Terps Travel to Iowa for Road Finale
11/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - • The Maryland volleyball team (9-20, 2-16 Big Ten) plays its final road match of the season at Iowa (13-16, 5-13) Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET.
• The match will be streamed on BTN Plus on BTN2Go.
• The Terrapins and Hawkeyes met earlier this season for the first time ever, with Iowa taking a 3-0 win out of College Park.
Last Time out
• Maryland fell to No. 4 Penn State (28-3, 16-2) last Saturday, 3-0 (15-25, 18-25, 14-25). Junior outside hitter Emily Fraik led the Terps with eight kills while freshman middle blocker Hailey Murray made three blocks.
• The Terps and Nittany Lions played in front of 4,522 fans on the XFINITY Center main court, the largest attendance in Maryland volleyball history.
scouting the hawkeyes
• Iowa (13-16, 5-13) fell to Northwestern in straight sets on Saturday. Jess Janota led the Hawkeyes with nine kills while Alessandra Dietz made three blocks.
• On the season, Dietz is ninth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.347). Three Hawkeyes rank among the conference's top 15 in service aces, including Dietz (0.28/s), Alyssa Klostermann (0.25/s) and Julianne Blomberg (0.23). Michelle Fugarino leads the team and is seventh in the Big Ten in digs per set (3.86).
• Alex Lovell leads Iowa with 2.81 kills per set while Mikaela Gunderson is averaging 1.00 blocks per set to pace the Hawkeyes.
Looking ahead
• The Terrapins close out the 2014 regular season at home against Northwestern, Saturday at 7 p.m.
• Seniors Ashleigh Crutcher, Catie Coyle, Kaitlyn King and Nicola Ribisi will be honored before the match.
packed house
• The Terps have already set four attendance records in seven home matches this season during head coach Steve Aird's first season at the helm.
• Maryland set a new program record in attendance as 4,522 fans attended the Terps' match against Penn State (11/22) on the XFINITY Center main court.
• The Maryland-Michigan State match (10/17) drew 4,173 fans to the XFINITY Center main court, the first time the Terrapins have been on the main court since 2010.
• 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 eighth-largest crowd in Maryland history.
• In a nationally televised match against Rutgers (10/22), the Terps drew 1,215 fans, the ninth-largest crowd in Maryland history.
• The Terps are currently averaging 1,625 fans in College Park this season, which ranks 23rd nationally.
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), Nebraska (10), Illinois (11), Purdue (19) and Ohio State (20).
• So far this season, the Terps have played 15 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) and Penn State (4).
ALL ABOUT THAT ACE
• In conference play this year, the Terps are ranked third in the Big Ten in service aces per set with 1.21 (80 total).
• Through 18 Big Ten matches, sophomore setter Whitney Craigo has served 18 aces, good for 0.27/s and eighth in the conference. Junior outside hitter Emily Fraik has served 15 aces, good for 0.23/s and 13th in the Big Ten.
• In 26 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 seventh in the Big Ten with 3.59 kills per set (341 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 (6.27). An immediate starter for the Terps, Oggioni is also third on the team with 1.80 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 1.69 kills/s.
• Freshman defensive specialist Samantha Higginbothem has seen time in all 29 matches and is averaging 1.07 digs/s.
murray makes splash
• Freshman middle blocker Hailey Murray has found a new gear as the Terps entered Big Ten play.
• Through 18 conference matches, Murray is averaging 1.09 blocks/s, leading the Terps and good for 14th in the Big Ten.
• Murray is averaging 1.77 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.
