Pac-12 Challenge
Sept. 15-16 | Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
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#21 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Series vs. Maryland: USC leads, 3-0
Last Time Out: Sept. 18, 2015 (USC, 3-0)
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#5 WASHINGTON
Series vs. Maryland: Washington leads, 2-0
Last Time Out: Sept. 17, 2015 (Washington, 3-0)
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OKLAHOMA
Series vs. Maryland: Oklahoma leads, 1-0
Last Time Out: Sept. 18, 2015 (Oklahoma, 3-1)
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| TERP SPOTLIGHT |
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 Kelsey Wicinski
So. || 5'10" || L
Geneva, Ill.
Named to all three nonconference all-tournament teams so far this season ... leads the team and rank second in the Big Ten with 4.78 digs per set ... leads the Terps with 0.31 aces per set.
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| Next Home Match |
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 Maryland vs. Illinois
Sunday, Oct. 1
The Terps wlcome the Fighting Illini into the XFINITY Center Pavillion for the 2016 Big Ten home opener. || BUY TICKETS |
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland volleyball team (7-2) finishes the nonconference slate with the Pac-12 Challenge this week. The Terps will face No. 5 Washington (8-0), Oklahoma (9-1) and No. 21 USC (6-3).
• Maryland will face the Huskies on Thursday at 8 p.m. The Terps take on the Sooners on Friday at 2 p.m. ET before facing the host Trojans at 11 p.m. ET. Maryland's matches vs. Washington and USC will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks while the Oklahoma match will be streamed live through USC's website.
• Live stats will be available here.
• The teams are in the third year of a four-year rotating tournament. The Terps will host Washington, USC and Oklahoma next season in College Park.
terps go 2-1 at georgetown classic
• The Terps picked up wins over Georgetown and Princeton and lost to Towson in five sets last weekend.
• Maryland came back from down two sets to force a fifth against Towson, and fell by just two points in the final set. The Terps competed in their first five-set match on Friday against Princeton.
• Senior middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor and sophomore libero Kelsey Wicinski were selected to the all-tournament team.
• Freshman outside hitter Gia Milana led the Terps with 3.31 kills per set in the three matches while Wicinski posted 4.38 digs per set.
Scouting the washington huskies
• The fifth-ranked Huskies are 8-0 to start the season, including wins over Utah Valley, Northwern Illinois and No. 14 Hawaii last week.
• Three Huskies are averaging more than 3.00 kills per set, including Tia Scambray (3.21), Crissy Jones (3.34) and Courtney Schwan (3.59). Shayne McPhearson, Schwan and Scambray are also averaging more than 3.00 digs per set.
• Last season, then-No. 7 Washington defeated Maryland in three sets.
Scouting the oklahoma sooners
• The Sooners went 2-1 last weekend at the NIKE Invitational, suffering their first loss of the season to Texas-San Antonio.
• Kimmy Gardner is pacing Oklahoma with 3.48 kills per set while Madison Ward is aveaging 3.31 kills per set. Rachel Manriquez and Gardner are both averaging more than 3.00 digs per set.
• Last season, Oklahoma defeated Maryland in four sets in the first meeting between the teams. Outside hitter Liz Twilley made 11 kills while three Terps had double-digit digs in the match.
Scouting the southern california trojans
• After starting the season 0-3, the No. 21 Trojans are on a six-match winning streak, including wins over No. 23 Kentucky and No. 22 Creighton. USC won the Rice Adidas Invitational last weekend with wins over Sam Houston State, Oakland and Rice.
• Freshman Khalia Lanier, the 2015 National Gatorade Player of the Year, leads the Trojans with 3.79 kills per set and is second on the team with 2.94 digs per set and 0.30 aces per set.
• Seven Trojans are averaging at least 1.00 digs per set while six Trojans have 1.18 or more kills per set.
• Last season, then-No. 3 Southern California defeated the Terps in straight sets. Outside hitter Liz Twilley led Maryland with eight kills in the match.
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.
Macgregor impresses in the middle
• Senior middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor has stepped up in her final season as a Terp. She currently ranks second in the nation with 1.91 blocks per set and is third nationally with 61 total blocks.
• MacGregor made a career-high 14 blocks in the team's win over Sacred Heart.
• The Tarpon Springs, Fla., native has been named to every all-tournament team this year, and was named Maryland's first-ever Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on August 29.
• MacGregor also leads the team with a .381 hitting percentage.
block party
• Led by senior Ashlyn MacGregor, the Maryland blocking corps has been off to a hot start. The Terps currenty rank third in the Big Ten and ninth nationally with 3.06 blocks per set.
• MacGregor is second nationally with 1.91 blocks per set while sophomore opposite hitter Angel Gaskin ranks 12th in the Big Ten with 1.25 blocks per set.
• Senior setter Whitney Craigo is averaging 1.06 blocks per set while junior middle blocker Hailey Murray is posting 0.91 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 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 or receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll this season.
• Eight of Maryland's conference opponents are currently ranked, including No. 1 Nebraska, No. 3 Minnesota, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 14 Purdue, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 20 Penn State, No. 22 Michigan State and No. 23 Michigan.
-Maryland-
