MEDFORD, Mass. – The 17th-ranked Calvin University volleyball team lost 3-0 (25-19, 25-9, 25-22) to Christopher Newport University (CNU) in its opening game at the Boston Invite hosted by Tufts University on Friday night.
 
Calvin (5-2) struggled with slow starts to all three sets as CNU (4-3) was able to build early leads that the Knights could not recover from. The Captains started the first set with a 4-0 lead, the second with a 7-0 advantage, and the third with the first five points.
 
Calvin battled back in the third set as it looked to extend the match, cutting a seven-point deficit (17-10) to two points (24-22) late, but could not make it all the way back as CNU was able to secure the set and the win.
 
CNU was strong on the attack throughout, hitting .210 for the match while the Knights struggled with 20 attack errors as they looked to find a rhythm.
 
Avery Ekkens (Portage, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) led Calvin with eight kills. Mackenzie Gerig (Rochester, N.Y./Hilton) led the team with 11 digs.
  
NEXT UP: Calvin women's volleyball will return to action tomorrow (Saturday, September 14) with a pair of matches at the Boston Invite. The Knights will face Whittier College at 1:30 PM, followed by a match against the hosts from Tufts University at 4:30 PM.