While Christopher Newport looks forward to the return of intercollegiate competitions, CNUSports.com will 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 more great moments in the future.

AT A GLANCE
Christopher Newport volleyball star Cory Harris joined the 1,000-1,000 Club for the top-ranked Captains, eclipsing the milestone in both kills and digs on the same day early in her senior season. With a pair of standout performances at the Captains Classic in the Freeman Center on September 1, 2012, Harris became just the fourth Christopher Newport volleyball player ever to surpass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. Her effort helped propel her to Conference Player of the Week and D3 Volleyball National Player of the Week honors.
 
BACKSTORY
After an historic finish at the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship in St. Louis, the Christopher Newport Captains embarked on the 2012 campaign ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll. It would be the first time in CNU volleyball and just the second time in CNU Athletics history that a team earned the top spot in the national coaches poll as expectations were high heading into the season.

Never missing a day of action, Harris was a key cog in the growth of Christopher Newport volleyball throughout her four-year tenure as the Captains established themselves as a national power. The outside hitter helped Christopher Newport set a program high for wins with 36 as a freshman, and then again with 38 as a sophomore and junior. In each of those seasons, the Captains advanced deeper in the NCAA Tournament than ever before culminating with the NCAA Championship appearance in 2011.

Defined by her consistency on the court, Harris entered her final season just shy of the millennial mark in both categories. Ironically, she surpassed the 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs on the very same day.
 
GAME RECAP
Year number four with Harris manning the hardwood started swimmingly, as the 2012  version of the Captains opened the season on Friday night with a pair of shutouts in two matches in the Captains Classic, including an impressive blanking of 9^th-ranked Eastern University. Harris fell just shy of a double-double with 12 kills and 8 digs in the opener before adding three kills and six digs in the nightcap. Those efforts put 1,000 in her sights the very next day as the Captains were poised for a season-opening tournament sweep with two matches against Texas-Tyler and Roger Williams.

During both bouts Harris was impressive, roping 24 kills while notching 17 digs during the two Saturday matches. In the second set against Texas-Tyler, Harris blasted her 1,000^th career kill on a perfectly-set ball by fellow senior Alyssa Kidd. It came as part of another strong overall performance that saw her hit .600 with 9 kills and 8 digs.

Rife with plenty to celebrate already, Harris cleared the first milestone and took aim at the second in the tournament finale against Roger Williams. Targeted time and time again, Harris came through with a match-high 15 kills with just one error for a hitting percentage of .483. More importantly, she also recorded nine digs for the other historical marker. With the effort, she joined Amber Bradshaw, Heather Vaden, and head coach Lindsay Birch as the only Captains to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career.
 
POSTSCRIPT
After the impressive season-opening performance, Harris, who now goes by Cory Taylor, was named the USA South Athletic Conference Player of the Week and was also tabbed D3 Volleyball National Player of the Week. In a well-rounded performance, Harris ranked second on the team with 39 kills and 31 digs in the four-match tournament while hitting .380 and earning a spot on the Captains Classic All-Tournament Team. The outside hitter from Williamsburg, Va. was a four-year starter and earned All-USA South Conference accolades following each of her four campaigns. She was invaluable on both sides of the ball and is one of just three players to rank in the top-seven all-time in both kills and digs. She also sits second in Captains lore in total sets played with 545, just behind classmate and record-holder Abby Hogge.

Featuring Harris alongside a legendary cast of characters in the senior class, the Captains would post an impressive 65-0 record against conference opponents while also logging a 15-4 overall record in the NCAA Tournament. No four-year class at Christopher Newport has ever accomplished a more impressive postseason W-L record in any sport. Harris, along with the rest of the 2012 senior class posted a winning percentage of .789 in NCAA Tournament play, setting the stage for Christopher Newport to be considered an elite volleyball destination
To continue to add to her impact, not only did Harris assist in the Captains' growth into a national power on the court, she returned to the Freeman Center sidelines immediately following her graduation and has helped lead the team as an assistant coach ever since. In her seven seasons with a clipboard in hand, the Captains have registered an overall record of 169-43 for a winning percentage of nearly 80%. CNU has reached the NCAA Tournament in all seven seasons with six conference championships.

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