Volleyball Team Hosts James Madison, Maryland Invitational
9/6/1999 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 6, 1999
COLLEGE PARK, MD. -
The University of Maryland volleyball team (2-2, 0-0 ACC) continues its season with a full week of action. On Tuesday, the Terps host James Madison at 7 p.m. at Ritchie Coliseum. The Terps then host the Maryland Invitational on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the Terps face Colorado State at noon and Rutgers at 7 p.m., and on Saturday, they face Louisville at noon and UNLV at 7 p.m.
Scouting Maryland
Maryland enters the week at 2-2, having split its first four matches of the season. The Terps defeated Villanova 3-1 in their season opener last Wednesday at Ritchie Coliseum. At the Penn State Classic this past weekend, Maryland went 1-2, defeating Akron 3-1 and falling to Bradley 3-0 and Penn State 3-0.
Senior outside hitter Beth Murphy (Golden, Colo.) has posted a team-leading 64 kills. She was named to the Penn State Classic all-tournament team. Sophomore setter Libby Alberts (Eden Prairie, Minn.) is averaging 12.28 assists per game and has recorded 47 digs. Junior Nnenna Amobi (Silver Spring, Md.) has 34 kills and is hitting a team-leading .319. Freshman Carey Brennan (Smithsburg, Md.) has smacked 47 kills and is hitting .244.
Maryland vs. James Madison
James Madison enters the week at 3-0, having swept all three of its matches at the Days Inn/ JMU Classic this past weekend. As a team, the Dukes have hit .359. Taryn Kirk is hitting a team-leading .388, having posted 29 kills in 67 attempts. Lindsay Collingwood has turned in 48 kills, Larissa Daily has 43 kills and Christina Gianino has averaged 14.89 assists per game.
1999 marks the 20th time Maryland has faced James Madison. In the last meeting between the two schools, the Terps took a 15-1, 15-16, 15-12 decision on Sept. 30, 1997. The last time James Madison defeated Maryland was on Sept. 13, 1988, as the Dukes won 15-8, 15-11, 15-12.
Maryland vs. Colorado State
Colorado State enters the week at 3-0. The Rams are currently ranked No. 24 in the AVCA Top 25 poll. Maryland and Colorado State meet for just the second time. Last season, the Rams won the inaugural match between the two schools on Sept. 18, by scores of 11-15, 15-11, 15-10, 15-7.
Maryland vs. Rutgers
Rutgers enters the week at 2-1. Maryland faces Rutgers for the first time since Sept. 26, 1987. The Terps defeated the Scarlet Knights in that outing 9-15, 15-7, 15-13, 15-7. Rutgers, however, leads the all-time series 11-6. The last time Rutgers defeated Maryland was on Sept. 17 , 1983 by scores of 10-15, 13-15, 15-1, 15-9, 15-1.
Maryland vs. Louisville
Louisville enters the week at 1-2. Maryland and Lousiville square off for just the fourth time ever. The Cardinals have won all three previous meetings. Most recently, Louisville defeated Maryland on Dec. 8, 1995 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament 9-15, 14-16, 15-9, 15-3.
Maryland vs. UNLV
UNLV enters the week at 3-0, having swept three home matches to start the season. 1999 marks the first time Maryland and UNLV have ever faced each other.
Murphy off to Solid Start
Senior outside hitter Beth Murphy concluded the first week of her senior season by being selected to the Penn State Classic all-tournament team. By posting 15 kills against Bradley, 21 kills against Akron, and 13 kills and 11 digs against Penn State, she got her 1999 season off to a successful start.
Earlier in the week, Murphy had 15 kills and 16 digs in the Terps' season-opening win over Villanova.
Close Second
Senior outside hitter Beth Murphy's 21-kill performance against Akron was the second-best single-match effort of her career. Her career high in kills is 23, which she recorded against NC State on Oct. 24, 1998.
Going in for the Kill
Freshman Carey Brennan smacked 24 kills in the Terps' win over Akron on Saturday at the Penn State Classic. That is the highest number of kills a Maryland player has recorded in a match since former Terp Elizabeth Efron had 25 kills against Georgia Tech on Nov. 1, 1997.
The school record for kills in a match is 32, set by Efron against North Carolina on Oct. 6, 1995 and also by former Terp Daune Koester against Georgia Tech on Sept. 24, 1994.
Handing out the Assists
Sophomore setter Libby Alberts posted 65 assists against Akron on Saturday, marking the fifth time in her career that she has had 60 or more assists in a match. It was also her third-highest total number of assists in a match. Alberts' career-high is 71 assists, which she recorded against NC State on Oct. 7, 1998.
Block Party
In its win over Akron on Saturday, Maryland had 28 total blocks. That marks the highest number of blocks the Terps have recorded isince they also posted 28 total blocks against Colorado State on Sept. 15, 1998.
Senior outside hitter Kate Hannas (Ellicott City, Md.) had one block solo and seven block assists, and junior middle hitter Maren Stuart (Tampa, Fla.) had eight block assists. Junior outside hitter Nnenna Amobi (Silver Spring, Md.) had one block solo and three block 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).
Clutch Serving
Freshman Amanda Ayres (Chesapeake Beach, Md.) was one of the heroes of the Terps' opening-night win over Villanova by virtue of her two crucial service aces. Leading two games to one, Maryland came back from a 9-4 deficit in the fourth game to take a 12-11 lead. Ayres then served out the match by firing two consecutive service aces to extend the lead to 14-11. The Terps scored the ensuing point to win the match.
With five service aces so far this season, Ayres trails only Beth Murphy, who has six service aces, for the team lead.
Making an Impact
Junior outside hitter Nnenna Amobi, who transferred from Georgia during the offseason, has wasted no time helping the Terps this season. In the season-opening win over Villanova on Sept. 1, she had 10 kills and seven total blocks. Against Bradley, she had eight kills and seven blocks. In the win over Akron, she posted a season-high 12 kills and four blocks.
Super Match for Stuart
Junior Maren Stuart's nine kills against Akron tied her career-high, which she set in a match against Virginia on Oct. 13, 1998. Her 12 digs in that same match was her second-highest single-match total ever, trailing only her 14-dig performance against North Carolina on Oct. 14, 1998. Stuart's .368 hitting percentage (9-2-19) is her best effort since she hit .400 against NC State (6-2-10) on Nov. 21, 1997.
TERPS BY
THE NUMBERS
.276
As a team, the Terps hit .276 against Villanova in their season-opening win on Sept. 1. It is Maryland's highest attack percentage in a match so far this season.
0
Prior to this season, Maryland and UNLV have never faced each other in volleyball action.
3
Sophomore setter Libby Alberts turned in her third-highest single-match assist total ever, with 65 against Akron on Sept. 4.
7
The total number of times that Janice Kruger and Susie Homan have led a team into the NCAA Division I Tournament. With Kruger at the helm, Maryland has made the NCAA Tournament in 1990, 1995, 1996 and 1997. While she was the head coach at George Washington, Homan led the Colonials into the NCAA Tournament in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
8
1999 marks the eighth season that Janice Kruger and Susie Homan have been on the same coaching staff. They have worked together at Nebraska-Omaha from 1980-81 and from 1985-87, and at Maryland from 1988-89.
16
Since moving into Ritchie Coliseum on Sept. 30, 1998, Maryland has won 16 out of 24 home matches.
21
Beth Murphy's 21-kill performance against Akron on Sept. 4 marked the second-highest single-match total of her career.
24
Freshman outside hitter Carey Brennan recorded the highest single-match kill total by a Maryland player in nearly two years when she posted 24 kills against Akron on Sept. 4.
28
Maryland's 28 blocks against Akron on Sept. 4 is the most it has recorded since it also had 28 blocks against Colorado State on Sept. 18, 1998.
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