Maryland Hosts Virginia In ACC Volleyball Action Tonight

Oct. 26, 2004

MARYLAND (10-10, 5-5 ACC) vs. VIRGINIA (15-7, 5-5 ACC)
TUE., OCT. 26, 2004 * 7:00 p.m.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. * COMCAST CENTER PAVILION (1,500)

The University of Maryland volleyball team will play the third contest of a four-match homestand in Comcast Center Pavilion tonight, when it hosts Virginia at 7 p.m. The Terps are looking for their second-consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference victory after defeating Duke, 3-1, on Saturday. Gametracker is available on umterps.com for the match.

Noting The Terrapins

Maryland split matches with Wake Forest and Duke in Comcast Center Pavilion last weekend, as it dropped a tough five-game match to the Demon Deacons Friday, but bounced back to defeat the Blue Devils in four games Saturday. The Terps are 10-10 on the year and 5-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

For the fifth-straight weekend, the Terrapins were 1-1 in conference action. Including Tuesday's match up with the Cavaliers, Maryland has six conference matches left on the schedule, four of which will be played in the friendly confines of Comcast Center.

Although the Terps have started the second half of the conference schedule, this will be the first and only time they face Virginia in 2004. With the addition of Virginia Tech and Miami to the ACC, the Terps no longer play every team in the conference both home and away. The teams in 2004 that Maryland has (or will) face twice are: Duke, Wake Forest, Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Clemson. North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and NC State, on the other hand, are only on the 2004 schedule once.

As a team, Maryland is averaging nearly three blocks a game and ranks third in the conference in the category behind NC State and Florida State while outblocking its opponents, 2.89-2.63. Leading the way is junior middle blocker Stephanie Smith, who has recorded 95 blocks on the year (including a team-high 18 solo) and is averaging 1.27 per game (sixth in the ACC). Also providing strong blocking is junior Rachel Wagener, who has posted 94 blocks on the year and averages 1.25 total blocks per game (seventh in the ACC). Smith is also hitting a team-high .295, while Wagener is hitting .291 in 2004.

Joining the middles on the conference top-10 lists is Sarah Treadwell, who ranks ninth in digs (3.73 per game) and Aimee Huddleston, who is seventh in assists (12.05 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 70 blocks (eight solo) and 143 kills this year.

Steady Hand

Another senior, now in her second season orchestrating the Maryland offense, is setter Aimee Huddleston. Huddleston has been rock solid for the Terps, as she is averaging over 12 assists per game and is just 70 assists away from 3,000 for her career. With 2,930 assists throughout her four years on the Terrapin roster, Huddleston currently sits in fourth place on Maryland's all-time charts for the category, and will become just the fourth Terrapin to reach the 3,000 career assist mark (Eden Kroeger, Lindsay Davey and Nicole Lantagne are the others).

Also important to note is Huddleston's versatility, a characteristic she has become known for throughout her career. She is also averaging nearly three digs and nearly one block per game for the Terps, and has also notched 63 kills in 2004.

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 3.00. She has also recorded 17 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. Most recently, Gillming was dominant at the libero position vs. Duke, recording a career-hig 32 digs (a team-high for the year). In 20 matches, Gillming has reached double-digits for digs in 11 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 vs. Wake Forest (career-high 24 kills) and had 17 kills vs. Duke.

Brown is averaging 3.69 kills per game and has registered 107 kills on the year.

Reunited

Gillming will face fellow freshman and high school teammate Beth Shelton when Virginia and Maryland meet Tuesday night. Gillming and Shelton, both outside hitters at St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio, were part of the 2003 state and national champion Bulldog team and also played club volleyball together for Team Z out of Ohio.

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 1,105 digs for her career and sits in fourth place on Maryland's all-time list in the category. She is 224 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 333 career block assists, Wagener is now the school record-holder in the category.

The junior is also quickly approaching Maryland's career total blocks record, as she currently has 375 in less than three seasons. The school record is 418, set by Kelli Myers from 1987-89.

Last Time Out: Maryland 3, Duke 1

The Terps handed Duke its second-consecutive loss Saturday, Oct. 23, in Comcast Center Pavilion, winning 3-1 (30-27, 23-30, 30-27, 30-23). The Terps snapped their two-match losing streak as Sarah Treadwell led all players with 18 kills and 20 digs and freshman Beth Gillming recorded a career-high 32 digs at the libero position.

Treadwell was crucial down the stretch for the Terrapins, as she had 12 of her 18 kills in the final two games. It was the third time this season Treadwell reached the 20-dig mark, and it was her team-high 13th double-double of the season. Gillming, meanwhile, was dominant at the libero position, recording a match-high 32 digs. The total was a new career-high for the freshman and a team-high for the season.

Game one was closely contested as the Terps barely out-hit the Devils, .196-.148. Rachel Wagener and Jennifer Dewalt led the way for Maryland with four kills each and the Terps gained the 30-27 victory. Wagener finished the match with 14 kills, a team-high .423 attack percentage and three blocks. Dewalt, meanwhile, posted her second-consecutive double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs.

In game two, Duke was led by Pixie Levanas with six kills and Tealle Hunkus with five kills. The Blue Devils evened the match with a 30-23 victory.

Treadwell took over in games three and four, however, as the senior had four kills with no errors on eight swings (.500) in game three and eight kills with one error on 12 attempts (.583) in game four. Jade Brown also came up big for the Terps in the final two games, as the freshman finished with 17 kills and two blocks, and Maryland clinched the match with 30-27 and 30-23 victories.

Stephanie Smith was also in double-digits in kills, recording 11 to go with two blocks. It was the second match in a row that five Terrapins had at least 10 kills. Terp setter Aimee Huddleston handed out 56 assists and had 11 digs, three kills and two blocks.

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. Baldwin, who saw her first playing time in an ACC match on Oct. 3 at NC State, also came off the bench strong on Oct. 22 vs. Wake Forest by tallying two block assists.

Aramburu earned her first collegiate experience vs. Georgetown on Sept. 18, notching a dig.

Scouting Virginia

The Cavaliers have a 15-7 (5-5 ACC) record after most recently sweeping Duke and edging Wake Forest last weekend in Charlottesville, Va.

Virginia is led by Sarah Kirkwood with 420 kills on the year (5.12 per game) and Lindsay Osco with 288 kills (3.31 per game). Alexis Geocaris is averaging 3.31 kills per game and 1.31 blocks per game, while Melissa Caldwell leads the team in digs by averaging 5.45 per game.

Virginia, as a team, ranks fourth in the conference in kills (15.77 per game), fourth in assists (14.66 per game) and second in service aces (1.73 per game).

Maryland leads the all-time series with the `Hoos, 30-11, as the teams split matches in 2003. Their last meeting, the Terrapins' Senior Night on Nov. 11, 2003, resulted in a 3-2 Cavalier victory.

In that match, Terrapin Stephanie Smith notched 17 kills, while Maria DiLivio had 11 kills, 16 digs and three aces and Sarah Treadwell had 10 kills and 23 digs.

Virginia is coached by Melissa Aldrich Shelton, who is in her 10th season.

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 12.05 assists per game while contributing 1.99 digs per game.

Wagener is averaging 2.57 kills per game and has posted 94 blocks on the year (1.25 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 689-313-6. 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 Tuesday's match, the Terps close out the week with a Friday night match up with Virginia Tech. The Hokies, new to the ACC in 2004, travel to Comcast Center Pavilion for a 7 p.m. match.

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.

Maryland Hosts Virginia In ACC Volleyball Action Tonight

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