Terps Travel to Iowa on Wednesday
9/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
at 
Iowa (10-4, 0-2 B1G)
| opponent capsules | ||
|---|---|---|
|
IOWA
Series vs. Maryland: Tied, 2-2 Last Time Out: Maryland 3-1 (20-25, 25-21, 29-27, 25-18) |
||
| Stat Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | MD | IOWA |
| Kills/Set | 12.4 | 14.0 |
| Hitting Pct. | .199 | .281 |
| Blocks/Set | 2.9 | 1.8 |
| Digs/Set | 13.1 | 14.1 |
| Assists/Set | 11.6 | 13.2 |
| Aces/Set | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| TERP SPOTLIGHT |
|---|
|
|
| Next Home Match |
|---|
 Maryland vs. IllinoisSunday, Oct. 1 The Terps welcome the Fighting Illini into the XFINITY Center Pavillion for the 2016 Big Ten home opener. || BUY TICKETS |
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland volleyball team (8-6, 0-2 B1G) travels to Iowa (10-4, 0-2) for a midweek match on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
• The Terps' match vs. the Hawkeyes will be streamed on BTN Plus. Live stats will be available here.
• Maryland will play its 12th straight match away from College Park.
• Both teams are looking for their first Big Ten Conference win of the season.
last time out
• Maryland opened Big Ten play at No. 2 Minnesota and No. 3 Wisconsin last weekend.
• Against the Gophers, freshman setter Taylor Smith posted 19 assists with four digs and five kills on a .444 clip.
• Against the Badgers, sophomore libero Kelsey Wicinski led the match with 17 digs while senior middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor notched six blocks. The Terps challenged Wisconsin in the third set, falling by a set score of 25-21.
Scouting the iowa hawkeyes
• The Hawkeyes fell at No. 20 Michigan State and No. 22 Michigan in the opening weekend of Big Ten play. Iowa finished the nonconference slate with a 10-2 record.
• Junior outside hitter Lauren Brobst leads Iowa with 3.47 kills per set. Senior setter Loxley Keala ranks third in the Big Ten with 11.42 assists per set.
• Last season, the Terps defeated the Hawkeyes twice in four sets. In Iowa City last season, Kelsey Wicinski made 27 digs while Ashlyn MacGregor had 14 kills and four blocks.
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 1.83 blocks per set and is third nationally with 88 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 .314 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 the Big Ten with 4.90 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 0.31 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.
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.
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 fifth in the Big Ten and 15th nationally with 2.93 blocks per set. MacGregor is third nationally with 1.83 blocks per set while sophomore opposite hitter Angel Gaskin ranks 11th in the Big Ten with 1.23 blocks per set.
• Junior middle blocker Hailey Murray is posting 0.90 blocks per set while senior setter Whitney Craigo is averaging 0.95 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 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll this season.
• The Terps take on four of the top-five teams and five 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. 14 Purdue, No. 16 Penn State, No. 18 Michigan State, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 22 Michigan and No. 24 Illinois.
-Maryland-
