Terps Open ACC Play Tuesday at Boston College
9/21/2009 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 21, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland volleyball team begins Atlantic Coast Conference play at 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon at Boston College, where the Terrapins will look to defeat the Eagles in the conference opener for a second straight season.
The Terps finished non-conference play with an 8-5 record, including tournament victories the last two weekends at the Georgetown Classic and Spring Hill Suites at Arundel Mills Terrapin Invitational.
Senior middle blocker Katie Usher has led Maryland the last two weekends, giving the Terps a strong hitting, blocking and serving presence. Usher is hitting a team-best .353 with 43 blocks and 11 aces. Usher's .353 hitting percentage ranks eighth in the ACC.
Also among the ACC leaders for the Terps is freshman libero Sam Rosario. The most valuable player of last weekend's tournament, Rosario is the conference leader in service aces with 30, 11 more than anyone else in the league. Rosario also ranks fourth in the ACC in digs, with an average of 4.32 per set.
Sophomore Lisa Scott leads Maryland in blocking with 1.24 per set, ranking in the top five in the ACC. Freshman Kara Bates ranks 10th in the conference in kills, averaging 2.78 per set.
Maryland's overall defense has improved this season, as the Terps rank fifth in the league in blocking and fourth in opponent's hitting percentage.
Boston College enters the match on a roll. The Eagles are 10-1 overall and have won 10 straight matches since dropping their season opener at Buffalo.
The Eagles have three players hitting .310 or better, led by sophomore Mollie Kolosky at .394, the second-best mark in the ACC.
The Terps and Eagles are the top two serving teams in the ACC in regard to aces. Boston College averages a league-best 1.89 per set, followed by the Terps at 1.62.
Maryland owns the edge in the all-time series, 5-4. The teams have split the last two season series. Maryland's last win in Chestnut Hill came in 2005.
- TERPS -
