Eagles Season Concludes Against Captains
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA- Following their round one victory on Thursday, the Juniata Women's Volleyball team stayed overnight to face a strong Christopher Newport team in the NCAA round of 32. The Eagles sadly had their season come to an end, falling 3-0 (14-25, 21-25, 21-25) against the Captains. CNU ranked fifth in their region with an undefeated record in conference.
The match began in a close battle, the Eagles falling behind by three points twice, but coming back to tie the game at 8-8 after a 4-0 run. From there, attack errors started to pile up, and the Captains went on a 2-10 run amongst the Eagles' struggles. Down 10-18, the deficit was too much to make up with such little time left in the set. The Eagles dropped set one 14-25.
Set two followed a similar trend, the Eagles falling behind early, but coming back in the middle of the set. This time, the Eagles tied it at 12-12, after a 6-1 run brought them right back into it. The Eagles then conceded four straight points, managing to cut the lead to two before conceding another 1-5 run afterward. Down 16-22, the Eagles didn't quit and cut the lead to two points again, at 20-22. In the final moments of the set though, the Captains made two key kills, paired with a service ace to go up 0-2 on the Eagles, this time by a 21-25 margin.
The Eagles began the third set much stronger, taking an early 7-3 lead with their season on the line. After leading 8-6, though, the Eagles dropped six straight points and were behind again. The Eagles were down by four, and quickly brought the score back to a tie at 16-16, 17-17, 18-18, and 19-19. Not much seemed to separate the two sides, but a 0-5 run would ensue for the Captains. Down by five, with the Captains on match point, the Eagles were unable to make up the ground on the scoreboard. The Captains took set three, 21-25.
Audrey Muth led the Eagles in kills with 12, while Elizabeth Cleveland made 30 assists on the night. Isabella Rushing added a match-high 13 digs.
The Eagles will not be national champions again, but there is undoubtedly much to be proud of in the accomplishments and accolades earned by this group. The team ends with a 28-6 record as Landmark Conference Champions, hosting six players on the AVCA All-Region team, seven all-conference players, the Landmark Conference Championship and Championship MVP, Specialist of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coaching Staff of the Year. A young group, the Eagles will come back stronger in 2026.