Aug. 6, 2004

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The University of Maryland volleyball team was selected to finish second in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference announced Friday. 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 three was North Carolina (93) with Wake Forest (78) points.

The Terrapins finished in second place in the 2003 ACC regular season with a 12-4 conference record, 27-8 overall. Head coach Janice Kruger returns as the all-time winningest coach in ACC history and her squad returns 11 letterwinners and five starters. Included in the corps of returners are two members of the preseason all-conference team, also announced Friday. 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 led a Terrapin offense that hit .262 for the year and shattered Maryland's single-season assist record in 2003, finishing with 1,669 for a per-game average of 12.5. Easily the Terps most versatile performer, Huddleston averaged at least one assist, block, dig and kill per game last season.

Wagener returns as arguably the most prolific blocker in the ACC. She led the conference in blocks for seven straight weeks over the course of the regular season and was consistently one of the top five blockers in the nation. She broke school records for both blocks in a season and block assists in a season in 2003, while also managing to average 2.32 kills per game. Maryland opens its season on Sept. 3, when it takes on Kansas State at the Houston Invitational.

2004 ACC Preseason Volleyball Poll
                           Points        2003 Record
1.  Georgia Tech (7) ...... 116............ 34-4
2.  Maryland (4)........... 112............ 27-8
3.  North Carolina......... 93............. 20-12
4.  Wake Forest............ 78............. 21-10
5.  Clemson................ 68............. 18-16
    Florida State.......... 68............. 16-17
7.  Miami.................. 58............. 22-9
8.  Virginia............... 49............. 25-9
9.  Duke................... 48............. 10-19
10.  Virginia Tech......... 21............. 13-14
11.  NC State.............. 15............. 7-25