Sept. 23, 2008
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Junior Katie Usher paced the Terps with 12 kills on .556 hitting as the University of Maryland volleyball team defeated Boston College in four sets Tuesday evening in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.
The Terrapins (5-8, 1-0 ACC) hit a season-high .248 and overcame a first-set loss to knock off the Eagles (6-7, 0-1 ACC) by scores of 19-25, 25-15, 25-21 and 25-20 to win their third straight match overall.
"I'm happy for the girls," Maryland head coach Tim Horsmon said. "We're still working through some things, but it's nice to have some good things happen for them."
The Terps struggled in their service game in the first set, committing five service errors and three in a row at one point. However, the Eagles had four service errors of their own to keep the score close. The Eagles grabbed a two-point lead early and the score mostly stayed within two points up until the Eagles went up 18-16.
Boston College then embarked on a four-point run to take control of the set and eventually take it, 25-19. The Eagles out-hit the Terps .391 to .172 and Melanie Cimino was a perfect 5-for-5 in the set for Boston College.
Maryland got back on track early in the second set, however, and never trailed en route to a 25-15 win.
Up 6-3, the Terps scored six straight points off the serve of freshman Sharon Strizak, including three service aces. The Eagles got no closer than six the rest of the way. The Terps hit .379 in the set and senior Maggie Schmelzle posted five kills.
The Terps scored four of the first five points in the third set, including back-to-back service aces from Schmelzle. The match was tight from there, though, with 11 ties. Maryland trailed by scores of 15-16 and 18-19, the latter of which forced Horsmon to call timeout.
The team responded well to Horsmon's words, scoring the next three points. Freshman middle blocker Lisa Scott played a part in all three points, registering a kill and then getting in on back-to-back blocks with Mary Beth Brown and Michelle Kenning, respectively. The Terps never trailed from that point, sealing the set on a kill by Usher. Scott had four kills and four blocks in the set.
Like the third set, set No. 4 was close most of the way. The Eagles led 11-9 at one point, but the Terps answered with an 8-3 run to grab a three-point lead, 17-14.
With a 21-19 advantage, Maryland clinched the set and the match with a 4-1 run. The final point came on a block by Usher and Kenning. The Terps limited the Eagles to .091 hitting in the final set.
With the victory, Maryland ended its two-year skid in conference openers.
Kenning had 11 kills and four blocks for the Terps while Schmelzle added 10 kills and a match-high 16 digs.
Brown had six kills and four blocks with a .300 hitting percentage. Strizak had five kills and a team-high 24 assists. Scott had nine kills, a team-high five blocks and hit .312 in the match.
Cimino led the Eagles with 10 kills.
Maryland makes its first conference road trip of the season this weekend, playing at North Carolina Friday and NC State Sunday.
-TERPS-
