Terps Head South To Face Georgia Tech And Clemson This Weekend
10/8/2001 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 8, 2001
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COLLEGE PARK, Md.- After last week's 2-1 mark, the upstart Maryland women's volleyball team has two important ACC matches this weekend. The Terps travel to Georgia Tech Friday (Oct. 12) at 7 p.m. for their first meeting of the year vs. the Yellow Jackets. Maryland then hits the road again Saturday (Oct. 13) for a 6 p.m. match at Clemson.
* The Terrapins will look to continue their momentum after the team's big win over Duke this past Friday at Ritchie Coliseum. Maryland handed Duke just its second loss of the season with an impressive (3-1) 19-30, 30-25, 30-24, 30-27 win over the Blue Devils.
* The win over Duke was the first for Maryland since the 1998 season when the Terps downed the Blue Devils in the semifinals of the ACC Championships.
* The Terps opened last week with a dominant three-game victory over Navy 30-20, 30-11, 30-23 and ended the week with a hard-fought, four-game loss to Wake Forest (26-30, 30-25, 23-30, 22-30.
Inside The Georgia Tech Series
* For the 31st time on the volleyball court, the Yellow Jackets and Terps will tangle Friday night in Atlanta. Even though Tech has won four of the last five meetings, the Terps still hold an 18-12 series advantage.
* Head coach Janice Kruger owns a winning record of 13-11 vs. Georgia Tech.
* Friday's meeting is also a battle between two of the ACC active winningest coaches. Kruger is 92-68 in ACC play while Georgia Tech coach Shelton Collier has an ACC mark of 92-50.
* Last season vs. Tech , the Terps lost both matches as the Yellow Jackets went 25-8 overall and 13-3 in the ACC. Georgia Tech won on its home court (3-1) 15-13, 5-15, 8-15, 12-15 and also won at Ritchie Coliseum (3-0) 9-15, 3-15, 4-15.
A Quick Look At The Clemson Series
* Clemson and Maryland have met 40 times, with the Tigers holding a 21-19 series advantage.
* The last time the two teams met, the Terps snapped a series seven-match losing streak to the Tigers with a three-game sweep at the 2000 ACC Championships. The Terps downed the Tigers 15-12, 15-6, 15-11 to advance to the quarterfinals of the ACC Championships.
* Janice Kruger has a career record of 10-16 against Clemson.
Brennan Tabbed ACC Player Of The Week
* Junior outside hitter Carey Brennan (Smithsburg, Md.) was named ACC Player of the Week for her efforts the week of October 1st.
* Brennan led the team with 37 kills and 27 digs in the two ACC wins over Virginia and Florida State, averaging 3.7 kills, 2.7 digs, and 0.4 blocks per game.
* It's the first time in Brennan's career she has won the award and is the first player since 1999 to win the award. Maren Stuart was named ACC Co-Player of the Week for Nov. 1-7, 1999.
Solid Start In ACC Play
* With the Terrapins' 3-3 start to the ACC season, the team needs just one more victory to equal the four ACC victories total from last season.
* The important home victory over Duke handed the Blue Devils just their second loss of the season and also gave Maryland win number three in ACC play.
* The Terps have struggled the past two seasons opening ACC play. In 2000, Maryland opened the ACC campaign 1-5 after six matches and in 1999 the Terps started the season just 2-5 in conference play.
Steady Influence In The Middle
* One question that was on the mind of the Terrapins entering the season was who would replace departed seniors Nnenna Amobi and Maren Stuart at middle hitter? The performance of Willette Dority Congers, N.Y.) and Amanda Ayres (Chesapeake Beach, Md.) have given the Terps exactly what they needed in the middle: a solid, steady force.
* Dority battled injuries throughout her career before shining as a senior in 2001. The New York native opened the season by earning all-tournament honors at Indiana in the Blimpie/Holiday Inn Classic and has continued to be the Terps' most consistent hitter.
* Dority leads the team and ranks second in the ACC with an impressive .370 hitting percentage and ranks third with 143 kills.
* Ayres has moved from outside hitter to the middle and has done all the little things. She leads the team in blocks (48) and service aces (25). The Maryland native also is third on the squad in digs (92).
Bombs Away!
* One area that stands out when you look at the 2001 Terps is the balanced attack the team possesses. Four players have at least 100 kills to give the Terrapins a well-rounded attack including three players with 143 kills or more.
* Maria DiLivio (Hamilton, Ontario) is tied for the team lead in kills with 180 through 14 matches. The second year outside hitter is one of the strongest players on the team and has already surpassed her kill total from last season, when she hit 96 kills in 30 matches. Against Virginia, DiLivio blasted a career-high 20 kills to lead the Terps to victory.
* Carey Brennan has put together a stellar career over her two-plus seasons in College Park. Brennan is tied for the team lead in kills (180) while leading the team in digs (154) and double-doubles (eight). Brennan is on track to become the school's all-time leader in kills and digs if she stays on her current pace.
* Another player who has really improved her play from last season is Lynnsy Jones (Castro Valley, Calif.). The right side player has developed into one of the most dependable hitters on the team, ranking fourth in kills (141) and second in aces (24). Jones was named MVP of the B&G Properties Invitational earlier this season at Southwest Texas after leading the Terps to a perfect 3-0 record and the team title.
