Terps Host Northwestern in Season Finale
11/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland volleyball team closes out its inaugural season in the Big Ten this Saturday, hosting Northwestern at 7 p.m. in the XFINITY Center Pavilion.
• Seniors Catie Coyle, Ashleigh Crutcher, Kaitlyn King and Nicola Ribisi will be honored before the match.
• The match will be streamed on BTN Plus on BTN2Go. Live stats can be found on umterps.com.
Last Time out
• The Terrapins (9-21, 2-17 Big Ten) fell 3-2 (18-25, 25-18, 25-15, 15-25, 15-17) in a thriller Wednesday at Iowa.
• Senior outside hitter Ashleigh Crutcher led Maryland with 20 kills, hitting the 20-kill mark for the fifth time this season. Freshman middle blocker Hailey Murray made a career-high 14 kills on .393 hitting.
• The Terps made 17 total blocks against the Hawkeyes, led by nine (1 BS, 8 BA) from sophomore middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor.
scouting the wildcats
• Northwestern (16-14, 6-13 Big Ten) dropped in three sets (20-25, 23-25, 23-25) to No. 4 Penn State Wednesday. Taylor Tashima paced the Wildcats with nine kills while adding 15 assists.
• On the season, Northwestern ranks third in the Big Ten in digs per set (14.41), while Caroline Niedospial leads the team with 4.80 per set.
• Symone Abbott leads the Wildcats and is 10th in the conferenec with 3.17 kills per set.
• The Terps and Wildcats met for the first time ever earlier this season. Northwestern took a close 3-2 match win in Evanston, Ill.
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 (86 total).
• Through 19 Big Ten matches, sophomore setter Whitney Craigo has served 18 aces, good for 0.25/s and eighth in the conference. Junior outside hitter Emily Fraik have served 16 aces, good for 0.23/s and tied for 11th in the Big Ten. Sophomore setter Carlotta Oggioni has made 15 aces (0.21/s) for 15th in the conference.
• In 27 matches this season, Craigo has made 23 service aces, averaging 0.24/s. Craigo is ranked 12th 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 3.61 kills per set (361 total).
• Crutcher has recorded 20+ kills five times this season: 24 at George Mason (9/6), 23 at Northwestern (9/27), 22 vs. Rutgers (10/21), 20 at Rutgers (10/25) and 20 at Iowa (11/26).
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 (6.19). An immediate starter for the Terps, Oggioni is also third on the team with 1.76 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 1.74 kills/s.
• Freshman defensive specialist Samantha Higginbothem has seen time in all 30 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 19 conference matches, Murray is averaging 1.08 blocks/s, leading the Terps and good for 13th in the Big Ten.
• Murray is averaging 1.85 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.
