Volleyball Team Gears Up For 2000 Season
8/22/2000 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 22, 2000
COLLEGE PARK, Md.- Maryland head coach Janice Kruger welcomed back seven returners and seven newcomers as the Terrapins begin their second week of practice for the 2000 season. Coming off a 12-19 campaign in 1999, the Terps will rely on seniors Nnenna Amobi (Silver Spring, Md.) and Maren Stuart (Tampa, Fla.) to lead the way this season. The Terps face an early season challenge as they head to California to play in the Pacific Invitational, which features 1999 Final Four participant Pacific. Sacramento State, another 1999 NCAA tournament participant, along with Big Ten power Michigan, round out the field at the Pacific Invitational.
Brennan Heads the List of Top Returners
Sophomore Carey Brennan (Smithburg, Md.) will try and build on last season's success when she was named to the ACC-All Freshman team during the 1999 season. Just the third player to receive the honor at Maryland, Brennan will be part of a solid group of hitters that return to the Terrapin lineup. Along with the two seniors and Brennan, junior Willette Dority (Congers, N.Y.) and sophomore Amanda Ayres (Chesapeake, Md.) give the Terps five players up front with plenty of experience.
Alberts and Davey Return at the Setter Position
Maryland welcomes back two experienced setters in junior Libby Alberts (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and sophomore Lindsay Davey (Aurora, Colo.). Davey will handle the setting duties as Alberts continues to recover from off-season shoulder surgery. As a freshman, Davey appeared in all 31 matches. Alberts, a two-year starter for the Terps at setter, has led Maryland in assists the past two seasons. The Minnesota native averaged 8.32 assists per game last season which was good for ninth in the ACC.
Seven Newcomers on 2000 Team
Coach Kruger will rely on plenty of youth this season as she welcomes seven newcomers to the Maryland program. Junior Shannon Toback (Ellicott City, Md.) along with freshmen Fiona DeFreitas (Laurel, Md.), Maria DiLivio (Hamilton, Ontario), Lynnsy Jones (Castro Valley, Calif.), Trina Scalza (Warwick, N.Y.), Kathy Shahrokh (Ellicott City, Md.) and Laurel Wilson (North East, Md.) will all start
their collegiate careers this season with the Terps.
Head Coach Janice Kruger
Kruger will have 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 233 victories, Kruger has been named ACC Coach of the Year three times (1990, 1996, 1997).
LaGrange and Liu Named Assistant Coaches
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.
The 700 Club
The University of Maryland begins its 29th season of Division I volleyball this year. The Terps have
compiled an impressive 690-372 record and are just 10 wins shy of the 700-mark.
