Maryland Faces New ACC Foe Virginia Tech Friday In Comcast Center

Oct. 28, 2004

MARYLAND (10-11, 5-6 ACC) vs. VIRGINIA TECH (11-11, 5-5 ACC)
FRI., OCT. 29, 2004 * 7:00 p.m.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. * COMCAST CENTER PAVILION (1,500)

The University of Maryland volleyball team will look to bounce back from a tough Tuesday night loss to Virginia when it hosts ACC newcomer Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. Friday. For the Terps, it wraps up a four-match homestand in Comcast Center Pavilion, where they are 6-3 in 2004. Gametracker is available on umterps.com for the match.

Noting The Terrapins

Maryland was edged by Virginia Tuesday (Oct. 26) in Comcast Center Pavilion, 3-2 (19-30, 30-21, 27-30, 30-27, 15-7). With the loss, the Terps are now 10-11 overall, 5-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Maryland has five conference matches left on the schedule, three 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 Tech in 2004. With the addition of the Hokies 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, 2.92-2.64. Leading the way are junior middle blockers Stephanie Smith and Rachel Wagener, who have both recorded over 100 total blocks for the Terps in 2004. Smith has 104 blocks on the year (including a team-high 18 solo) and is averaging 1.30 per game (sixth in the ACC). Also providing strong blocking is junior Rachel Wagener, who has posted 101 blocks on the year and averages 1.26 total blocks per game (seventh in the ACC). Offensively, the classmates are each hitting a team-high .288.

Joining the middles on the conference top-10 lists is Sarah Treadwell, who ranks ninth in digs (3.72 per game) and Aimee Huddleston, who is seventh in assists (11.94 per game).

Senior Leaders

The offensive and defensive contributions of seniors Sarah Treadwell and Maria DiLivio have led Maryland in 2004. Treadwell averages 3.51 kills and a team-high 3.72 digs per game, while DiLivio is averaging 3.23 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, who has recorded 77 blocks (nine solo) and 157 kills this year, has had three consecutive double-doubles against Wake Forest (10 kills, 10 digs), Duke (11 kills, 11 digs) and Virginia (14 kills, 12 digs).

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 nearly 12 assists per game and is just 19 assists away from 3,000 for her career. With 2,981 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 over two digs and nearly one block per game for the Terps, and has also notched 65 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 3.11. 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. Gillming was dominant at the libero position vs. Duke on Oct. 23, recording a career-hig 32 digs (a team-high for the year). Most recently vs. Virginia, she again led the team with 24 digs. In 21 matches, Gillming has reached double-digits for digs in 12 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. She led Terps vs. Wake Forest (career-high 24 kills) and had 17 kills vs. Duke. Most recently vs. Virginia, she posted 16 kills.

Brown is averaging a team-high 3.62 kills per game and has registered 123 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 1,124 digs for her career and sits in fourth place on Maryland's all-time list in the category. She is 205 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 339 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 382 in less than three seasons. The school record is 418, set by Kelli Myers from 1987-89.

Last Time Out: Virginia 3, Maryland 2

The University of Maryland volleyball team dropped a hard-fought match Tuesday night in Comcast Center Pavilion to the University of Virginia, 3-2 (19-30, 30-21, 27-30, 30-27, 15-7). Terrapin senior Sarah Treadwell led her team with 19 kills and 18 digs, while classmate Jennifer Dewalt recorded her third-straight double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs.

Dewalt tied career-highs with seven blocks (one solo) and eight assists and added two aces. For Treadwell, it was also her third-straight double-double and her 14th of the season.

The first game was all Terrapins, as they out-hit the Cavaliers, .326-.111, and Treadwell had five kills and seven digs. Freshman Jade Brown also found her offensive rhythm early, as she had six first-game kills and the Terps cruised, 30-19. Brown finished the match with 16 kills, five digs and two blocks.

Virginia came storming back in game two and limited Maryland to a .000 attack percentage. The Cavaliers took advantage of an early lead and took the second game, 30-21.

The next two games were battles, as the Terrapins benefited from six kills from Dewalt in game three to win, 30-27, and Virginia's Alexis Geocaris exploded for 10 kills and hit over .560 in game four to give the Cavaliers a 30-27 victory.

In the fifth and decisive game, the teams battled back and forth early but eventually Virginia took a 7-6 lead on a Kristin Chaney kill. From there, the Cavs never trailed again and again limited Maryland to a .000 hitting percentage as they took the game, 15-7. Chaney finished with three kills and 14 digs for Virginia.

Other Terrapins with strong outings were Beth Gillming (24 digs), Rachel Wagener (10 kills, seven blocks) and Stephanie Smith (10 kills, career-high nine digs, match-high nine blocks). Aimee Huddleston had 51 assists, 13 digs, six blocks and two kills for the Terrapins.

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 Tech

The Hokies have a 11-11 (5-5 ACC) record after dropping three-straight conference matches at Duke, Florida State and Miami.

Virginia Tech is led by Annie Spicer with 301 kills on the year (3.72 per game) and Katie Esbrook with 256 kills (3.16 per game). Amanda Cloyd leads the team in digs by averaging 4.11 per game.

Maryland has never lost to the Hokies and leads the all-time series, 3-0. Their last meeting, at the Terrapin Invitational in College Park on Sept. 13, 2003, resulted in a 3-0 Terrapin victory.

In that match, Maria DiLivio had a team-high 12 kills, while Aimee Huddleston had 37 assists, four kills, six digs and five blocks and Stephanie Smith had nine kills and hit .438. Both Smith and Huddleston were named to the all-tournament team.

Virginia Tech is coached by Greg Smith, who is in his fifth year.

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 11.94 assists per game while contributing 2.03 digs per game.

Wagener is averaging 2.54 kills per game and has posted 101 blocks on the year (1.26 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 313-208, while her overall record is 689-314-6. 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 Friday's match, the Terps will travel to Miami and Florida State to take on the Hurricanes on Friday, Nov. 5, and the Seminoles on Sunday, Nov. 7.

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 Faces New ACC Foe Virginia Tech Friday In Comcast Center

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