COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland volleyball team won the 2015 Maryland Invite and moved to 4-0 on the season as the Terps swept Hofstra and defeated Kent State in four sets Saturday.
“I think the experience in playing these matches against pretty good teams will help the team,” head coach Steve Aird said. “We definitely have things we need to work on, but we're getting better with each match. We have all four of our freshmen contributing, so were still getting them adjusted. I'm proud of the way the team fought and competed this weekend.”
Outside hitter Adreené Elliott and middle blocker Hailey Murray were both named to the all-tournament team while Elliott earned MVP honors. Elliott led the Terps with 36 kills on .281 hitting in four matches while also combining on 13 blocks. Murray posted 23 kills and 14 blocks.
The Terps opened the season with three straight-set matches for the first time since 1997. Maryland opened 2014 with six consecutive wins.
Maryland 3, Hofstra 0
Outside hitter Emily Fraik led the Terps offensively with 12 kills on .323 hitting as the team beat the Pride, 3-0 (25-22, 25-13, 27-25), in the first match of the day. Liz Twilley, Elliott and Angel Gaskin each posted seven kills.
Whitney Craigo started the match off with a service ace and the Terps quickly built a 3-0 lead. The Pride came back to tie, and eventually climbed to a 14-9 lead. Kills from Fraik and Murray cut the lead before a series of Hofstra errors helped Maryland tie the set, 18-18. Fraik, Gaskin and Murray contributed kills late before a Twilley kill sealed the set victory.
Maryland jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the second set thanks to a pair of kills from Fraik and Murray and a pair of blocks. Two straight kills from Fraik and Gaskin increased the Terps' lead to 10-4. Maryland continued to control the set as a Hofstra service error gave the Terps a 23-13 advantage. After a Fraik kill, an attacking error from the Pride closed the set in Maryland's favor.
Fraik helped the Terps start the third set ahead and Amy Dion served two straight aces to give Maryland a 7-2 lead. The Pride came within five points at 15-10 before committing costly errors that helped the Terps.
The end of the set became a nail biter as Hofstra fought back to tie the set at 22-22. After the Pride took the lead, a kill from Elliott and a block from Elliott and Ashlyn MacGregor gave Maryland a 25-24 lead. Hofstra again tied the set before a Pride service error and a block from Twilley and MacGregor sealed the straight sets win for Maryland.
The Terps served nine aces against the Pride, including five in the third set. Abby Bentz led the team with three aces.
Maryland 3, Kent State 1
Elliott's 12 kills paced the Terps as the team fought to a 3-1 (19-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-21) win over Kent State in the final match of the Maryland Invite.
After keeping up with the Golden Flashes early, costly Maryland errors gave Kent State a 19-12 lead in the first set. The Terps tried to cover ground but ultimately lost their first set of the season.
“After the first game, I thought we're either going to win the tournament at home and start the year right or you're going to roll over,” Aird said. “The response from the team was good.”
Twilley helped pace the Terrapin offense early in the second set, highlighted by a solo block. The Terps notched seven straight points to post a 17-9 lead. Elliott's powerful arm was on display as she recorded seven kills in the set on .500 hitting as Maryland tied the match with a set win.
The teams stayed even early in the third set, tying 10-10. Craigo served an ace as the Terps took a 12-10 lead. Maryland and Kent State traded points, tying again 19-19 before a Murray kill and a error from the Flashes put the Terps ahead. Elliott and Fraik added kills before Gaskin recorded the set point and set-winning kills to put Maryland ahead in the match.
The Terps came out ready to finish the match in the fourth set. Two straight service aces from Bentz gave the team a 7-3 lead. The Golden Flashes fought back to tie the match 10-10 and again 12-12 and 13-13. Gaskin continued to show her skill with three kills in the middle of the set. A MacGregor kill put the Terps at match point, and Maryland was able to pick up the win on a Kent State attack error.
The Terps cohost the D.C. Classic with Howard next weekend. Maryland will face Penn and Howard in Washington, D.C., on Saturday before hosting Western Carolina and George Mason in College Park on Sunday.
All-Tournament Team
OH Madelynn Burnham, Duquesne
L Samantha Prescott, Morgan State
MB Bridget Wilhelm, Kent State
OH Veronika Kostova, Hofstra
MB Leticia Valente, Hofstra
OH Adreené Elliott, Maryland
MB Hailey Murray, Maryland
Tournament MVP: Adreené Elliott, Maryland
MARYLAND INVITE DAY TWO RESULTS
Duquesne 3, Morgan State 0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-20)
Maryland 3, Hofstra 0 (25-22, 25-13, 27-25)
Kent State 3, Duquesne 1 (18-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-21)
Hofstra 3, Morgan State 0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-13)
Maryland 3, Kent State 1 (19-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-21)
Steve Aird
Liz Twilley
