Nov. 2, 2012
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Kelsey Hrebenach stepped up to serve with the Maryland volleyball team trailing 24-20 in the fourth set Friday night. It appeared the match was headed to a deciding fifth set, but Hrebenach wanted to end it in the fourth for the Terps. The freshman calmly rattled off seven straight serves including four aces to propel the Terps past Wake Forest 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-23, 26-24) Friday night at Comcast Pavilion.
Hrebenach finished the match with six service aces, six kills and three blocks. Her six aces are the most in the ACC this season for a four-set match, and the most for a Terrapin since Brittney Grove tallied six at Virginia on Nov. 14, 2008.
The freshman was not the only Terp to step up Friday night. Ashleigh Crutcher continued her strong offensive form with 23 kills, tied for second most in the ACC this season in a four-set match, to go along with five blocks. Crutcher has now totaled 20 or more kills in three consecutive matches.
In addition, Amy Dion played a vital role on defense particularly in the deciding set. The freshman had eight of her team-high 15 digs in the fourth set. Dion was one of 10 different Terrapins to record a dig. As a team, Maryland had 54 digs.
Early in the fourth set, it appeared the match was destined for one more frame. After a Crutcher kill, the Demon Deacons scored six consecutive points to take a 10-5 lead, which the Deacs extended to 15-9 before the Terps called a timeout.
The Terrapin timeout did not blunt Wake Forest's momentum. The Demon Deacons pushed their lead to 21-12 before a Wake Forest error started the Maryland comeback. Kamrin Gold knocked down a cross-court winner and Hrebenach followed with a block to trim the deficit to six points.
After a Wake Forest timeout, the two teams exchanged the next six points to give the Deacs set point. Hrebenach added another block on the next point to ignite the rally. The native of Leesburg, Va., followed with an ace and Crutcher stuffed an attack on the next point to cut the lead to 24-21.
A Wake Forest timeout could not slow down Hrebenach at the service line. Hrebenach scored two consecutive aces followed by a block from Adreené Elliott and a block from Emily Fraik to give the Terps set point. Hrebenach appropriately ended the match on the next point with an ace.
The Terps opened the match on a roll. In the opening set, the Terps scored eight of the first 10 points behind three kills from Crutcher and two kills each for Elliott and Remy McBain. Wake Forest pulled within two points on three occasions before pulling within one at 20-19.
Following a Maryland timeout, Crutcher and Mary Cushman increased the lead to three and earned set point at 24-21. The Deacs scored the next two points to add some drama, but Crutcher ended the suspense with her 10th kill of the frame to secure the set for the Terps.
Wake Forest turned the tables in the second set and held the Maryland offense to .100 hitting. After trailing 7-4 early, the Deacs scored nine of the next 13 points to take a 13-11 lead and increased it to 18-13 before Maryland called a timeout.
The Terps would not get closer than three points as Wake Forest won the set 25-20 to tie the match headed into the intermission.
The third set was the closest of the match. The set featured 13 ties and lead changes. It appeared Maryland would run away with the set as the Terps jumped out to a 6-1 lead. But the Demon Deacons battled back and eventually tied the set at 12. Wake Forest would continue to apply the pressure and earned a two-point lead at 17-15.
On the next point, Elliott tallied a kill and combined with McBain on a block to tie the set. With the set tied 20-20, Crutcher knocked down two consecutive kills to give Maryland a lead it would not relinquish.
