Aug. 19, 2008

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The 2008 University of Maryland volleyball season will feature a mixture of familiar faces in the lineup and several program newcomers.

While seniors Mary Beth Brown, Maggie Schmelzle and Tedi Doucet are back for their final collegiate seasons, the 2008 Terps will unveil several fresh faces, beginning with a brand-new coaching staff.

After 20 years of service to Maryland, Janice Kruger announced her retirement in late January, leaving the program as the winningest coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

On February 9, Dayton head coach Tim Horsmon was announced as the new head coach of Maryland volleyball. Horsmon comes to College Park with an impressive resume, including a 33-2 season and AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year honors at Dayton last season. In nine years as a head coach combined at Robert Morris and Dayton, Horsmon has led his team to eight NCAA Tournament appearances.

Despite his previous successes, Horsmon knows there is a lot of work to be done to get the Terps to the level he envisions.

That hard work began in spring ball, where Horsmon and assistant coaches Tami Ores and Jason Oliver had the chance to get a feel for the current players and vice versa.

"I think last spring was a good opportunity for us and the team to really start to get on the same page with what we were asking of them and teaching them what our expectation levels are," Horsmon said. "That was a good beginning. The spring, combined with beginning of preseason practice here, has been a good chance to create the type of culture in the gym necessary to make this into a nationally-recognized program."

Inheriting a new team is always a challenge for a new coach trying to build a national contender. Fortunately for Horsmon, he has a lot of support on the floor with Brown, Schmelzle and Doucet.

"They have been great so far," said Horsmon of his senior trio. "All three of them are great kids. All three really care about the program and they're going to work really hard to make the program better. They're good people to have in our program to set an example to their teammates and show what we are trying to do here. We're really lucky to have them."

Although Horsmon dominated conference play at Robert Morris and Dayton to the tune of a 93-10 combined league record, the ACC figures to be a tougher challenge this year. The Terrapins were predicted to finish seventh of 12 teams in the league's preseason poll and only Brown was named to the preseason all-ACC team.

While the ultimate goal is an ACC title and trip to the NCAA Tournament, Horsmon said the most important thing right now is continuing to get better every day.

"I think we have the players in the program right now to be as good as we want to be and the NCAA Tournament is in the back of our minds," Horsmon said. "However, right now we just need to work on getting better every single day in the gym. We need to get better individually, as a team and as a program and we need to keep bringing in the right type of players to make that happen."

OUTSIDE HITTERS

The Terps lose two of the best players in school history at the outside hitter position with the graduations of Beth Gillming and Jade Brown. Jade Brown is currently third on Maryland's all-time kills list and Gillming is the school's all-time leader in games played.

Despite the losses of Jade Brown and Gillming, outside hitter remains a position of strength.

Sophomore Michelle Kenning figures to be the team's go-to attacker in the lineup after a good freshman campaign that culminated in an ACC All-Freshmen Team selection.

Kenning hits the ball as hard as anyone in the ACC and with her improved all-around game, could develop into one of the best players in the conference.

"Michelle obviously had a good year, last year. She really took some big steps forward in the spring and not only established herself as a go-to player on the team, but really came out as one of the leaders on the team, which was really good to see as a freshman," Horsmon said. "She possesses all the intangibles that great players have and I expect a lot of great things from her."

After splitting time the previous two seasons between outside hitter and libero, Schmelzle is set to play her final season on the outside.

Schmelzle is perhaps the most well-rounded player on the team. She can be featured as an attacker, but her ball control skills make her a valuable defensive asset, as well.

"Maggie had a great spring and she's a really knowledgeable player," Horsmon said. "I'm looking for her to come out with a consistent fire and energy. If she can do that, she's really going to help us win some matches this year."

Freshman Maddi Lee should also see a lot of playing time in the rotation. Lee, a Clarksville, Md. native from River Hill High School, is a very balanced player with a high ceiling.

"Coming in, Maddi is as physically gifted as any player I've ever coached at that position," Horsmon said. "We're really excited about her skills. She just needs to learn the technical side of what we're doing so she can build the confidence to be an elite player here. Once that happens, great things will happen for her."

Rounding out the outside hitting rotation are juniors Ashley Hogan and Christina Paul.

Hogan is an excellent athlete, but is still suffering from a spring foot injury. Once she recovers, however, Horsmon plans on using her in the rotation.

Paul is a utility player with great energy and enthusiasm. Paul can play on the left side, but should also see plenty of time as a defensive specialist.

Paul's work ethic endeared her to the coaching staff early.

"She's a great kid who works extremely hard. She's passionate about the game and takes it seriously," Horsmon said. "She had a great spring and we're going to ask her to do a lot of different things."

RIGHT SIDE

Mary Beth Brown is going to anchor the right side for the Terps this season, acting as one of the top attacking and blocking threats on the team.

Brown was selected to the preseason all-ACC team this season and appears poised for a big year.

"Mary Beth, with her height and athletic ability is one of the best talents I've ever coached," Horsmon said. "Her vertical leap has improved a lot in the off-season. I want her to come out with an improved confidence this season with the idea that she's going to take over some matches. As a blocker, she already does that. But we need her to be an offensive force."

Sophomore Brittney Grove will also play on the right side this season in a hybrid right-side-middle-hitter role.

Grove asserted herself toward the end of 2007 as a reliable attacker and blocker also displaying a knack for converting clutch kills and making key blocks in big spots.

"Brittney's a great kid, a really hard-working kid. She has a great attitude and really wants to do well," Horsmon said. "She's an excellent athlete and her intelligence should really ease the transition into a new position.

Schmelzle and Lee could also see time on the right side.

MIDDLE BLOCKERS

The Terps are in excellent position on the middle this season with junior Katie Usher and freshman Lisa Scott.

Usher led the team with a .331 hitting percentage in 2007 and set the school record for block assists in a season with 180 her freshman season.

Usher has good size at 6-feet-3-inches and combines good footwork to make her an excellent player.

"I think Katie is one of the best players on the team at doing what they're supposed to do in all responsibilities of the position they play," Horsmon said. "She executes her attacks and blocks correctly with great consistency. In our offense, we try to get the ball to the middles early, so she has a chance for a great season. She's a really strong athlete, she hits all the sets well and she has a great feel for blocking."

Scott comes to Maryland from an excellent high school program in Langley High in McLean, Va., the same high school as Terp middle Meredith Doyle.

Although she is only a freshman, Scott could be one of the best players on the team this season. Scott possesses great size at 6-feet-3-inches and she's a raw, powerful athlete with the potential to dominate a match.

"Lisa is a tremendous athlete and a tremendous kid," Horsmon said. "She's very bright and she wants to know how to play the right way. I would expect a lot of big things from her in the program. She's definitely going to compete for a spot right off the bat."

Doyle and fellow senior Kathleen Wilson will add valuable experience in the middle.

SETTERS

Doucet and junior Hayley Hanson provide Maryland with a lot of previous experience at the setter position.

With Horsmon's 6-2 offense, both will see plenty of floor time in 2008.

Doucet is coming off an injury-marred season that limited her to 14 matches in 2007. Assuming Doucet is fully healthy going into the season, she will be the primary setter, but either way, Hanson's experience from 2007 will come in handy.

"If we can keep Tedi healthy for a full four months, that's going to be great for us. She's a good player and she's had a good career here," Horsmon said. "However, Hayley got a lot of experience last year and she's really matured at the position. If both of those players are playing well, we'll be in pretty good shape and be able to run the 6-2 like I want."

Sophomore Rachel Profit could also see time at setter, though she also has the athleticism and quickness to play libero. Profit is recovering from shoulder surgery in the spring.

Freshman Sharon Strizak figures into the team's long-term plans at setter. Strizak primarily played front row in high school, but the coaching staff is developing her into a setter.

LIBEROS/DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS

Sophomore Bethany Springer had a great spring to earn the starting libero nod.

Springer split time last year with Profit and Schmelzle, but showed signs of greatness at times, including a team season-high 33 digs in a win against North Carolina.

Springer is an excellent athlete and an extremely smart player, which has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated in the eyes of the coaches.

"Bethany is as neat a kid as I've ever coached," Horsmon said. "She's a really hard worker, loves playing the game and is really analytical. She so smart, she over-processes things at times. She's a perfectionist. The improvements she's made since last season should be noticeable right away. If she can improve on her serving and serve-receiving, she's going to be a great libero. I also see her asserting herself more and more as a leader on this team, which is pretty neat in a sophomore."

Paul can play the libero spot and also a general defensive expert.

Rounding out the rotation is sophomore transfer Marissa Odom from Georgia Southern. Odom has impressed coaches early with her fiery nature and splendid work ethic.

SCHEDULE

Horsmon has assembled an impressive schedule this season, with seven matches against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season.

The 2008 season kicks off August 29 in Richmond, Va. for the VCU Third Degree Sportswear Invitational.

The Terps begin with Central Michigan on the 29th and face Liberty and Virginia Commonwealth August 30.

The home slate begins September 5 for the Spring Hill Suites at Arundel Mills Invitational. This year's field brings three NCAA Tournament programs to College Park.

The Terps will face Missouri on September 5 and Kentucky and St. John's on September 6.

Maryland travels to New Orleans the following weekend for the Allstate Sugar Bowl and matches against North Dakota State, Jacksonville State and Tulane, respectively.

The final non-conference tune-up takes place a short trip north in Towson, Md., for the Towson Invitational September 19-20. The Terps will face Towson, Lehigh and North Dakota in the tournament.

ACC play starts September 23 with a weekday match against Boston College in Comcast Pavilion.

The first conference road trip of the season sends Maryland to North Carolina and NC State before returning home the following weekend to face Virginia Tech and Virginia.

The Terps are at Florida State October 10 and Miami October 12. Georgia Tech comes to College Park October 17, followed two days later by defending ACC champion Clemson.

After matches at Duke and Wake Forest October 24 and 25, respectively, the Terps return home to finish the home portion of the schedule with four straight matches at Comcast Pavilion.

Maryland welcomes NC State on Halloween, followed by North Carolina November 2. Miami is in town November 7 and the final home game of the season is set for November 8 against Florida State.

The Terps will face a challenging stretch run this season, closing the year with five road matches at Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Boston College.

The ACC schedule has been cut from 22 matches to 20 this season. The Terps will play every conference foe twice, minus Duke and Wake Forest, which they will only play on the road. Due to the unbalanced schedule, Maryland has only nine home matches in the ACC as opposed to 11 on the road.

There is no ACC Tournament this year.

NCAA Tournament play begins December 4 on campus sites. Regional play is set for December 12 and 13 with the semifinals and finals scheduled for December 18 and 20 in Omaha, Neb.

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