Maryland (8-13, 0-9 B1G)
at
Rutgers (4-18, 0-9 B1G)
Oct. 20 | College Ave. Gym | Piscataway, N.J.
| opponent capsules |
|---|
RUTGERS
Series vs. Maryland: Rutgers leads, 12-11
Last Time Out: Oct. 24, 2015 (Maryland, 3-1) |
| Stat Comparison |
|---|
| Category |
MD |
RU |
| Kills/Set |
12.0 |
10.1 |
| Hitting Pct. |
.183 |
.155 |
| Blocks/Set |
2.6 |
2.4 |
| Digs/Set |
12.5 |
10.1 |
| Assists/Set |
11.1 |
9.4 |
| Aces/Set |
1.2 |
1.1 |
| TERP SPOTLIGHT |
|---|
|
 Taylor Smith
Fr. || 6'0" || S
Garrett, Ind.
Posted a double-double with 43 assists and 12 digs as the Terps took No. 16 Michigan to five sets on Wednesday.
|
| Next Home Match |
|---|
 Maryland vs. Ohio State
Wednesday, Oct. 26 | 6 p.m.
The Terps host No. 19 Ohio State in a midweek match on the Big Ten Network. |TICKETS |
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland volleyball team (8-13, 0-9 B1G) travels to Rutgers (4-18, 0-9) on Saturday for a 7 p.m. match in Piscataway, N.J.
• The Terps will take on the Scarlet Knights on BTN Plus.
• Both teams are looking for their first Big Ten win this season.
last time out
• Freshman setter Taylor Smith posted a double-double with 43 assists and 12 digs as the Terps fell in a five-set match to No. 16 Michigan on Wednesday.
• Freshman outside hitter Gia Milana led the match and set a new career-high with 22 kills. Sophomore libero Kelsey Wicinski notched 26 digs and senior middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor made nine blocks.
• The Terps won the first two sets against the Wolverines before Michigan came back to tie the match. In the fifth, the teams played closely, and Maryland reached match point at 16-15. Michigan overcame the deficit to win the last set, 18-16.
Scouting the rutgers scarlet knights
• The Scarlet Knights are coming off a three-set loss to No. 11 Michigan State on Wednesday. Outside hitter Meme Fletcher led Rutgers with 10 kills in the match.
• Fletcher leads Rutgers with 2.64 kills per set this season while Lauren Cloyd is averaging 2.20 kills per set.
• Three Scarlet Knights are averaging at least 1.00 blocks per set this season, led by Mikaela Matthews (1.13).
• The Terps and Scarlet Knights split their series last season.
Milana mania
• Freshman outside hitter Gia Milana, the No. 16 recruit in her class, has made an immediate impact for the Terps.
• A six-rotation player, Milana currently leads the Terps and ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 3.97 kills per set. In conference games, the Romeo, Mich., native ranks third in the Big Ten with 4.00 kills per set.
• Milana is also second on the team with 2.39 digs per set.
• Milana leads the Big Ten freshmen in kills per set and ranks fourth amongst newcomers in digs.
Macgregor impresses in the middle
• Senior middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor has stepped up in her final season as a Terp. She currently ranks seventh in the nation with 1.55 blocks per set and is eighth nationally with 116 total blocks.
• MacGregor made a career-high 14 blocks in the team's win over Sacred Heart (8/27). The Tarpon Springs, Fla., native was named to three all-tournament teams in nonconference play, and was named Maryland's first-ever Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on August 29.
• MacGregor also leads the team with a .301 hitting percentage.
• To read more about MacGregor's rise this season, click here.
wicinski steps up as back-row leader
• Sophomore Kelsey Wicinski, who earned the libero jersey halfway through her freshman season, has stepped up as one of Maryland's defensive leaders.
• The Geneva, Ill., native leads the team and is third in the Big Ten with 4.39 digs per set. She set a new career high with 28 digs vs. Oklahoma (9/16).
• Wicinski was named to all four nonconference all-tournament teams, and was selected as the Maryland Invite MVP.
• K-Wiz also leads the team with 0.29 service aces per set, which ranks 14th in the Big Ten.
Terps Rising
• The Maryland volleyball team welcomes the 16th-ranked freshman class in the nation this fall, the first time in program history the Terps have a ranked recruiting class.
• Outside hitter Gia Milana was ranked as the No. 15 player in her class by PrepVolleyball, the highest ranked recruit in Maryland history. Middle blocker Katie Myers ranked No. 62, and the duo were also named to Volleyball Magazine's Fab 50 list. Milana is Maryland's first-ever Under Armour First Team All-American while Myers was named a Third Team All-American.
• The 2015 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year outside hitter Megan McTigue joins the Terps, as well as setter Taylor Smith, mentioned in PrepVolleyball's 'The 150'. Defensive specialist Nell Drummey and outside hitter Aylin Saran bring international experience to Maryland.
dmv to umd
• The Terps have five players on the roster from the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia): junior middle blocker Hailey Murray (Washington, D.C.), junior defensive specialist Samantha Higginbothem (Middletown, Md.), sophomore outside hitter Liz Twilley (Ijamsville, Md.), freshman defensive specialist Nell Drummey (Silver Spring, Md.) and freshman outside hitter Megan McTigue (Darnestown, Md.).
• The Terrapins feature the last two Maryland Gatorade Players of the Year in Twilley and McTigue.
• Murray, Higginbothem, Drummey and McTigue all played club for Metro American Volleyball Club. McTigue and Drummey were high school teammates at Academy of Holy Cross.
block party
• Led by senior Ashlyn MacGregor, the Maryland blocking corps has been off to a hot start.
• The Terps currenty rank seventh in the Big Ten and 28th nationally with 2.61 blocks per set. MacGregor is seventh nationally with 1.55 blocks per set while sophomore opposite hitter Angel Gaskin ranks 16th in the Big Ten with 1.08 blocks per set.
Maryland announces 2016 broadcast schedule
• The Terps have released its 2016 broadcast and streaming schedule, with the Terps slated to have at least 16 matches featured on Big Ten Network platforms.
• The Terrapins will compete on the Big Ten Network twice, including hosting Ohio State on Oct. 26 and at Purdue on Nov. 2.
• Maryland will have at least 14 matches featured on BTN Plus, the network's subscription-based streaming service. For the complete broadcasting schedule, click here.
terps face tough road
• Maryland competes in 17 matches against 12 teams ranked in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll this season. Nine of the Terps' last 12 matches have been played against ranked foes.
• The Terps take on three of the top-five teams and six of the top-10.
• Nine of Maryland's conference opponents are currently ranked, including No. 1 Nebraska, No. 3 Minnesota, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 9 Penn State, No. 11 Michigan State, No. 16 Michigan, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 22 Illinois and No. 24 Purdue.
-Maryland-
