Maryland Volleyball Hosts Towson Before Traveling To Denver Invitational
9/16/2002 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 16, 2002
Maryland enters the week of Sept. 16-22 as one of just 11 unbeaten teams in the NCAA Division I ranks. The Terps battle Towson on Tuesday night at Ritchie Coliseum (7 p.m., admission is free), prior to traveling to Denver, Colo., where they will face their most challenging opponents of the season.
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This Week
Tuesday, Sept. 17 - Towson at Maryland, 7 p.m., Ritchie Coliseum
At Denver Invitational
Friday, Sept. 20 - Maryland vs. #19 Santa Clara, 5 p.m. (MT), Hamilton Gymnasium
Saturday, Sept. 21 - Maryland at Denver, 1 p.m. (MT), Hamilton Gymnasium
Saturday, Sept. 21 - Maryland vs. #8 Minnesota, 5 p.m. (MT), Hamilton Gymnasium
Another Tournament Title
Maryland got past West Coast power Loyola Marymount in five games last Saturday to win its third straight tournament of the season, and remain unbeaten after 10 matches. The Terps blitzed past Indiana in three games on Friday night, shutout Boston College in three games on Saturday morning, and came from behind to outlast LMU in the decisive fifth game on Saturday evening.
On Deck
Following Tuesday's match against Towson, the Terps will face their stiffest competition of the season to date, while traveling to the University of Denver Invitational. At DU, Maryland will face No. 8-ranked Minnesota and No. 19 Santa Clara. The Terps beat LMU in their first match this season against a team receiving national poll votes.
Davey Homecoming Third-year starting setter Lindsay Davey (Aurora, Colo.) returns to her hometown this weekend when the Terps travel to Denver. Davey grew up in the south Denver suburbs and attended Cherry Creek High School.
She is, in fact, the second Maryland setter that Janice Kruger has plucked from the Denver area. The Terps' all-time assists leader and the only volleyball All-American in school history, Eden Kroeger (1994-97), was a Cherry Creek graduate, also. Davey is a candidate to become the Terps' first All-ACC setter since Kroeger, and is hopeful of becoming the first Maryland setter since Kroeger to guide the Terps to the NCAA Tournament (Maryland made three consecutive appearances in 1995, 1996 and 1997).
Best Starts
The Terrapins are off to their second-best start since the volleyball program achieved NCAA Division I status in 1982. The only season that betters the Terps' 10-0 start in 2002 was a 1997 campaign that saw Maryland complete a 25-0 regular season.
Best Win Streaks
Maryland's 10-match win streak equals the program's third-best streak since 1982. The 1997 team actually boasted a 26-match win streak including an opening-round win in the ACC Tournament. Janice Kruger's second team at Maryland posted a 15-match win streak in 1989. The Terps' ACC championship team of 1996 beat Georgia Tech in the conference championship to boast a 10th straight win that season, now matched by the 2002 Terrapins.
One Of 11
In boasting a 10-match win streak to begin the 2002 season, Maryland enters the week as one of just 11 unbeaten teams in the country: California (9-0), Eastern Washington (11-0), #2 Hawaii (8-0), Kansas (8-0), #6 Long Beach State (8-0), Maryland (10-0), Miami, Fla. (10-0), #9 Penn State (9-0), #12 UC Santa Barbara (9-0), #1 USC (6-0), #20 Washington State (9-0). [Rankings reflect the AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll of Sept. 16.]
One Of 8
Similarly, the Terrapins are one of just eight teams in the nation with at least 10 wins through Sept. 15: Eastern Washington (11-0), Maryland (10-0), Miami, Fla. (10-0), Missouri (10-1), #8 Minnesota (10-2), #7 Northern Iowa (10-1), Tulsa (11-1), Western Kentucky (11-2). [Rankings reflect the AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll of Sept. 16.]
Terps On Both Lists
Maryland, Miami and Eastern Washington are the only Division I schools who are unbeaten while winning more than 10 matches so far this season. Coincidentally, the coach at Miami is the second-leading producer of assists in Maryland history, Nicole Lantagne-Welch, who played under Janice Kruger from 1990-93.
All-Time Kills Champion
Caught in the midst of Maryland's win streak and a third tournament championship last weekend, senior outside hitter Carey Brennan (Smithsburg, Md.) became the school's all-time leader in kills. Brennan's fifth-game kill against Loyola Marymount brought the Terps within 12-11 and Maryland proceeded to score the last four points of the match. The kill was Brennan's 1,239th, breaking an 11-year mark held by Collen Hurley.
More Milestones
While Brennan has pounded more kills than any player in Maryland history, she also is among a select few to boast over 1,000 digs during her career - 1,071 through four seasons. Meanwhile, setter Lindsay Davey (Aurora, Colo.) has eclipsed 3,000 assists for her career, boasting 3,074 in her fourth college season.
Dewalt & Treadwell Highlight Terps Depth
While Brennan is breaking records, and Lynnsy Jones (Castro Valley, Calif.) has been a two-time tournament MVP while leading Maryland with 4.5 kills per game through the first two weeks of the season, almost lost in Maryland's streak has been the play of sophomore hitters Sarah Treadwell (Pearland, Texas) and Jennifer Dewalt (Bethlehem, Pa.). Perhaps more accurately, Treadwell and Dewalt, and freshman blockers Stephanie Smith (Bethesda, Md.) and Rachel Wagener (Chesapeake, Va.) have raised the Terps' level of play behind senior captains Brennan, Davey and Amanda Ayres (Chesapeake Beach, Md.).
Entering the season with a career-high of just seven kills, Dewalt has eclipsed that mark four times this season including 18 against Binghamton and James Madison, and a new high of 22 during last weekend's win over LMU. Treadwell, with a previous career-high of three kills during her freshman season, posted 15 in the Binghamton match and 17 in last week's win at Georgetown.
Experienced Servers
Maryland averages over 2.1 serving aces per game to nearly double last season's 1.3 average. The Terps' top serving quartet is comprised of their four most experienced veterans: Jones (22 aces), Ayres (16), Brennan (11) and Davey (10).
Youthful Block
The Terps have also succeeded in improving their block since last season. With the loss of graduated senior middle blocker Willette Dority and relying largely upon the play of freshmen, one of Kruger's concerns entering the season was the development of its block. Through 10 matches, the Terps average 2.36 blocks per game, compared to 1.86 in 2001. Ayres (33) leads Maryland in total blocks, followed by Smith (27), Jones (27) and Wagener (17). Freshman blockers Smith and Wagener pace the Terps with five solos each.
