While Christopher Newport looks forward to the return of intercollegiate competitions, our friends at TowneBank are partnering with CNUsports.com to spend some time throughout the fall semester looking back at a few of the more memorable moments in the storied history of the athletic department. Over the course of the next three months, the Captains will honor the anniversary of three dozen record-setting accomplishments, championship-clinching victories, and other historic events in order to celebrate the past while preparing for even more great moments in the future.

AT A GLANCE
Adding another layer to one of the most improbable campaigns in Christopher Newport athletics history, the Captains took over the top spot in the Dixie Conference Regular Season standings after upending league-leading Methodist, 3-0 (16-14, 15-13, 15-12), during a volleyball match in Newport News on October 11, 1985. After grabbing control of the conference for the first time in program history, the Captains eventually remained at the top of the standings on the way to their first regular season league championship.
 
BACKSTORY
Nine days before the 1985 volleyball season was scheduled to begin, head coach John Baumann's roster included only four names. Two players shy of a starting lineup and half a dozen short of most teams in the league, serious discussions began taking place. Options included cancelling the season and disbanding the program. Refusing to go down without a fight, Baumann set out to build a team from spare pieces around campus. Knocking on doors and utilizing gym classes like modern-day AAU tournaments, he began filling out his roster.
 
By the time the first match of the season rolled around on September 13, Baumann's squad included nine players. The eclectic bunch ranged from former ODAC legend Tina Sage, who arrived on campus following three decorated campaigns at Emory & Henry, to Michelle Masco, a first-team All-Conference shortstop for the Christopher Newport softball squad.
 
Despite the unusual backstory and last-minute roster construction, the 1985 Captains found their groove early. The squad opened the season with back-to-back wins over league rival Averett and local foe Norfolk State. Later, from September 24-29, Christopher Newport ripped off seven straight victories, including wins over Hampton and defending conference champion UNC Greensboro. At the time, that run was the longest winning streak in school history.
 
Boasting a 16-4 record through their first 20 matches, the Captains put themselves in prime position to challenge for a conference championship with league-leading Methodist arriving in town on October 11.
 
MATCH RECAP
In a battle for the top spot in the conference standings, Christopher Newport put its collection of front-row phenoms on full display while sweeping the Monarchs during a Dixie Conference clash. Tina Sage unloaded 10 kills while hitting at a .444 clip. The dynamic star also added a team-high nine digs and seven blocks. Of the 46 points won by the Captains during the three-set match, Sage either had a kill, ace, block, or assist on 20 of them.
 
Although Sage demolished the opposition, Angie Cook and Dawn Terry were equally effective. Cook finished with 10 kills of her own, while Terry spun six aces and added four blocks. Meanwhile, Michelle Masco helped pace the attack. Flashing the same hands that made her an All-Conference shortstop on the softball team, she dished out 25 assists while helping the Captains finish the match with a sizzling .354 hitting percentage.
 
Among the other standouts against the Monarchs, Lou Long hammered six kills on just 10 swings while snapping off three aces. Debbie Re also saw action in all three sets and added a block of her own.
 
With the victory, the Captains improved to 17-4 on the season, including 8-2 in Dixie Conference action. The win also gave them possession of first-place in the league standings for the first time in program history.
 
POSTSCRIPT
The 1985 volleyball season was improbable. It was memorable. Historic. Successful. But, most importantly, the 1985 volleyball season was program-altering. It was a fork in the road. On one side, the end of the program. On the other? The beginning of a dynasty.
 
Although there were ups and downs between the 1985 season and the decades of national success that have followed in recent times, it's hard to imagine the current state of the program without the solid foundation that was laid in 1985. John Baumann's efforts to field a team were instrumental in keeping the program alive, while the unbridled enthusiasm and unlikely success of his squad ushered in Christopher Newport's first championship campaign.
 
After snatching first-place in the conference standings in October, the Captains held on to the top spot while claiming a share of their first regular season championship.
 
On an individual level, Terry eventually pieced together one of the finest careers in program history while earning a spot in the Christopher Newport Athletics Hall of Fame. At the time of her graduation, she held 14 school records and was the first Captain to earn first-team All-Conference accolades. To this day, she still owns the career marks for kills-per-set (4.78), aces-per-set (1.08), and blocks-per-set (1.59).
 
In addition to Terry, Sage capped off her collegiate career with second-team All-League accolades, while Masco epitomized the unlikely season. The multi-sport star took part in her first volleyball practice on the eve of the season opener, and by the end of the year, she joined Sage on the Dixie Conference All-Tournament Team.
 
Eventually, Sage, Terry, and Cook finished the year by appearing in all 111 sets, while Masco and Long took part in over 100 apiece. Meanwhile, Beth Spurell made her debut on the 1985 team while building her own Hall of Fame career as a multi-sport standout in both volleyball and basketball.
 
For a full listing of the fall 2020 features published to date, click here.
---ISH---