Maryland Volleyball Announces Season Awards at Annual Banquet
2/29/2008 7:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Feb. 29, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The 2007 Maryland Terrapins volleyball team held its annual banquet Saturday evening to honor the athletic and academic achievements of its student-athletes. Players, parents and guests also recognized retired coach Janice Kruger for her career contributions and welcomed new head coach Tim Horsmon.
Senior outside hitter Beth Gillming (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) won three of the six competitive awards, including the Most Valuable Player award. Gillming also took home the 100% Effort Award and Leadership Award. Gillming is the program's all-time leader in games played with 488 and is second all-time in digs with 1,582.
Senior outside hitter Jade Brown (Atlanta, Ga./Riverwood) was recognized for making All-ACC Second Team for the third straight year as well as earning AVCA All-East Region and AVCA All-American Honorable Mention accolades. Brown recorded 358 kills and 127 blocks last season playing on both the outside and in the middle.
Brown and Gillming, team co-captains, were each presented with their framed jersey in recognition of their outstanding career contributions to the Terrapins. As true freshman, the pair was significant contributors to Maryland's 2004 ACC Championship and NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance. They helped the Terps make a repeat appearance in the NCAA Second Round as sophomores in 2005.
Sophomore outside hitter/defensive specialist Christina Paul (North Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) won the Spirit Award and Most Improved Player Award. Paul recorded 47 digs last season and averaged almost 2.5 per game. Paul was also one of the Terps' biggest serving threats.
Freshman outside hitter Michelle Kenning (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) won the Newcomer of the Year Award after recording 156 kills last season, emerging as one of the Terps' primary attack threats in the front row. Kenning was also recognized for her selection to the All-ACC Freshman Team.
The entire team was recognized for its excellence in the classroom. Maryland Volleyball student-athletes earned a cumulative team GPA of 3.32 during the fall 2007 semester.
Seven Terrapins were honored for making the ACC Honor Roll, including sophomores Meredith Doyle (McLean, Va./Langley), Paul, Kathleen Wilson (Lake Orion, Mich./Marian), juniors Mary Beth Brown (Vienna, Va./James Madison), Tedi Doucet (Austin, Texas/Westlake) Maggie Schmelzle (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) and Gillming.
Three Terps -- Gillming, Mary Beth Brown and Schmelzle -- were also recognized for earning places on the ACC's All-Academic Team.
Awards were also presented to the four student-athletes who earned the top GPA in their class -- freshman middle hitter Brittney Grove (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run), sophomore setter Hayley Hanson (Huntington Beach, Calif./Ocean View) and Schmelzle and Gillming in the junior and senior classes, respectively.
-TERPS-
