Terps Host ACC Heavyweights Clemson, Georgia Tech

Nov. 21, 2007

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -

Clemson, Georgia Tech coming to Comcast

The Maryland Terrapins (17-12, 9-11) close out the 2007 season with a pair of Thanksgiving week matches against Atlantic Coast Conference frontrunners Clemson and Georgia Tech.

The Terps host Clemson at 5 p.m. Wednesday and Georgia Tech at 2 p.m. Friday. The Clemson match will be shown live on the Internet at http://acc.playonsports.tv/umd/.

Tiger Tales

The Clemson Tigers have taken the ACC by storm this season, winning 19 of 20 conference matchups to date, including a regular-season sweep of defending champ and preseason favorite Duke. The Tigers are 19-1 in league play and 26-3 overall.

Due to its sweep of Duke, Clemson has already clinched the ACC title and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. It is Clemson's first ACC title since the 1997, when it won the ACC Tournament. It is the first time Clemson has finished first in the regular-season standings since 1999.

Clemson's last NCAA Tournament appearance came in 1999 when it lost to Indiana in the first round.

The Tigers are currently ranked 25th in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll and boast the top RPI in the ACC at 20.

The Tigers boast the top hitting team in the ACC at .274, which is 16th-best in the NCAA. Clemson is second in the ACC in kills per game and also 16th in the NCAA.

Clemson's Danielle Hepburn will make life tough on the Terps. Hepburn, who was been named the ACC's player of the week three times this season, is one of the favorites for player of the year honors and is second in the ACC in blocks per game at 1.48. Hepburn is 24 in the NCAA in blocks. Hepburn's .401 hitting percentage is toed for the best mark in the ACC and is the 12th best in the nation. Teammate Meghan Steiner is 16th in the country at .395.

Didem Ege ranks third in the conference with 5.36 digs per game and setter Kelsey Murphy is second in assists at 12.56 a game.

The Terps and Tigers have split their 54 all-time meetings with each winning 27 times. However, the Terps have won six of the last 10. Clemson won this season's prior meeting, 3-0.

Jackets making postseason push

After a mediocre 11-8 start to the season, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (21-9, 15-5) have caught fire, winning 10 of their last 11 matches to climb to third place in the league and make a push for an NCAA Tournament bid. Tech's only loss in that span was at Clemson.

The Yellow Jackets received votes in the most recent coaches poll and currently own an RPI of 59, making the NCAA Tournament a possibility with a strong finish. The Jackets' most recent NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2004, when they advanced to the third round and lost to Minnesota.

The all-time series between Maryland and Georgia Tech has been close with the Terps owning a slight advantage at 24-21. Tech won this season's meeting in Atlanta, Ga. In five games. Georgia Tech has won six of the last 10 matchups. The last three contests between the two schools have gone the full five games, with Tech winning two of the three.

Gillming sets games played record

Maryland senior outside hitter Beth Gillming (Cincinnati, Ohio) set the school's all-time games played record in last Saturday's four-game victory against Virginia Tech. Gillming has now played in 480 career games, breaking former teammate Stephanie Smith's previous record of 479.

Records watch

Senior outside hitter Jade Brown (Atlanta, Ga.) has a chance to move into the No. 2 slot on a couple of Maryland's all-time lists this weekend. Brown needs 34 kills to tie Lynnsy Jones for second all-time with 1,390. Brown is 117 attack attempts behind Jones for second all-time in that category, as well.

Junior libero Maggie Schmelzle (Cincinnati, Ohio) is 55 digs away from moving into a fifth-place tie on Maryland's career list with Sarah Treadwell at 1,288 digs.

Junior outside hitter Mary Beth Brown (Vienna, Va.) needs only five total blocks to tie Kelly Malins for fifth all-time at 386.

With two matches yet to go, a pair of Terps have already moved into the school's top-10 season records in a couple of categories. Schmelzle's 437 digs is the 10th best in a season and Mary Beth Brown's 133 blocks assists are the seventh best single-season mark.

Terps in the ACC/NCAA

Maryland leads the ACC in total blocks 372.5 total and 3.33 a game. That number is the eighth best in the NCAA.

The Terps are third in the league in opponent hitting percentage, holding the opposition to a .170 average.

Sophomore middle blocker Katie Usher (Vienna, Va.) ranks sixth in the ACC in hitting percentage, converting 32.8 percent of her attempts.

Mary Beth Brown is sixth in blocks with 143 and 1.28 per game.

-TERPS-

Players Mentioned

Jade Brown

Mary Beth Brown

Beth Gillming

Maggie Schmelzle

Katie Usher

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