Volleyball Team Hosts George Mason, Maryland Tournament
9/13/1999 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 13, 1999
COLLEGE PARK, MD. - The University of Maryland volleyball team (4-5, 0-0 ACC) continues its season as it hosts George Mason on Tuesday at Ritchie Coliseum. The Terps then host the Maryland Tournament this weekend. On Friday, the Terps face Delaware at 7 p.m., and on Saturday, they face San Diego at 11 a.m. and Georgetown at 7 p.m. This coming weekend marks the second of two tournaments that Maryland has hosted this season.
Scouting Maryland
Maryland enters the week 4-5, having gone 2-3 last week. After dropping a five-game heartbreaker to James Madison on Sept. 7 by scores of 7-15, 12-15, 15-12, 15-13, and 15-11, the Terps went 2-2 at last weekend's Maryland Tournament. Maryland defeated Rutgers in four games (15-12, 15-2, 9-15, 15-9) and swept Louisville (15-6, 15-2, 15-8), but were swept by No. 18 Colorado State (16-14, 15-6, 15-12) and lost in four games to UNLV (15-5, 11-15, 15-12, 15-9).
Senior outside hitter Beth Murphy (Golden, Colo.) currently leads Maryland with 139 kills and is averaging 4.21 kills per game. Against James Madison, she posted a career-high 26 kills. Murphy also leads the squad with 17 service aces and is tied for the team lead with senior outside hitter Kate Hannas (Ellicott City, Md.) with 82 digs.
Sophomore setter Libby Alberts (Eden Prairie, Minn.) is averaging 10.65 assists per game. Hannas leads Maryland with 1.21 blocks per game.
As a team, the Terps are hitting .217 and are averaging 14.54 kills per game.
Maryland vs. George Mason
George Mason enters the week at 2-3. Maryland and George Mason square off for the 25th time. The Terps hold a 19-5 lead in the all-time series between the two teams. Last season, behind a 19-kill performance by Beth Murphy, Maryland defeated George Mason 15-12, 15-12, 7-15, 15-11 on Oct. 27. Kate Hannas recorded 14 digs in the win over the Patriots. The last time the Patriots defeated Maryland was on Oct. 18, 1988, as they took a 7-15, 15-11, 15-7, 7-15, 15-5 decision.
Maryland vs. Delaware
Delaware currently has a record of 2-5. The Terps have faced the Blue Hens 44 times and hold a 34-10 lead in the all-time series between the teams. Most recently, Maryland swept Delaware 15-4, 15-9, 15-4 on Sept. 7, 1994. The last time Delaware defeated Maryland was on Oct. 12, 1988 as it won 9-15, 15-3, 15-12, 12-15, 15-9. Since then, the Terps have won three straight.
Maryland vs. San Diego
San Diego is off to a 4-2 start this season. 1999 marks the first meeting ever between the Terps and Tereros in volleyball action.
Maryland vs. Georgetown
Georgetown is off to a blistering start this season, as it enters the week with a 6-0 record. The Terps and Hoyas meet for the 51st time, with Maryland holding a 37-13 lead in the all-time series. Last season, Maryland defeated Georgetown on Sept. 5 by scores of 8-15, 15-7, 5-15, 15-10 and 17-15. Libby Alberts posted 46 assists in that match. The last time Georgetown defeated Maryland was on Nov. 16, 1991, as it took a 16-14, 16-18, 6-15, 15-7, 17-15 decision. Since that match, the Terps have won six straight matches against Georgetown.
Early Season Tests
In Maryland's first nine matches this season, four of its opponents have either been ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll, or have received votes in the poll.
Penn State started the season ranked first in the AVCA poll and is currently No. 2. Colorado State started the season at No. 24 and has since moved up to No. 18. Louisville and UNLV have both received votes in the AVCA poll.
This week, the Terps face a Georgetown squad that has also received votes in the AVCA poll.
Coming Up Big
Maryland's 15-6, 15-2, 15-8 win over Louisville in the Maryland Tournament on Sept. 11 was its most impressive outing of the season in several ways. The win marked the Terps' first triumph over a team that has received votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll. It was also Maryland's first three-game sweep of the season.
Most impressive, however, was the fact that the Terps as a team hit .418 against the Cardinals. Maryland smacked 45 kills and committed only seven errors in 91 attack attempts.
Career Night for Murphy
Senior outside hitter Beth Murphy's 26-kill performance against James Madison on Sept. 7 was the best single-match effort of her career.
She was 26 for 44, with just four errors on her way to a .500 attack percentage, which also set a career-high. With 17 digs against the Dukes, Murphy turned in her third double-double performance of the year.
Murphy's previous career high in kills was 23, which she recorded against NC State on Oct. 24, 1998.
No. Opponent Date
26 James Madison Sept. 7, 1999
23 NC State Oct. 24, 1998
21 Akron Sept. 4, 1999
21 Rutgers Sept. 10, 1999
19 George Mason Oct. 27, 1998
Making an Impact
Freshman outside hitter Carey Brennan (Smithsburg, Md.) continues to shine in her first season at Maryland. In the Terps' five matches last week, she turned in a double-digit kill performance three times.
In the Terps win over Louisville on Sept. 11, Brennan recorded 12 kills in just 17 attempts for a .647 attack percentage. She committed just one attack error.
Brennan's 12 kills marked the third-highest total of her young career.
No. Opponent Date
24 Akron Sept. 4, 1998
15 Villanova Sept. 1, 1999
12 Louisville Sept. 11, 1999
11 James Madison Sept. 7, 1999
10 UNLV Sept. 11, 1999
Also Making an Impact
Freshman Amanda Ayres (Chesapeake Beach, Md.) turned in the first double-digit dig performance of her young career as she tallied 11 digs against Rutgers on Sept. 10.
Handing out the Assists
Sophomore setter Libby Alberts posted 58 assists against James Madison on Sept. 7, marking the sixth-best effort of her collegiate career. Alberts' career-high is 71 assists, which she recorded against NC State on Oct. 7, 1998.
No. Opponent Date
71 NC State Oct 7, 1998
66 Florida State Nov. 10, 1998
65 Akron Sept. 4, 1999
61 Virginia Nov. 20, 1998
60 Villanova Sept. 1, 1998
58 James Madison Sept. 7, 1999
Hannas ties Career High
Senior outside hitter Kate Hannas tied a career high when she posted nine total blocks (three solo, six assist) against Rutgers on Sept. 10. Last season, she had nine total blocks against San Diego on Sept. 11 and against Temple on Sept. 12.
Career-High for Stuart
Junior outside/ middle hitter Maren Stuart (Tampa, Fla.) set a career-high as she posted eight total blocks against UNLV on Sept. 11. Her blocks were all assists.
An Impressive Combination
Maryland head coach Janice Kruger and assistant coach Susie Homan have flourished as coaches on the NCAA level, both together and individually. In their eight years on the same staff, they have led Nebraska-Omaha and Maryland to a combined 218-96-2 record (.680).
Individually, they have seven NCAA Tournament appearances (Kruger with four at Maryland and Homan with three during her nine-year career George Washington from 1990-98), five conferences titles (Kruger with two ACC crowns and Homan with three Atlantic 10 crowns) and six conference coach of the year awards (each with three).
Collectively, their head coaching records total 791-347-6 (.701).
