Terps Host #4 Penn State In XFINITY Main Arena
11/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland volleyball team (9-19, 2-15 Big Ten) returns to the XFINITY Center main arena to host No. 4 Penn State (27-3, 15-2) Saturday at 7 p.m.
• The Terrapins competed on the main court for the first time since 2010 earlier this season, hosting Michigan State.
• The match will be streamed on BTN Plus on BTN2Go. The remaining three matches on the Terps' schedule will be broadcast on BTN Plus.
Last Time out
• The Terps lost a hard-fought, five-set match to Minnesota Wednesday evening (25-21, 20-25, 14-25, 21-25, 7-15).
• Senior outside hitter Ashleigh Crutcher led the team with 19 kills, while junior outside hitter Emily Fraik added 14, a new season high.
• Sophomore middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor set a new career high with 10 blocks (2S, 9A) against the Golden Gophers. Sophomore setter Whitney Craigo made a season-high 26 assists and tallied three service aces.
scouting the nittany lions
• Penn State swept Michigan Wednesday in Ann Arbor, Mich. Aiyana Whitney led the Nittany Lions with 12 kills on .318 hitting, while Haleigh Washington made 10 kills and no errors on .318 hitting.
• Three Nittany Lions earned Big Ten weekly honors Monday. Whitney was selected as Player of the Week, while Micha Hancock was named Setter of the Week and Washington earned Freshman of the Week honors.
• As a team, Penn State is currently first in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.356), kills (14.74/s) and service aces (1.90/s) and second in the conference in assists (13.34/s).
• Three Nittany Lions sit at the top of the Big Ten in hitting percentage: Washington (.500), Nia Grant (.483) and Whitney (.392). Hancock leads the conference in service aces (0.94/s) and assists (11.51/s), and Washington is seventh in blocks (1.22/s).
• The Nittany Lions defeated the Terps, 3-0, in State College, Pa., on Nov. 8. Crutcher led match with 16 kills.
• Penn State moved to the fourth spot in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week, making the Nittany Lions the highest ranked team the Terps have faced this season.
Rooted in success, aird welcomes b1g challenge
• “The best part of the whole thing for me was that it was a huge opportunity,” said Aird. “I didn't think it was risky because I knew I could put the right people in place and, if given enough time, I could take it to where it needed to go. And then the administration here looked me in the eyes and said, 'Volleyball is going to matter,' and that was huge.”
• Check out Michael Errigo's story on Steve Aird, and how his past success has helped guide him through the Terps' first season in the Big Ten.
packed house
• The Terps have already set three attendance records in seven home matches this season.
• The Maryland-Michigan State match (10/17) drew 4,173 fans to the XFINITY Center main court, the largest attendance in program history.
• Maryland's home opener against Indiana (10/3) brough 1,238 fans to the XFINITY Center Pavilion, the largest attendance since 2010. It was also the seventh-largest crowd in Maryland history.
• In a nationally televised match against Rutgers (10/22), the Terps drew 1,215 fans, the eighth-largest crowd in Maryland history.
• The Terps are currently averaging 1,263 fans in College Park this season, a significant increase from the average of 336 in 2013.
btn schedule released
• The Terps are slated to play at least 14 matches this season on the Big Ten Network platform, including the Rutgers match on Oct. 21 which will air nationally on Big Ten Network.
• The other 13 matches will be streamed live on the BTN2Go app (BTN Plus), which is the official app of the Big Ten Network. Fans can access all Big Ten content on BTN Plus for $119.95 per year or a $14.95 monthly subscription.
• A Maryland School Pass for BTN Plus, which includes all Terrapin contests, home and away, on BTN Plus for $79.95 per year or for a $9.95 monthly subscription.
think b1g
• The Terps play 13 matches against teams ranked in the AVCA preseason national poll this season - marking their toughest schedule in history.
• The University of Maryland joined arguably the best volleyball conference in the nation over the summer as the Terps became members of the Big Ten.
• The Big Ten boasts six teams in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll: Wisconsin (2), Penn State (4), Illinois (10), Nebraska (11), Purdue (16) and Ohio State (20).
• So far this season, the Terps have played 14 matches against opponents who were ranked or received votes at the time of competition: Appalachian State (RV), Washington (5), USC (10), Illinois (16), Northwestern (RV), Purdue (15), Minnesota (23), Wisconsin (6), Michigan (RV), Nebraska (14), Ohio State (18), Penn State (6), Purdue (16) and Nebraska (11).
ALL ABOUT THAT ACE
• In conference play this year, the Terps are ranked third in the Big Ten in service aces per set with 1.27 (80 total).
• Through 17 Big Ten matches, sophomore setter Whitney Craigo has served 19 aces, good for 0.29/s and seventh in the conference. Junior outside hitter Emily Fraik have served 15 aces apiece, good for 0.24/s and 14th in the Big Ten.
• In 25 matches this season, Craigo has made 23 service aces, averaging 0.26/s. Craigo is ranked 10th in the Big Ten through the season.
crusher crutcher
• Senior outside hitter Ashleigh Crutcher reached the 1,000 career kills mark earlier this season against East Tennessee State.
• The Raleigh, N.C., native currently leads the team and is sixth in the Big Ten with 3.63 kills per set (334 total).
• Crutcher has recorded 20+ kills four times this season: 24 at George Mason (9/6), 23 at Northwestern (9/27), 22 vs. Rutgers (10/21) and 20 at Rutgers (10/25).
immediate impact
• Three newcomers to the Terps have made impressions for Maryland.
• Sophomore setter Carlotta Oggioni, a transfer from Oregon State, is currently ranked first on the team and 14th in the Big Ten in assists per set (6.31). An immediate starter for the Terps, Oggioni is also third on the team with 1.81 digs/s. Oggioni was named to the Elon Phoenix Classic and Patriot Invitational all-tournament teams.
• Freshman middle blocker Hailey Murray was named to the Black & Gold Challenge all-tournament team. Murray is first on the Terps with 1.00 blocks/s and is averaging 1.72 kills/s.
• Freshman defensive specialist Samantha Higginbothem has seen time in all 28 matches and is averaging 1.08 digs/s.
murray makes splash
• Freshman middle blocker Hailey Murray has found a new gear as the Terps entered Big Ten play.
• Through 17 conference matches, Murray is averaging 1.10 blocks/s, leading the Terps and good for 14th in the Big Ten.
• Murray is averaging 1.88 kills/s in Big Ten play, good for third on the team.
fast start in a new era
• In his first season with the Terps, head coach Steve Aird led the team to a 6-0 run to start the year, Maryland's best start since 2005.
• Prior to arriving in College Park, Aird helped Penn State to its sixth national title in 2013 as an assistant coach.
• Aird won a pair of national titles in two stints with Penn State while also working at Auburn and Cincinnati.
• Aird completed his staff with the hiring of assistant coaches Adam Hughes and Kristin Kenney and director of volleyball operations Stephen Yates.
