Terrapins Announce 2015 Schedule
6/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Entering its second season in the Big Ten and second year under head coach Steve Aird, the Maryland volleyball program is set to take on the nation's top talents in 2015.
The Terrapins will face 10 teams that competed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, including six Sweet 16 programs and defending national champions Penn State. In conference play, Maryland will face seven programs that were either ranked or received votes in the final AVCA Coaches Poll of 2014. Illinois and Wisconsin, both Elite Eight teams last season, will travel to College Park for the first time ever this season.
“Our entire program is excited about the 2015 season,” Aird said. “We had a solid spring, the team worked very hard and I feel we are getting better. Some of the top teams in the country will be at the XFINITY Center in the fall, and the Terps are ready to go out and keep grinding against the best.”
In Maryland's first season in the Big Ten, the Terps averaged 1,539 fans per match, a more than 350 percent increase from the previous season. Maryland ranked No. 25 in the nation in attendance and set four of the top-10 attendance records in program history.
“The DMV will have the opportunity to see some great volleyball and we hope the community continues to grow with us,” Aird added. “We are building a program and that takes time, but I am very excited about the direction we are heading. The attendance and energy at matches is awesome and I really think that will continue to grow.”
The Terps open the season with the Maryland Invite, featuring Hofstra, Duquesne, Kent State and Morgan State from Aug. 28-29. The following weekend, Maryland co-hosts the DC Classic with Howard University. The Terps will face Penn and Howard in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 5 before taking on Western Carolina and George Mason the following day in College Park.
Maryland takes a short trip to Navy for the Kristen Dickmann Invitational on Sept. 5 and 6. The Terps will face Texas Tech, the Mids and George Washington in Annapolis.
Maryland closes the nonconference schedule at Oklahoma with matches against the Sooners, Washington and USC – all 2014 NCAA Tournament teams – on Sept. 17 and 18. The programs are in the second year of a four-year tournament and will compete in Los Angeles in 2016 before playing in College Park the following season.
Illinois and Northwestern travel to College Park to kick off Big Ten play on Sept. 25 and 26, respectively. Maryland travels to Indiana and Purdue Oct. 2 and 3 before returning home to face Minnesota and Wisconsin at Oct. 9 and 10.
The Terps take a midweek trip to the Great Lakes State to face off against Michigan State and Michigan on Oct. 14 and 15. Maryland and Rutgers will compete in a home-and-home series on Oct. 21 and 24.
Maryland then swings west as the Terps travel to Iowa and Nebraska for matches on Oct. 30 and 31. Four powerhouses converge on College Park as Penn State and Ohio State face the Terrapins on Nov. 5 and 6 and Purdue and Nebraska come to town on Nov. 11 and 14.
After trips to Minnesota and Penn State on Nov. 18 and 21, the Terps face Iowa on Nov. 25 in their final home match of the season. Maryland plays its final regular-season match at Northwestern on Nov. 28.
Season and single-match tickets will go on sale in July through the Maryland Ticket Office and umterps.com.
“This region knows volleyball and there are a ton of great young players, coaches, high school and club programs,” Aird said. “We want them to be proud of our product. We want to represent the University and the state the right way.”
-Maryland-
