VIRGINIA BEACH -- Virginia Wesleyan College's volleyball Marlins overcame a slow start to finish strong against No. 5 ranked Christopher Newport University on Tuesday.

Playing before a record crowd to attend a VWC volleyball game, the Marlins dropped a 25-12 decision in the first set, before coming back in the next two sets.  VWC fell 25-17 in set two and 25-20 in the third.

It was an encouraging effort by the Marlins (13-4), who competed without starting setter Mallory Slade (Burlington, N.C./Eastern Alamance).  Slade, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference leader in set assists, sat out with an injury.  But, rookie Kirstin Sessoms (Virginia Beach/Bayside) moved into the starting role against CNU (14-2) and turned in an impressive effort, finishing with 19 assists and 10 digs.

VWC took a 1-0 lead in the first set on a kill by Taylor Allen (Bowie, Md./Bladensburg Elizabeth Seton), but two errors gave CNU the lead for good.  Led by Bailey Jensen (Asburn/Briar Woods), Jessie Kolden (Alexandria/Hayfield), and Cory Harris (Williamsburg/Jamestown), the Captains pulled away with eight straight points.  VWC was never closer than six points the rest of the way.

Set two started with VWC taking a 2-1 lead, but kills by Harris and Jensen helped turn things in favor of CNU.  The Captains led 13-5 whenKala Guy (Fishersville/Wilson Memorial) and Tempe Martins (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) helped VWC to pull within six points.  Scoring plays from Allen and Sessoms helped the Marlins cut the gap again to six twice late in the game.  VWC trailed 22-16 but CNU produced the points it needed to close the set, including the 25th point on a kill by Chastity Lacy (Crozet/Western Albemarle).

The Marlins also took the lead in set three when Allen opened with an ace and was followed by crowd-rousing kills from Guy.  CNU took the lead at 4-3 on a Kolden kill, but could not pull away until late in the set. VWC trailed just 11-10 when kills by Lacy and Abby Hogge (Clifton/Paul VI) on a 5-0 run.  Guy and Allen helped VWC to battle back and pull within two at 18-16 and 19-17, before a 4-0 run gave CNU breathing room at 23-10.  Kerry Johnson (Richmond/J.R. Tucker) and Guy helped the Marlins in one final rally that cut the spread to 24-20, but it stopped there as Lacy put down the set-closing kill for CNU.

Guy led Virginia Wesleyan with 11 kills.  Johnson finished with a team-high 13 digs.

Jensen recorded 13 kills for CNU, which received a team-high 10 digs by Brooke Moore (Merritt Island, Fla./Bishop O'Connell (Va.), and 25 assists from Alyssa Kidd (Forest/Brookville).

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Saturday, Sept. 29, in a tri-match at Salisbury University.  The Marlins take on New Hampshire's Rivier University (9-3) at 1 p.m. and No. 23 ranked Salisbury (18-1) at 3 p.m.

--AMDG--