Oct. 17, 2008
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Senior outside hitter Maggie Schmelzle led the University of Maryland volleyball team with 12 kills and 12 digs against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Friday night at Comcast Pavilion, but the Yellow Jackets took the match in three sets, 25-22, 25-22 and 25-22.
With the loss, Maryland fell to 5-15 and 1-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Georgia Tech improved to 13-5 and 5-3 in the league.
The Terps started strongly in the opening set, grabbing a quick 5-2 lead before the Yellow Jackets responded. The Jackets went on an 8-2 run to take a 10-7 lead and led by as many as four at 18-14.
However, Maryland had an answer of its own, scoring four consecutive points to knot the match at 18 apiece with the last two points in the run coming off kills from sophomore outside hitter Michelle Kenning. The Terps briefly regained the lead, 20-19, on a solo block from Schmelzle, one of her three block solos in the match.
Unfortunately for the Terps, the Yellow Jackets scored three points in a row and never trailed again, winning the set by three, 25-22.
Set No. 2 remained close through the middle stages before Georgia Tech built a four-point margin, 17-13. Again, the Terps fought back, cutting the deficit to one at 18-17, but could never quite draw even.
Maryland hit .200 in the set, but Georgia Tech was extremely efficient on offense, hitting .304 in the frame.
The third and final set went back and forth in the early to mid stages, with the Yellow Jackets leading 16-15.
Georgia Tech then appeared to all but put away the set, scoring seven of the next eight points to take a commanding 23-16 advantage.
The Terps were far from done, though. Kenning and Schmelzle each recorded two kills as Maryland ripped off five straight points to get within two at 23-21, forcing a Georgia Tech timeout.
The Yellow Jackets responded with a Chrissy DeMichelis kill out of the break to hold set point.
Schmelzle kept Maryland's hopes alive on the next point, blocking Talisa Kellogg's potential match-winning attack, but the Yellow jackets earned the clinching point in the ensuing sequence off a Brittany Roderick kill.
Schmelzle and junior middle blocker Katie Usher played well in the final set, recording 10 of the team's 15 kills on a combined hitting percentage of .409.
Usher finished with seven kills on .316 hitting with three blocks for Maryland. Freshman middle blocker Lisa Scott hit a season-high .429.
The Yellow Jackets out-hit the Terps .252 to .155 in the match. Roderick led the Yellow Jackets with 11 kills and Kellogg added 10 of her own. Middle hitter Callie Miller recorded eight kills on .636 hitting with six blocks. Setter Allie Niekamp had a solid all-around match, as well, recording 40 assists, 18 digs and six blocks.
Maryland hosts Clemson at 1 p.m. Sunday. The match is the "Dig for the Cure" match. Fans can donate money to help raise funds to find a cure for breast cancer. Players and coaches will be wearing pink ribbons and Under Armour will be giving away Power in Pink T-shirts as part of the match's promotions.
-TERPS-
