Oct. 22, 2004
MARYLAND (9-9, 4-4 ACC) vs. WAKE FOREST (8-11, 0-8)
FRI., OCT. 22, 2004 * 7:00 p.m.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. * COMCAST CENTER PAVILION (1,500)
MARYLAND vs. DUKE (15-5, 6-3 ACC)
SAT., OCT. 23, 2004 * 5:00 p.m.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. * COMCAST CENTER PAVILION (1,500)
The University of Maryland volleyball team returns to Comcast Center Pavilion for the first two matches of a four-match conference homestand, as it hosts Wake Forest tonight at 7 p.m., then takes on Duke Saturday at 5 p.m. Gametracker is available on umterps.com for both matches.
Noting The Terrapins
Maryland split matches at Clemson and Georgia Tech last weekend, as it defeated Clemson in four games but fell to Georgia Tech in three. The Terps are 9-9 on the year and 4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
For the fourth-straight weekend, the Terrapins were 1-1 in conference action, and will look to win consecutive conference games for the second time this year on Friday and Saturday.
The Terrapins are facing both teams for the second time this year, as they defeated Wake Forest in Winston-Salem on Sept. 25 but fell to the Blue Devils in Durham on Sept. 24.
As a team, Maryland is averaging nearly three blocks a game and ranks second in the conference in the category behind NC State while outblocking its opponents, 2.95-2.69. Leading the way is junior middle blocker Rachel Wagener, who has recorded 87 blocks on the year and is averaging 1.32 per game (fourth in the ACC). Also providing strong blocking is junior Stephanie Smith, who has posted 85 blocks on the year (including a team-high 16 solo) and averages 1.29 total blocks per game (fifth in the ACC). Smith is also hitting a team-high .303, while Wagener is hitting .281 in 2004.
Joining the middles on the conference top-10 lists is Sarah Treadwell, who ranks ninth in digs (3.71 per game) and Aimee Huddleston, who is eighth in assists (11.85 per game).
Senior Leaders
The offensive and defensive contributions of seniors Sarah Treadwell and Maria DiLivio have led Maryland in 2004. Treadwell averages a team-leading 3.45 kills and 3.71 digs per game, while DiLivio is averaging 3.30 digs per game. Senior Jennifer Dewalt, meanwhile, has come on strong for the Terps' block, as she ranks third on the team in the category and averages nearly a block a game. Dewalt has recorded 64 blocks (eight solo) and 122 kills this year.
Freshman Impact
Freshman Beth Gillming, who has played in all but one game and every match for the Terrapins, is making an immediate impact in her first year of collegiate volleyball. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has appeared in the Terps' starting lineup and ranks third on the team for digs per game with 2.74. She has also recorded 16 kills.
Gillming recorded her first career kill on Sept. 3 vs. Kansas State and has seen extensive action in the back row since then. On Sept. 24 vs. Duke, Gillming recorded an impressive career-high 23 digs and followed up that performance with 16 digs in the victory over Wake Forest on Sept. 25. In 18 matches, Gillming has reached double-digits for digs in nine of those contests.
Another freshman with a bright future with the Terps is newcomer Jade Brown, who saw her first action and recorded her first career kill on Oct. 2 at North Carolina. The Atlanta, Ga., native was inserted into the line up and immediately gave the Terps an offensive spark, notching eight kills. She followed that up with a five-kill performance at NC State on Oct. 3. Most recently, she led Terps at both Clemson (19 kills) and Georgia Tech (10 kills).
Brown is averaging 3.30 kills per game and has registered 66 kills on the year.
Record Watch
Sarah Treadwell notched her 1,000th career dig on Sept. 25 at Wake Forest. The senior headed into the match needing nine to hit the milestone and recorded 11 on the night. Treadwell now has 1,088 digs for her career and sits in fourth place on Maryland's all-time list in the category. She is 241 digs away from Carey Brennan's four-year total, 1,329.
Rachel Wagener, already one of the most prolific blockers in Terrapin history, recorded her 303rd career block assist on Oct. 3 at NC State, tying Sherry Smith for Maryland's individual career total in the category. She broke the record in the Terps' next match, Oct. 8 vs. FSU. With 327 career block assists, Wagener is now the school record-holder in the category.
Last Time Out: Georgia Tech 3, Maryland 0
The University of Maryland volleyball team dropped a match to Georgia Tech last Saturday night in O'Keefe Gymnasium, 3-0 (30-20, 30-21, 32-30). Terrapin freshman and Atlanta native Jade Brown led the Terps offensively, as she posted 10 kills in front of her hometown crowd.
Georgia Tech out-hit the Terrapins in game one, .342-.114, and despite getting four kills from Brown, the Terps fell by a score of 20-30. Maryland fell into an early hole in game two, as Georgia Tech stretched out a 10-1 lead, but with three blocks and five kills, Jennifer Dewalt kept the Terps in the game. Maryland eventually got to within five points on a Dewalt block at 24-19, prompting a Yellow Jacket timeout. Despite a great defensive effort, led by Maria DiLivio with 10 second-game digs, the Terps again struggled offensively and dropped the game, 21-30. The Terps built a 10-5 lead early in the third game behind strong offensive play from Dewalt and Brown, but the Jackets would chip away at the Terrapin lead and eventually tie the game at 22. The teams would play to six more ties before the game was over, but Georgia Tech prevailed, 32-30.
Dewalt finished with nine kills and four blocks, while Stephanie Smith added eight kills and four blocks for the Terps. DiLivio had 18 digs, while Aimee Huddleston had 34 assists, 10 digs and a kill.
Fresh Faces
Including Gillming and Brown, Kruger's squad welcomes five new faces in 2004. Charese Baldwin, Jade Brown, Mary Beth Brown, Gillming and Katie Luhrsen are the Terps' class of 2008, along with redshirt freshman Tina Aramburu.
Luhrsen got her first collegiate action at the Houston Invitational, playing in two games vs. California on Sept. 4. Luhrsen had a strong showing, as she tallied eight digs and two assists. On Oct. 9 vs Miami, Luhrsen saw time at libero and notched nine digs.
Baldwin played in her first collegiate match vs. Towson on Sept. 15. She recorded her first career kills on Sept. 18 vs. Georgetown, including the match-winner.
Aramburu earned her first collegiate experience vs. Georgetown on Sept. 18, notching a dig.
Scouting Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons have an 8-11 (0-8 ACC) record after most recently dropping a conference match at Virginia Tech.
Wake Forest is led by Kim Stern with 236 kills on the year (3.37 per game) and Valerie Rydberg with 222 kills (3.36 per game). Morgan Havig ranks third in the ACC for hitting percentage (.360) and blocks (1.34 per game).
Wake Forest, as a team, ranks sixth in the conference for hitting percentage (.228) and fifth for blocks (2.66 per game).
Maryland leads the all-time series with the Demon Deacons, 18-7, including the last three meetings. Earlier this season, in Winston-Salem, the Terps were victorious 3-1.
In that match, Terrapin Sarah Treadwell notched her 1,000th career dig and it was a standout night for Maryland's middle blockers, as both Stephanie Smith and Rachel Wagener tallied a match-high 19 kills.
Wake Forest is coached by Valorie Baker, who is in her fifth season.
Scouting Duke
Duke has a 15-5 record (6-3 ACC) after most recently defeating conference foe Virginia Tech at home.
Carrie DeMange averages 4.28 kills per game for the Blue Devils, and ranks sixth in the conference in the category.
Tassy Rufai averages 3.32 kills per game and 2.62 digs per game, while Stephanie Istvan is second in the conference and first on the team with 344 digs (5.06 per game).
Duke, as a team, is third in the ACC for kills (15.75 per game), second for hitting percentage (.248) and first in service aces (1.93 per game).
The Blue Devil program is in its sixth season with Jolene Nagel at the helm.
Maryland trails the all-time series with Duke, 21-28, and dropped a four-game match in Cameron Indoor Stadium earlier this year.
In that match, Maria DiLivio, Sarah Treadwell and Rachel Wagener all had 15 kills for the Terps. Treadwell and DiLivio notched double-doubles with 18 and 19 digs, respectively, while Beth Gillming had a career-high 23 digs.
Maryland Picked To Finish Second In ACC
The University of Maryland volleyball team was selected to finish second in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Terrapins, who earned the school's third ACC title a season ago, earned 112 points and finished just behind Georgia Tech with 116 points. Rounding out the top was North Carolina (93) and Wake Forest (78).
Huddleston And Wagener: Preseason All-ACC
Senior setter Aimee Huddleston, a first-team All-ACC selection last season, and Rachel Wagener, a second-team honoree in 2003, represent Maryland on the preseason All-ACC squad.
Huddleston is averaging 11.85 assists per game while contributing 1.89 digs per game.
Wagener is averaging 2.50 kills per game and has posted 87 blocks on the year (1.32 per game).
Kruger Embarks On 17th Season At Maryland
Janice Kruger, who became the ACC's all-time winningest coach last season, returns for her 17th year at the helm of the Terrapins. Her record at Maryland is 313-207, while her overall record is 688-312-6. Last season's ACC Coach of the Year and AVCA Region Coach of the Year, Kruger won her third ACC Championship and made her fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
2004 Schedule: One Of The Toughest
Maryland, which captured the ACC Championship last season en route to its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance, faced three teams that advanced to the 2003 NCAA Sweet Sixteen within the first two weeks of the fall schedule.
Maryland's home tournament took place on Sept. 17-18 in Comcast Center Pavilion and proved that its home court is a tough place to play. With four wins at home in the 2004 campaign, Maryland is now 13-5 all-time in Comcast Center.
The Terps opened the ACC portion of their schedule on Sept. 24-25 at Duke and Wake Forest, earning a victory over the Demon Deacons but falling to the Blue Devils.
New to the ACC this year are Miami and Virginia Tech. Miami head coach, Nicole Lantagne Welch, is a former Maryland setter and faced her former coach in Kruger. The Terps prevailed in a five-game battle in the first volleyball meeting between the teams.
The Terrapins, who defeated Georgia Tech, 3-1, for the 2003 ACC Tournament title will look to defend their crown at this year's tournament which is being held in Charlottesville, Va., on Nov. 18-21.
The team will have a final regular-season game after that tournament, a home contest vs. Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 27.
Up Next
Following this weekend's matches, the Terps host Virginia on Tuesday, Oct. 26, before finishing out the week with a Friday night match with Virginia Tech in Comcast Center on Oct. 29. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Email Straight To You
If you would like the latest Maryland volleyball news emailed to you directly as soon as it breaks, email volleyball contact Amy Mulligan at mulligan@umd.edu with "Volleyball Email" as the subject and you will receive every update distributed on the team.
