Sept. 29, 2006

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Jade Brown's double-double with 14 kills and 14 digs wasn't enough to lift Maryland over Virginia Tech tonight, as the Terps fell 3-1 to at the Comcast Center Pavilion. Maryland drops to 7-5 (0-3 ACC) as Virginia Tech improves to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the ACC. Game scores were 24-30, 30-22, 24-30 and 24-30.

Maryland and Virginia Tech each registered 12 blocks, while the Hokies held the edge in assists (50-46) and digs (55-54). The attack was the key differential as the Terps were kept to 48 kills (.104), the lowest for the Terps this season, with the Hokies posting 59 for a .146 hitting percentage.

Mary Beth Brown, Maggie Schmelzle and Beth Gillming combined for 22 kills, with Tedi Doucet recording 19 assists. Gillming and Jade Brown each had 14 digs in the match, with Jade Brown notching her eighth double-double in ten games. Kathleen Wilson led the team with six block assists and added six kills.

One of Virginia Tech's top offensive players, Taylor Parrish, had seven kills in the second game and finished with the match-high 17. Sarah Munoz had 15 kills for the Hokies, while Katie Esbrook posted 10. Michelle Lang finished with 13 digs for Virginia Tech, with three other players in double-figures in that category.

Maryland was tied with the Hokies briefly in the first game at 2-2, yet the Terrapin attack could not overpower the Hokies as they led the remainder of the game. The Terps closed within one at 13-14, but the Hokies had three straight points, until a kill by Schmelzle and a service ace by Gillming halted the surge. The Terps lost four points before a Hokie error brought the score to 17-24. Virginia Tech went on to win 24-30.

An energized Maryland team came out in the second game with a 3-0 lead, extending it to 9-7 and 13-11 when a key kill by Gillming sparked the offense. The Terps scored the next two points for a five-point lead with a kill by Wilson and a Hokie error. The Terps' momentum continued, holding the lead at 23-21, when key serving down the stretch by Teryn Papp helped win the second game, 30-22.

Virginia Tech's team rallied in the third game, getting off to a quick 4-10 start, then building it 10-16. Maryland stayed in the game with key kills from Jade Brown, Mary Beth Brown and Gillming for 21-22. The Terps suffered three Terp errors as the Hokies pulled ahead to take control of the game before prevailing at 24-30.

The fourth game proved to be an equal contest, as the Terps showed their offense was not ready to give up. After a tie at 9-9, the Hokies moved ahead 13-19. After a Maryland timeout, the Terps were able to pull within three at 24-27, but two Terp errors and a kill by Esbrook ended the game at 24-30 for the Hokie win.

Maryland continues its ACC schedule in a Saturday matchup against the Virginia Cavaliers at 5 p.m. The game can be followed on Gametracker.