NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Avenging Angels volleyball team picked up a win over Ferrum, 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-15, 25-13), before losing 3-0 (25-10, 25-9, 25-17) to fifth-ranked Christopher Newport in today's first USA South action of the 2012 season.

The split moved the Angels to 7-5 overall, while the Captains improved to 13-2. Ferrum dropped to 1-7 on the season.

Meredith opened the day with a 9-5 set-one lead over Ferrum, but five straight Panther kills topped off by an ace put the Avenging Angels down by two. Freshmen Emily Hendricks and Katelyn Rall responded with a pair of kills followed by an ace from classmate Jasmine Aguinaldo to give Meredith the breathing room needed to hold on for a 25-17 win.

Set two began in similar fashion with the Angels taking an early 8-4 lead before Ferrum went on a 5-1 run to tie the set at 9's. The teams would reset six more times before FC tied the match with a 25-21 win.

Aguinaldo and Molly Markley set the tone in the third opening with a block. A Panther miscue followed by an ace from Clarke Glendenning put the Avenging Angels up 3-0. Ferrum picked up a couple of kills before Aguinaldo sparked a 4-1 run with a kill and an ace. 

Meredith pulled away from their opponent to win set three 25-15 and cruised to a 25-13 finish in the fourth.

Setters Glendenning and Kara Baughman continued to feed Aguinaldo who finished with an impressive 10 kills in 14 attempts on the match. Aguinaldo notched a double-double with 15 digs, adding five blocks. Rall tallied 11 kills and three blocks, while freshman Ally White grabbed 15 digs and one service ace.

With a win under their belt, the Avenging Angels now faced #5 Christopher Newport who enjoyed the home court advantage. The young Angels' squad took on an early 12-4 deficit in part from the wall built by the Captain front line, who would finish the match with 17 blocks.

Upperclassmen Anna Hayes and Markley pushed down two kills to spark a run in the middle of the frame. But a 5-1 Captain run deflated any attempt to hold back the hosts who finished the set 25-10.

The second frame opened on a 10-0 run from CNU. Meredith claimed five of the next eight points before the Captains cruised to a 25-9 win.

The Avenging Angels battled back from a 2-0 deficit to capture an early 5-1 lead in the third stanza. Three unfortunate errors let the Captains even things up at 5-5.

Clearly rattled, CNU earned six errors of their own in the next seven plays to push Meredith to an 11-6 lead.

Unfortunately for Meredith, Captain setter Rachel Conway got her team back on track dishing out six assists in the next eight plays to take the lead at 14-11.

The Avenging Angels stayed with Christopher Newport over the next several plays before the Captains pulled ahead for a 25-17 win to sweep Meredith.

White picked up 12 digs to lead the Angels. The team combined for a dozen kills and three blocks.

CNU finished with nine players contributing to a total of 40 kills adding nine service aces in the win.

Meredith travels Wednesday evening to cross-town rival William Peace for one last non-conference pairing with USA South opponents. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.