Volleyball Team Hosts North Carolina and NC State This Weekend
10/2/2000 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 2, 2000
COLLEGE PARK, Md.- The University of Maryland women's volleyball team returns to Ritchie Coliseum this weekend with two matches versus ACC competition. Friday, Oct. 6, the Terps battle defending ACC champion North Carolina at 7 p.m. The Terps have not beaten Carolina since the final match of the 1997 season which was the Terrapins' 25th straight win of the '97 season. Maryland continues its four-game homestand on Saturday, Oct. 7, when the Terps face another Tobacco Road school in NC State. The match is set to begin at 5 p.m. The Terps have won 12 of the last 14 meetings versus the Wolfpack.
Scouting Maryland
Janice Kruger and the Terps (9-7, 1-4 ACC) will look to snap their three-match losing streak this weekend at the friendly confines of Ritchie Coliseum. Sophomore outside hitter Carey Brennan (Smithburg, Md.) has been rock solid all season long for the Terps. The Maryland native leads the team in kills (230), digs (198) and attacks (594). Sophomore setter Lindsay Davey (Aurora, Colo.) has been super in her first season as a starter recording 625 assists on the year, good for an average of 11.36 per game. Senior middle hitter Nnenna Amobi (Silver Spring, Md.) leads the Terrapins in blocks (49) and service aces (26) and is tied for second on the team in kills with 150.
Scouting North Carolina
The Tar Heels come to College Park sporting a perfect 4-0 conference record and are 14-2 on the year. North Carolina won a tough, five-game decision over Florida State Sunday (3-2) 15-9, 2-15, 6-15, 15-9, 15-13. Three Carolina players registered double-digit kills led by Casey Simpson with 16 kills followed by Laura Greene and Nicole Reis with 15 and 12 respectively. Lisa Fryer tallied a team-high 11 digs and Eve Rackham posted 51 assists. Greene leads the team in kills this season with 182 and is second on the club in digs with 148. The Tar Heels travel to 12th-ranked Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 4, before Friday night's meeting with the Terps. North Carolina leads the all-time series versus Maryland, 19-16.
Scouting NC State
The Wolfpack are looking for win number one in the ACC this week with two conference tilts on the road. NC State heads to Charlottesville Friday, Oct. 6, to face the Cavaliers before facing the Terps on Saturday. Junior outside hitter Charese Williams had a match-high 22 kills last Sunday in the Wolpack's (3-2) 11-15, 15-13, 8-15, 15-9, 15-10 win over Kentucky. NC State also got 11 kills and 22 defensive digs from junior middle blocker Allison Kreager, who also had five solo blocks and three assisted blocks. Freshman setter Crystal Shannon had 53 assists, two service aces, nine digs and an assisted block. Williams leads the Pack in kills and is second on the team in digs.
Last Time Out
Looking for win number 700 in Maryland volleyball history, the Terps lost to ACC rival Georgia Tech (1-3) 15-13, 5-15, 8-15, 12-15, Saturday night in Atlanta, Ga.
Maryland was led once again by Carey Brennan. The team leader in kills and digs, Brennan smacked a team-high 16 kills and a match-high 15 digs in the loss for the Terrapins. Nnenna Amobi pounded 11 kills and a team-high six blocks on the night.
Match Facts
Maryland vs. North Carolina
Date: Oct. 6, 2000
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Ritchie Coliseum
Maryland vs. NC State
Date: Oct. 7, 2000
Time: 5 p.m.
Site: Ritchie Coliseum
Sophomore Sensation
Sophomore outside hitter Carey Brennan has picked up right where she left off as a freshman. Only the third Terp ever to be named to the ACC All-Freshman team, Brennan has been a force this season. The Smithburg, Md., native leads the Terrapins in attacks (594), kills (230) and digs (198). Brennan turned in her best performance of the season versus Lafayette as she smacked 14 kills and had a .619 hitting percentage (14K, 1E, 21TA) in Maryland's 15-2, 15-3, 15-2 victory.
In the ACC
Several Maryland players are among the league leaders in several categories as of Sept. 25. Nnenna Amobi began the week leading the ACC in service aces with 24.
Carey Brennan was third in the ACC in kills (196) and second in digs (173).
Lindsay Davey ranks third in the league in assists with 538 as of September 25th.
Senior Duo
Maren Stuart and Nnenna Amobi will be counted on by coach Janice Kruger to lead a young Maryland team this season. Stuart and Amobi give the Terps a potent 1-2 punch at the middle hitter position. Stuart leads the Terps in hitting percentage (.297) and is second in kills (150). Amobi is second on the team in hitting percentage (.280) and is second on the club in kills (150). The Maryland native also leads the team in blocks (49) and service aces (26).
Career Notes
With just nine more digs this season, freshman outside hitter Lynnsy Jones (Castro Valley, Calif.) will reach the century mark for her career. Here is a list of other Terps that are close to reaching major accomplishments in their career:
Trina Scalza needs 13 digs for 100.
Lynnsy Jones needs 17 kills for 100.
Carey Brennan needs 19 digs for 500.
Nnenna Amobi needs 31 kills for 600.
Maren Stuart needs 39 kills for 500.
Lindsay Davey needs 85 assists for 900.
Airing It Out
Sophomore outside hitter Amanda Ayres (Chesapeake Beach, Md.) has made an immediate impact in her first year as a starter.
Ayres ranks second on the team in digs with 153. The Maryland native also ranks in the top five on the roster in attacks (402, 2nd) and kills (122, 4th).
Head Coach Janice Kruger
Janice Kruger has one of her youngest teams here at Maryland as she enters her 13th season with the Terps. The winningest active coach in the ACC with 242 victories, Kruger has been named ACC Coach of the Year three times (1990, 1996, 1997).
Kruger has enjoyed a stellar coaching career compiling an impressive 614-249-6 record. During her time at Maryland, Kruger has totaled 242 wins while losing only 153.
New Assistants Named
Jennifer LaGrange and Xiangrong Liu were both added to the Maryland coaching staff this past offseason. LaGrange comes to Maryland from Southwest Texas State University where she was the first assistant from 1997-99. During her three years at Southwest Texas State, LaGrange helped lead the Bobcats to a 63-35 (.643) record, a Southland Conference tournament championship in 1998 and a NCAA bid that same season.
Liu arrives at Maryland after being the assistant coach at the University of Dayton for seven seasons. During his time at Dayton, the Flyers went 133-86 (.616) and were the 1998 Atlantic 10 champions.
Alberts Out For The Season
Junior setter Libby Alberts (Eden Prairie, Minn.) will miss the entire 2000 season as she recovers from off-season shoulder surgery. A two-year starter for the Terps, Alberts has led Maryland in assists both years she has been in College Park. Last season Alberts ranked ninth in the ACC per game in assists with 8.32.
Cherry Creek Connection
Janice Kruger knows where to go to find a setter, Cherry Creek High School in Aurora, Colo. Former Terp Eden Kroeger along with current Terp setter Lindsay Davey are both alumni from Cherry Creek.
Kroeger played four seasons for the Terps from 1994 to 1997. During that span, Kroeger was named to the freshman All-ACC team, twice named first-team All-ACC and is the only Terrapin ever named an All-American ('97).
Davey has shined in her first season as starter for Maryland. Davey leads the team in assists (625), good for 11.36 per game.
Next Up At Ritchie
The Terps continue their four-game homestand with ACC rival Virginia on Friday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m.
Connecticut comes to Ritchie on Saturday, Oct. 14, for a 5 p.m. tilt with the Terps. The Huskies are coached by former Maryland Terrapin Kelli Myers. The 1989 grad was a two-year All-ACC selection for Maryland.
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