record books. The senior All-American matched her career-high with nine points. That marked the highest total in an NCAA Tournament game in school history, topping Kelsey Winters' eight-point showcase against Johnson & Wales on May 13, 2023.
Along the way, Morrison deposited four goals and established a new personal-best with five assists. She also hauled in eight draw controls, which was the second-highest total in NCAA Tournament history.
In addition to Morrison,
Annabella Burke,
Faith O'Connor, and
Elena Sorkin all added hat-tricks, while
Brooklynn Peterson dropped in two strikes of her own. Rounding out the high-volume scorers,
Kate Webb pitched in with three points, including two assists.
On the defensive end, CNU forced 13 turnovers. Leading the way,
Kate Lamendola had two strips and equaled her career-high with five ground balls. Her five rollers also equaled the second-most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history, trailing only Gayle Robinson's seven ground balls against Mary Washington on May 6, 2009.
O'Connor,
Molly Campbell,
Jess Hulse, and
Sam Murphy also had two takeaways apiece for the victors, while
Hadley Chadwick pocketed seven saves, including three on free-position attempts.
With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 14-6 on the season and locked up a spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Captains will continue the postseason on Sunday at 1 p.m. with a battle against No. 11 Washington and Lee, who earned a first-round bye in the playoffs.
On the other side, Meredith concluded its 2026 campaign with a 17-5 record.
Early on, CNU vaulted out to a 3-0 lead in the first six minutes of regulation. Sorkin opened the action with a nice cut to squeeze through two defenders on the interior before landing a bouncer in traffic. Later, Morrison deposited a high-to-high hammer before assisting on a dart by O'Connor, who snapped off a behind-the-back bullet on the doorstep.
After the Avenging Angels responded with their first tally, the Captains answered with another three-goal spurt to close out the opening stanza. O'Connor kicked off the second surge with a free-position strike. Later, Burke threaded a shot between the goalie and the right post before Sorkin pinballed off a pair of defenders while uncorking a last-second screamer just as the horn sounded.
Meanwhile, on the back end, Christopher Newport clamped down on Meredith's attack, which entered the game averaging an NCAA-high 18.76 goals per contest. Hulse threw up roadblocks on a pair of early runs, including a slick stick lift to force an errant pass in the left alley. Later, Campbell planted an attacker in the turf while recovering a loose ball, and Chadwick gobbled up a pair of eight-meter attempts. First, she stoned a bouncer on an initial try before snatching a stick-side scorcher near the right pipe.
Holding a 6-1 lead after 15 minutes of action, Christopher Newport quickly stretched its edge in the second frame. Although Meredith opened the period with an early goal, the Captains fired back with a lethal assault.
Sorkin skipped an eight-meter attempt through the keeper before Morrison went high-to-low with a laser during a power play situation. Then, O'Connor put on a clinic. The junior star buried a bullet into the bottom left corner of the cage before killing off a clear with a trail-check from behind.
Following the takeaway, O'Connor continued her showcase by drawing the attention of two defenders at the top of the zone. With little room to work, she flipped a feed to Burke, who charged in and scored on the doorstep for a 10-2 advantage.
Although Meredith came back with another goal, CNU capped off the first half in style as Morrison fired a pinpoint pass to Webb, who circled around the right post and dunked on the inside.
Staring at an 11-3 deficit entering the break, Meredith scored first in the second half before Christopher Newport orchestrated another onslaught. Morrison found a little space and unleashed a step-down snipe from the right side. Later, Peterson changed direction with a cut-back that shook three defenders before scoring on the interior.
Still rolling along, Burke completed her first career hat-trick with a fake-and-finish near the right post. Then,
Maddie Lamy carved up the defense with two straight assists to Peterson and
Drew Stanley, which handed the squad a 16-4 lead entering the final 15 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, Morrison capped off her day with an eight-meter missile that handcuffed the keeper from the top of the arc. After that point, the defense took over to close out the festivities.
Keeping a tight-lid on Meredith,
Gabby Saia forced an errant pass with pressure in the left wing before Murphy intercepted a feed on a failed clear near midfield. Later, Lamendola peppered an attacker in the right alley to force a turnover before
Rowen Arena checked into the game and stoned a point-blank rip during a one-on-one duel along the crease, which wrapped up the contest.
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 33-17 advantage in shots and a 22-15 lead in ground balls. CNU also controlled 14 of the game's 25 draws, including five by Murphy. With that performance, she boosted her season total to 61 draws, marking the second-highest total by a freshman in program history. On that list, the first-year phenom trails only CNU Hall of Famer Meaghan Galvin, who plucked 66 in 2014.
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