VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia - The Virginia Wesleyan University women's volleyball team defeated the Captains of Christopher Newport University in four sets on Wednesday evening in the 2021 season opener in TowneBank Arena at the Jane P. Batten Student Center in Virginia Beach, VA.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Virginia Wesleyan 3 - Christopher Newport 1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-21, 27-25)
Records: Virginia Wesleyan 1-0  | Christopher Newport 0-1
Location: TowneBank Arena | Virginia Beach

MATCH RECAP
The Captains took the early lead in set one going up 4-1 through the first five services. The Marlins came back to knot the score four all before CNU went ahead 12-8 following an 8-4 run. VWU closed within one, 12-11, but fell behind four points again trailing 18-14. The gap was cut to three points a few times, 21-18, 22-19, and 23-20, but CNU managed to hold on taking the opening set 25-20 over the Marlins. 

CNU again opened the next set taking a 4-1 lead, however, the Marlins responded tying the game at four all and going ahead by one, 6-5 following a 6-1 run by VWU spurred by solid service from Haley Sutton. The Captains reclaimed the lead briefly, 8-7, but VWU came back to take a four-point lead 14-10 midway through the set. Virginia Wesleyan held on to the four-point lead for a while sitting ahead 18-14, until Christopher Newport put together three consecutive points to climb within one, 18-17. VWU responded with four points of their own opening a five-point lead, 22-17, and held off CNU to take set two 25-19.

The Marlins came out of the gate on fire in set three taking the early lead 5-1. CNU responded with a 5-0 run of their own taking a 6-5 lead, but gave VWU back to back points off of a pair of errors. Virginia Wesleyan opened a three-point lead, 12-9, before Christopher Newport knotted the score at 12 all. The teams traded points back and forth a couple times before the Marlins went ahead by two, 16-14, and managed to hold on to their slim lead the remainder of the set taking set two 25-21 and going ahead 2-1 in the match. 

The two squads were neck and neck through the first eight serves of the fourth set sitting tied at four all. Four consecutive points by the Marlins gave the home team an 8-4 lead that they held for a few rounds of services until CNU put together three points to pull within one, 11-10, after a kill. Virginia Wesleyan responded with four points in a row to go up by five, 15-10, and even held a six-point lead, 18-12, after a pair of kills, one each from Alexis Davies-Hackenberg and Abigail Mahoney. Christopher Newport fought back to knot the score at 18 all following six consecutive points. The Marlins found three points in a row, 22-19, off a pair of Mahoney kills and a nice attack from Sydney Collins, but the Captains answered with a 5-1 run taking a 24-23 lead late in the set, VWU knotted the score at 24 all before CNU reached 25 first, but the Marlins closed out the set with three points to win 27-25 and take the match 3-1.

• First year Jenna Waters led the Marlins with 13 kills while sophomore Abigail Mahoney collected 11 and senior Sydney Collins added nine. 
• Haley Sutton led with 21 assists while Alexis Davies-Hackenberg added 13 of her own.
• The Marlin back line was anchored by Cara Caruso with 21 digs with Grace Sweers and Jenna Waters next on the team with 12 apiece. 
• Sutton and Morgan Ludovici each tallied three service aces on the evening. 
• The win was the first of Coach Karissa Cumberbatch's career as head coach. 
• The Marlins have now won three matches against CNU since 2018; 2018, 2019, and 2021. 
• CNU were picked as the favorite to win their conference, Coast 2 Coast, in the preseason coaches polls. 

UP NEXT
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action on Friday when they kick off their home Marlin Invitational Tournament with six other schools coming in to play 12 matches over two days. VWU takes on the Mounties of Mount Aloysius College at 3 PM and the Golden Knights of Clarkson University at 7 PM.