LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Katelyn Newsome collected first-team All-North Region accolades, while Josie Lucernoni secured honorable mention plaudits from the American Volleyball Coaches Association for their tremendous work with the Christopher Newport volleyball team during the 2017 campaign.
                                                                  
The All-Region awards are the first for both standouts. Lucernoni is the first CNU libero to earn the honor since four-time All-American Abby Hogge was patrolling the court from 2009-12. Meanwhile, Newsome joins a long list of decorated middle blockers, including former teammate and three-time first-team honoree Hannah Miller.
 
Earlier this week, both Newsome and Lucernoni were also honored by the Capital Athletic Conference for their efforts. Newsome secured first-team All-League accolades, while Lucernoni was a second-team selection.
 
Piecing together an electric senior campaign, Newsome has been a dominant force on both sides of the ball. On the defensive end, she currently ranks third in the CAC and 17th in the nation with a 1.02 blocks-per-set average. Overall, she has 108 total blocks, including a team-high 20 solo stops. Dominant throughout the year, she has registered at least five rejections on eight occasions, highlighted by an 11-stop showcase against Southern Virginia on October 20.
 
In addition to her work on the defensive side, Newsome leads the Captains with a .281 hitting percentage while averaging over 2.09 kills per set. The Newsoms, Virginia native has 10 double-digit kill showings this season, including back-to-back efforts during last week's CAC Tournament. She also clobbered a career-high 18 blasts at Stevens on September 16 and boasts a pair of double-doubles, including a 10-kill, 10-block masterpiece against Salisbury on November 2.
 
While Newsome has anchored CNU along the net, Lucernoni has been a stabilizing force on the back row. The junior libero has kept the court clean with a team-best 4.71 digs-per-set average. Her 447 total digs also place her fifth in the CAC. Just as effective on the serve-receive unit, she has compiled a .944 reception percentage while converting 436 of her 462 total attempts during the year.
 
One of the squad's most consistent contributors, Lucernoni has pocketed at least 10 digs during her last 24 appearances. That run is currently tied for the longest streak of double-digit efforts in program history. Her finest hour came during a 29-dig showing at Stevens on September 16, while she also contributed 27 in the CAC Championship against Mary Washington on November 4. Along with her defensive efforts, the Ashburn, Virginia native has also clubbed 26 aces and handed out 73 assists.
 
Guided by the collective efforts of Lucernoni and Newsome, Christopher Newport has been one of the nation's top defensive teams throughout the 2017 season. Entering the NCAA Tournament, the Captains have limited the opposition to a lowly .105 hitting percentage, which ranks as the 19th-finest mark in the country.
 
Lucernoni, Newsome, and the rest of their teammates will return to action on Thursday evening when CNU kicks off the NCAA Regionals against Thomas More at 5:30 p.m.
 
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