Terps Open B1G Play at #2 Minnesota, #3 Wisconsin
9/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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#2 Minnesota (8-1)
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#3 Wisconsin (8-1)| opponent capsules | ||
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MINNESOTA
Series vs. Maryland: Minnesota leads, 7-0 Last Time Out: Nov. 18, 2015 (#3 Minnesota, 3-0) |
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WISCONSIN
Series vs. Maryland: Wisconsin, 3-0 Last Time Out: Sept. 10, 2015 (#16 Wisconsin, 3-0) |
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| Stat Comparison | |||
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| Category | MD | MINN | WIS |
| Kills/Set | 12.8 | 14.8 | 14.1 |
| Hitting Pct. | .220 | .297 | .245 |
| Assists/Set | 12.0 | 13.9 | 13.3 |
| Aces/Set | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| Digs/Set | 13.1 | 14.6 | 16.4 |
| Blocks/Set | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
| TERP SPOTLIGHT |
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| Next Home Match |
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 Maryland vs. IllinoisSunday, 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 (8-4) opens Big Ten Conference play this weekend at No. 2 Minnesota (8-1) and Saturday at No. 3 Wisconsin (8-1).
• The Terps will face the Golden Gophers on Friday at 8 p.m. and the Badgers on Saturday at 8 p.m. Both matches will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
terps finish nonconference slate at pac-12 challenge
• Maryland competed in the Pac-12 Challenge last weekend to finish the nonconference season.
• The Terps defeated Oklahoma in four sets but fell to No. 5 Washington and No. 21 USC in three.
• Sophomore libero Kelsey Wicinski (digs), freshman setter Taylor Smith (assists) and freshman outside hitter Gia Milana (kills) each set career highs vs. the Sooners.
• Wicinski was named to the Pac-12 Challenge all-tournament team. The sophomore libero was selected to all four nonconference all-tournament teams this season.
Scouting the minnesota golden gophers
• The No. 2 Gophers defeated North Dakota, Toledo and Green Bay last weekend to finish nonconference play.
• Minnesota leads the Big Ten with 3.4 blocks per set and features three of the top six blockers in the conference: Paige Tapp (1.48 blocks/set), Molly Lohman (1.44 blocks/set) and Hannah Tapp (1.41 blocks/set). Hannah Tapp was an AVCA First Team All-American in 2015.
• Setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson leads the conference with 12.31 assists per set. She was an AVCA Second Team All-American and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season. Seliger-Swenson has been named the Big Ten Setter of the Week the last three weeks.
• Minnesota is the defending Big Ten champions and advanced to the 2015 NCAA Final Four.
Scouting the wisconsin badgers
• After sweeping No. 16 Texas A&M, the Badgers came from down two sets to defeat then-No. 2 Texas in five last Sunday.
• Wisconsin features setter Lauren Carlini, a two-time AVCA First Team All-American and two-time Big Ten Setter of the Year. Carlini is currently second in the conference with 11.66 assists per set.
• The Badgers earned three Big Ten honors this week, including Big Ten Player/Freshman of the Week Molly Haggerty and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Tionna Williams. Haggery leads the team with 4.00 kills per set and was also selected as the AVCA National Player of the Week.
Macgregor impresses in the middle
• Senior middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor has stepped up in her final season as a Terp.
• She currently ranks third in the nation with 1.88 blocks per set and is first nationally with 79 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 .325 hitting percentage.
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 ranks second in the Big Ten with 4.93 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 0.36 service aces per set.
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 third in the Big Ten and ninth nationally with 3.06 blocks per set. MacGregor is third nationally with 1.88 blocks per set while sophomore opposite hitter Angel Gaskin ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 1.29 blocks per set.
• Junior middle blocker Hailey Murray is posting 0.95 blocks per set while senior setter Whitney Craigo is averaging 0.94 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.
• The Terps take on four of the top-five teams and six of the top-10.
• Nine of Maryland's conference opponents are currently ranked or receiving votes, including No. 1 Nebraska, No. 2 Minnesota, No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 10 Purdue, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 18 Penn State, No. 20 Michigan State, No. 22 Michigan and RV Illinois.
-Maryland-
