Oct. 20, 2006
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Terrapins outblocked the Tar Heels tonight, but the Terps wouldn't deliver their first win in Carmichael Auditorium since 1997 as they were overtaken by North Carolina 3-0. The Tar Heels improve to 5-14 (3-9 ACC), while the Terps drop to 8-11 overall (1-9 ACC). Game scores were 24-30, 26-30 and 27-30.
"Our blocking was effective, but there were critical moments when we needed to execute key plays and it didn't happen," said head coach Janice Kruger. "We need to face the challenge that is presented to us and move on. This team has fight and we'll continue to work to better ourselves."
Maryland had nine blocks to the Tar Heels' seven, notched six aces, yet were held to a .168 hitting percentage in the match.
Beth Gillming (.346) led all players with 12 kills, adding 3 blocks and nine digs. Freshman outside hitter Ashley Hogan tallied nine kills, while redshirt freshman Kathleen Wilson posted 7 kills for a season-high .429, while Maggie Schmelzle.
Freshman Katie Usher had the match-high of five blocks, notching five kills on the night. Wilson swatted four blocks, while Jade Brown and Tina Aramburu each had three blocks in the match.
The Terps opened with a 5-1 lead in the first game on kills by Usher and Tar Heel errors. The Tar Heels tied the game at 6-6, but Maryland held the edge building a 13-8 lead on key blocking by Usher, Aramburu and Jade Brown. The Terps' held a margin of two points through much of the game till the Tar Heels seized the opportunity and moved ahead 19-20. North Carolina inched further on kills by Lauren Prussing and Heather Brooks. The Tar Heels won the game 24-30.
Brooks finished with 11 kills for the Tar Heels, while Megan Owens and Amy Beaver each collected ten. Prussing closed out the match with nine kills.
Coach Kruger's move of Schmelzle as outside hitter and freshman Christina Paul as libero sparked the Terps at the start of the second game. Maryland led at 4-2 and extended the lead to 8-7 on key kills by Schmelzle and Gillming.
Yet, North Carolina scored nine of the next 13 points to move ahead 12-15. Gillming was undeterred and downed a kill, followed by a Usher block and an ace by Hogan for a tie at 15-15. The Tar Heels then went on an eight-point run for 17-23, followed by a Terrapin 7-2 run to come within two points at 24-26. After a Terp service error, Gillming drained a kill and then paired up with Usher for a block for 26-27. Two Terp errors and a Tar Heel block would hand the Tar Heels the game, 26-30.
The Terps showed resolve in the third game, as the team fell behind 4-8 in the third game but bounced back for 10-11 after four Tar Heel errors and a service ace by Hogan. North Carolina pulled ahead to 15-19, but Maryland tied the game, 21-21, when Gillming had two kills and Terrapins Usher, Wilson and Brown provided key blocking. Brown and Usher swatted a block for 27-28, but kills by Prussing and Hanson Tuttle closed out the game 27-30 for the Terp loss.
Maryland heads to NC State for a Saturday 6 p.m. matchup, the last of a four-match road swing on tobacco road before returning to College Park for a contest against Miami on October 27.
