Sept. 21, 2002

Box Score

DENVER, Colo. - Freshman middle blocker Rachel Wagener (Chesapeake, Va.) had a season-high eight blocks on Saturday night and four Terrapins reached double figures in kills, but it was not enough to stop eighth-ranked Minnesota from powering past Maryland, 3-1, in the final match of the Denver Invitational volleyball tournament.

Maryland (11-3) suffered its third straight loss despite perhaps its most promising showing of the tournament. After senior setter Lindsay Davey (Aurora, Colo.) fractured a finger during practice on Friday afternoon, the Terps lost in straight games to No. 19 Santa Clara and fell in five games to previously winless Denver. Davey played against SCU, but watched from the sidelines in both matches on Saturday.

Sophomore Aimee Huddleston (Keller, Texas) guided a resurgent effort against the Golden Gophers, though, starting in place of Davey for the second straight match as Maryland won game three of the match before falling in game four, 30-26. Minnesota (13-2) won the match by scores of 30-25, 30-26, 25-30, 30-26.

Wagener paced all players with a match-high eight blocks, followed by five from Huddleston. The Terrapins outblocked the larger Minnesota squad, 15-9, but the Gophers' serving (9 aces)and execution kept Maryland on its heels.

Maryland got 20 kills from Lynnsy Jones (Castro Valley, Calif.), 14 from Carey Brennan (Smithsburg, Md.), 11 from Jennifer Dewalt (Bethlehem, Pa.) and 10 from Wagener who had season high performances in kills and blocks. Huddleston had 46 assists out of the team's 63 total kills.

Maryland returns to the East Coast on Sunday, in advance of a Tuesday road match at George Mason (7 p.m.). The Terrapins begin play in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Friday when Georgia Tech visits Ritchie Coliseum (7 p.m.). Maryland closes the week by hosting Clemson on Saturday (5 p.m.).