Volleyball Team Gears Up for 1999 Season
8/16/1999 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 16, 1999
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland head volleyball coach Janice Kruger welcomed back seven returners and five newcomers as the Terps (13-16 last season, including a 5-11 ACC record) began preseason camp last week. Senior outside hitters Beth Murphy (Golden, Colo.) and Kate Hannas (Ellicott City, Md.), and sophomore setter Libby Alberts (Eden Prairie, Minn.) are the top returners for the Terps this season. Maryland opens up its season Sept. 1 against Villanova at the Ritchie Coliseum.
Murphy and Hannas to Lead 1999 Squad
Senior outside hitters Beth Murphy and Kate Hannas are the Terps' top
two returners this season. After transferring from Duquesne prior to
last season, Murphy led the 1998 Terps with 381 kills and 330 digs. She
was also second on the team with 32 aces. Last season, Murphy posted a
career-high 23 kills against NC State on Oct. 24 and a career-high 25
digs against Duke on Nov. 14. Hannas gained playing time at the outside
hitter position her first two seasons at Maryland before taking over as
a starter last season. She finished third on the team last season with
21 solo blocks and 77 block assists. In 1998, Hannas had a career-best
four solo blocks against UMBC on Sept. 8, a career-high nine block
assists three times last season, and a career-high six service aces
against NC State on Oct. 24.
Alberts Returns at the Setter Position
Last season, sophomore setter Libby Alberts started every game at the
setter position. This year, with a season of experience under her belt,
she is determined to improve upon her freshman campaign. Alberts led the
Terps with 1,121 assists last season, which is the seventh-best
single-season mark in school history. Her 10.10 assists per game last
season ranked ninth in the ACC. In her first collegiate game against
Villanova on Sept. 1, she recorded 60 assists. Against NC State on Oct.
8, she posted a career-high 71 assists. Alberts also turned in a
career-high 29 digs against Virginia on Nov. 20.
Stuart, Shen, Wilson and Dority Also Return for Terps
Junior outside hitter Maren Stuart (Tampa, Fla.), sophomore setter Judy
Shen (Rockville, Md.), sophomore defensive specialist Autumn Wilson
(Rising Sun, Md.) and sophomore middle hitter Willette Dority (Congers,
N.Y.) are Maryland's other returners this season. Stuart saw action in
19 games last season, Shen and Wilson were in 17 contests apiece and
Dority was in two matches.
Five Newcomers on 1999 Squad
Freshmen Amanda Ayres (Chesapeake Beach, Md.), Carey Brennan (Smithburg,
Md.), Lindsay Davey (Aurora, Colo.) and Georgette Saba (Landover Hills,
Md.) will all start their college careers at Maryland this season.
Junior Nnenna Amobi (Silver Spring, Md.) transferred to Maryland during
the offseason after playing two seasons at the University of Georgia.
Head Coach Janice Kruger Returns for 12th Season at the Helm
Heading into her 12th season at Maryland, head coach Janice Kruger has a
record of 219-128. She has been named the ACC Coach of the Year three
times (1990, 1996 and 1997), led the Terps to the 1990 and 1996 ACC
titles, and also led Maryland into the 1990, 1995, 1996 and 1997 NCAA
Tournaments. Prior to arriving at Maryland in 1988, Kruger was the head
coach at Nebraska-Omaha for nine years, and attained a record of
349-93-6. She currently ranks 12th all-time among active college head
coaches with 568 wins at the NCAA level.
Homan Named Terps' Top Assistant Coach
Susie Homan, the head coach at George Washington from 1990-98, was named
the Terps' top assistant coach earlier this month. She replaces Felix
Hou, who took the head coaching position at UMBC earlier in the summer.
Homan was Kruger's top assistant at Maryland in 1988-89. Prior to that,
she served on Kruger's staff at Nebraska-Omaha from 1985-87.
MARYLAND SCHEDULE & RESULTS
(0-0, 0-0 ACC)
S1 VILLANOVA 7:00 pm S3-4 At Penn State Classic S3 vs. Bradley 5:00 p.m. S4 vs. Akron 1:00 p.m. S4 vs. Penn State 8:00 p.m. S10-11 MARYLAND TOURNAMENT S10 COLORADO STATE Noon S10 RUTGERS 7:00 p.m. S11 LOUISVILLE Noon S11 UNLV 7:30 p.m. S14 GEORGE MASON 7:00 p.m. S17-18 MARYLAND TOURNAMENT S17 DELAWARE 7:00 p.m. S18 SAN DIEGO 11:00 a.m. S18 GEORGETOWN 7:00 p.m. S24 NC STATE 7:00 p.m. S25 NORTH CAROLINA 5:00 p.m. S28 VIRGINIA 7:00 p.m. O1 at Florida State 7:00 p.m. O5 UMBC 7:00 p.m. O8 at Wake Forest 7:00 p.m. O9 at Duke 7:30 p.m. O15 CLEMSON 7:00 p.m. O16 GEORGIA TECH 5:00 p.m. O19 DUKE 7:00 p.m. O22 WAKE FOREST 7:00 p.m. O23 FLORIDA STATE 5:00 p.m. O29 at Georgia Tech 7:30 p.m. O30 at Clemson 6:00 p.m. N5 at Virginia 7:00 p.m. N9 at North Carolina 7:00 p.m. N12 at NC State 7:30 p.m. N18-21 ACC Tournament (at Orlando, Fla.)
