Sept. 14, 2002

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Senior outside hitter Carey Brennan (Smithsburg, Md.) saved her best effort of the season for a dramatic finale and the MVP trophy of the Terrapin Invitational on Saturday night at Ritchie Coliseum. Brennan, who became the Terps' all-time kills leader, blasted 26 kills in the final match of the tournament to lift Maryland past Loyola Marymount in a five-game thriller: 20-30, 32-30, 25-30, 30-21, 15-12.

Brennan's final kill brought the Terrapins with 12-11 and within striking distance of the lead during the decisive fifth game. Jennifer Dewalt (Bethlehem, Pa.) promptly scored three kills in the game's final four serves to give Maryland the match and its championship. The sophomore Dewalt registered a career-high 22 kills of her own. Lynnsy Jones added 18 for the Terps, whose 10-match win streak is the school's longest since a 25-0 regular season in 1997, and marks the second-best Maryland start in NCAA Division I history.

Maryland (10-0), which had lost just three games through its first nine matches, was pushed to a fifth game for the first time this season, and was forced to come from behind against the Lions just as it had in each of the first three games. Consecutive kills by LMU's Kristin Gallup posted the Lions to a 10-6 final game lead and forced Maryland to a timeout. And coming out of the timeout, an error and another Gallup kill commanded LMU to an 11-7 lead, just four points from winning the match.

After drawing to within 11-10 however, Brennan and the Terps scored five of the final six serves to win the championship. Brennan, who added a team-high 21 digs, was named to the all-tournament team alongside teammates Davey and Jones. Brennan notched 16 kills in the afternoon win over Boston College, and ended the day by eclipsing Maryland's former mark of 1,238 kills, set by Colleen Hurley from 1989 to 1991.

The Terrapins played from behind in each of the first three games, though coming back to win a lengthy second game, 32-30. Maryland battled from behind to knot the second game at 19, 25, 26 and 29. A Dewalt kill put gave Maryland its first lead of the match, and Brennan ended a game in which seven Maryland serving aces kept the Terps in contention.

LMU (7-2), which had gone five games earlier in the day against Indiana, held off a Maryland rally in the third game. The Terps drew within 23-22, but the Lions scored seven of the game's final 10 points.

The fourth game began as a heartstopper with eight ties before the Terrapins asserted control. Senior setter Lindsay Davey (Aurora, Colo.) scored a service ace to put Maryland ahead for good, and Brennan added a kill for an 11-9 lead. The Terps led by as many as eight, on a putback kill by Amanda Ayres (Chesapeake Beach, Md.), before winning 30-25 and setting up the final game.

Maryland began the day with a three-game rout of Boston College, but each of the tournament's final three matches went the distance.

The Terps closed the evening with the five-game win over LMU, a West Coast power who was receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 coaches poll. Other members of the Terrapin Invitational all-tournament team included LMU's Gallup and Kealani Kimball. In the final match, Gallup equaled Brennan's 26 kills while Kimball posted 19, with just three errors. Represented on the all-tournament team from Indiana was outside hitter Christina Archibald, and Boston College's Jessica Brizzolaro.

Saturday Match Scores
Maryland def. Boston College: 30-25, 31-25, 30-28
Indiana def. Loyola Marymount: 30-28, 28-30, 30-28, 16-30, 15-10

Indiana def. Boston College: 28-30, 30-28, 28-30, 30-18, 15-13
Maryland def. Loyola Marymount: 20-30, 32-30, 25-30, 30-21, 15-12