Terps and Tigers Set To Tangle At ACC Tournament
11/13/2000 7:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 13, 2000
COLLEGE PARK, Md.- After finishing the regular season Saturday night at Wake Forest, the University of Maryland women's volleyball team heads back to Winston-Salem for the 2000 ACC Tournament this week, Nov. 16-19, at Reynolds Gym. The Terrapins (13-15, 4-12 ACC) are seeded eighth when tournament play begins Thursday and will face the No.7 seed, Clemson (13-17, 6-10 ACC), at 5 p.m. The winner of the Maryland-Clemson match will face second-seeded North Carolina (23-7, 13-2 ACC) in the second round on Friday at 4:30 p.m. The Tar Heels received a first round bye.
Match Facts
ACC First Round
No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 7 Clemson
Date: Nov. 16, 2000
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Site: Reynolds Gym
ACC Second Round
Maryland/Clemson winner
vs. North Carolina
Date: Nov. 17, 2000
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Site: Reynolds Gym
ACC Semifinals
Date: Nov. 18, 2000
Time: 4:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Site: Reynolds Gym
ACC Finals
Date: Nov. 19, 2000
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Site:Reynolds Gym
Television: Home Team Sports
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The Maryland-Clemson Series
The Terps and Tigers have met 39 times on the volleyball court, with Clemson holding a slim 21-18 series advantage. Maryland will look to snap the Tigers' seven-match winning streak in the series, including a pair of wins this season. Clemson won (0-3) 11-15, 6-15, 8-15, Sept. 29 at Clemson and (1-3) 15-8, 8-15, 6-15, 9-15, Nov. 4 on Senior Night at Ritchie Coliseum.
The Terps in 2000
Maryland enters the tournament after finishing the regular season with a pair of matches on Tobacco Road. Last Friday, the Terps lost to Duke (1-3) 3-15, 15-12, 12-15, 9-15 and then lost at Wake Forest the following day, also in four games, 11-15, 16-14, 3-15, 9-15.
Sophomore outside hitter Carey Brennan (Smithsburg, Md.) has been rock solid all season long for the Terps. A 1999 ACC All-Freshman selection, Brennan leads the team in kills (407) and digs (344). In last week's ACC statistics, Brennan ranked fourth in the conference with 4.24 kills per game and second in the ACC with 3.39 digs per match.
Senior middle hitter Nnenna Amobi (Silver Spring, Md.) sits atop the ACC and the team with 39 service aces. Amobi also leads the Terrapins in blocks with 91 this season and is second on the team in kills with 289. Fellow senior middle hitter Maren Stuart (Tampa, Fla.) has also been a force for the Terps in the middle, ranking second on the club in blocks with 70 and third in kills with 252. Sophomore setter Lindsay Davey (Aurora, Colo.) is in her first season as the starting setter for the Terps, finishing the regular season with 1,139 assists.
The Tigers in 2000
Clemson heads to Winston-Salem with an overall record of 13-17 and 6-10 in the ACC. The Tigers ended the season with a 5-5 record over its last ten games, including splitting both matches this past weekend in the conference. Clemson defeated NC State (3-2) 13-15, 15-8, 11-15, 15-8, 15-12 last Friday and then lost to Florida State Saturday (1-3) 4-15, 15-6, 6-15, 9-15.
Outside hitter Jodi Steffes leads the team in kills (445), digs (341) and blocks (76). The junior paced the Tigers with 27 kills the last time Maryland and Clemson met. Sophomore setter Jessi Betcher, the 1999 ACC Rookie of the Year, ranks first on the squad in assists with 1,259. Betcher led the ACC and ranked sixth in the NCAA last season with 1,431 assists.
Maryland's ACC Tournament History
Terrapin head coach Janice Kruger has led the Terps to their only two ACC titles (1990 and 1996) in the twenty-year history of the ACC Tournament. In addition, Maryland finished second in 1995 and has advanced to the semifinals 13 times. Last season, Maryland lost for only the third time ever in the first round, falling to NC State (0-3) 2-15, 23-25, 7-15.
Kruger Closing In On 250
With the Terps' win over NC State on Oct. 23, Terrapin head coach Janice Kruger is just four wins shy of the 250-mark for her tenure at Maryland. Second in the ACC in wins with 246, Kruger and the Terps need to win all four games this weekend at the ACC Tournament to reach 250.
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. Brennan leads the team in kills (407) and digs (344). The 407 kills place Brennan fifth on the all-time single season list for the Terps. The Maryland native recorded a career-high in kills with 28 in Maryland's win over NC State on Oct. 23 and also set a personal-best with 22 digs last time out at Wake Forest.
It Takes Two
Maren Stuart and Nnenna Amobi (Silver Spring, Md.) have been solid in the middle leading a young Maryland team this season. Stuart and Amobi give the Terps a potent 1-2 punch at the middle hitter position. Stuart is third for the Terps in hitting percentage (.258) and is third in kills (252). Amobi leads the team and conference in service aces with 39. The Maryland native also ranks first on the squad in blocks (90), second in kills (289) and first in hitting percentage (.271).
Career Notes
With just 19 more digs, Maren Stuart will reach the 400-mark for her career at Maryland. Stuart is also just 37 kills away from reaching 600 as a Terp. Here is a list of Terps who are closing in on career milestones:
Lindsay Davey needs 32 assists for 1,500 and 52 digs for 500.
Maria DiLivio needs nine kills for 100.
Lynnsy Jones needs two digs for 150.
Against Ranked Opponents
The Terrapins are 0-2 this season versus teams in the AVCA coaches Top 25 poll. Maryland faced both teams in their first two matches of the season at the Nike Invitational in Stockton, Calif. At the time, the Terps lost to No. 24 Michigan (0-3) 6-15, 7-15, 8-15 in the season opener and fell to No. 12 Pacific (0-3) 1-15, 6-15, 2-15.
Head Coach Janice Kruger
Janice Kruger has one of her youngest teams here at Maryland as she concludes her 13th season with the Terps. The second-winningest active coach in the ACC with 246 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 618-255-6 record. During her time at Maryland, Kruger has totaled 246 wins while losing only 161.
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 (1,139), good for 11.39 per game. The 1,139 assists also place Davey seventh on the all-time single-season list in Maryland volleyball history. The Colorado native established a career-high with 75 assists earlier this season in Maryland's five-game win over NC State on Oct. 23.
Terrapin Fan Phone
Follow the volleyball team after each match this season by calling the Terrapin Fan Phone for game recaps. Please call 301-314-8377 to get all of the latest information on the Terps.
Home Sweet Home
The Terrapins finished the 2000 home slate with a winning record of 7-5. Maryland was a perfect 4-0 against non-conference opposition, includuing three wins in capturing the Maryland Invitational team title. The Terps other home win outside the ACC was over BIG EAST-foe Connecticut, in five-games, on Oct. 13. The Huskies are coached by former Terp Kelli Myers, who played under Kruger and was twice named All-ACC.
The Big Seven
Since the ACC All-Tournament Team was established in 1992, the Terps have had seven selections to the squad. In 1996, the Terps had a school-record three players on the ACC All-Tournament Team, including the MVP selection.
Year Player 1993 Sherry Smith 1995 Sherry Smith 1995 Shannon Saltzman 1996 Daune Koester 1996 Eden Kroeger 1996 Elizabeth Efron (MVP) 1997 Elizabeth Efron
Opening-Match Success
Maryland has won its first match in four of the past five ACC Tournaments. During that time span, the Terps have gone 7-4 overall in the ACC Tournament with one title, two appearances in the finals and three appearances in the semifinals.
Year Opponent Score 1995 Duke 15-4, 15-4, 16-14 1996 NC State 15-11, 15-7, 15-4 1997 NC State 16-14, 15-2, 17-15 1998 Duke 15-2, 15-7, 11-15, 15-7
Lucky Number Five
Maryland's five-game victory over Connecticut on Oct. 14 was the third-time this season that the Terps went to five games. The Terrapins are a perfect 3-0 when a match goes a full five:
Date Opponent Game 5 Result Sept. 23 Florida State 15-13 Oct. 14 Connecticut 15-10 Oct. 23 at NC State 15-13
Kruger's Tournament Success
Since Janice Kruger became its head coach, Maryland has gone 13-10 (.565) in the ACC Tournament. This includes winning the 1990 and 1996 titles and finishing second in 1995. Under Kruger's leadership, the Terps have won their first match at the ACC Tournament nine times in 12 years and have advanced to the semifinals eight times.
Year Record Finish 1988 1-1 Semifinals 1989 1-1 Semifinals 1990 2-0 Champions 1991 0-1 First Round 1992 1-1 Semifinals 1993 1-1 Semifinals 1994 0-1 First Round 1995 2-1 Finals 1996 3-0 Champions 1997 1-1 Semifinals 1998 1-1 Second Round 1999 0-1 First Round
The 700 Club
The University of Maryland women's volleyball team made history earlier this season as the Terps captured win number 700 in the program's 30-year history. The historic win came over NC State at the friendly confines of Ritchie Coliseum (3-1) 6-15, 15-3, 15-13, 15-10, on Oct. 7.
"Winning 700 matches speaks highly of Barb Drum and her time at Maryland along with the University's commitment to funding a quality volleyball program," commented head coach Janice Kruger. Drum coached the Terps to 457 wins in during her 17 seasons in College Park.
Sophomore outside hitter Carey Brennan led the Maryland attack with a match-high 22 kills and a team-high 13 digs in the win. Fellow classmate Lindsay Davey (Aurora, Colo.) handed out a match-best 53 assists on the night.
"I am happy to see that our hard work and effort paid off and we got a win in the competitive ACC," said Kruger after the match.
Coming Up Big
Junior middle hitter Willette Dority (Congers, N.Y.) has come on strong for the Terps down the stretch. After missing the first part of the season with a back injury, Dority has been making an impact for the Terps in the middle the past four matches.
In the Terps' final match of the regular season, Dority had a night to remember. The New York native pounded 14 kills and recorded nine digs, both career-highs. In her last two games, Dority is averaging 11 kills per game and 8.5 digs per contest.
The Fountain of Youth
The 2000 Terps' are a team that is filled with youth since there are only two seniors on the roster. Nine players that have seen action are either freshmen or sophomores, including sophomore Carey Brennan who leads the team in kills and digs.
The Terps In The ACC Tournament On Tobacco Road
Maryland has played 19 matches in the state of North Carolina during the ACC Tournament. In those contests, the Terps have an overall record of 8-11 including six trips to the conference semifinals. The last time Maryland played an ACC Tournament game in the state, the Terps lost to Clemson in the 1997 ACC semifinals in four games (15-7, 10-15, 8-15, 10-15).
