#24 Illinois (9-5, 2-1 B1G)
at
Maryland (8-7, 0-3 B1G)
Oct. 2 | XFINITY center pavilion | college park, md.
| opponent capsule |
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ILLINOIS
Series vs. Maryland: Illinois leads 2-0
Last Time Out: Sept. 25, 2015 (Illinois, 3-0)
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| Stat Comparison |
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| Category |
MD |
ILL |
| Kills/Set |
12.3 |
12.6 |
| Hitting Pct. |
.189 |
.265 |
| Blocks/Set |
2.9 |
3.0 |
| Digs/Set |
12.9 |
11.9 |
| Assists/Set |
11.4 |
11.9 |
| Aces/Set |
1.3 |
1.1 |
| TERP SPOTLIGHT |
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 Samantha Higginbothem
Jr. || 5'2" || DS
Middletown, Md.
Led the Terps with eight digs vs. Iowa ... averaging 1.74 digs per set and 0.13 aces per set this season.
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| Next Home Match |
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 Maryland vs. Iowa
Sunday, Oct. 14 | 6 p.m.
The Terps will compete against Iowa before Maryland Madness on the XFINITY Center Main Court. Admission is free! |
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland volleyball team (8-7, 0-3 B1G) returns to College Park after 12 straight matches on the road to host No. 24 Illinois (9-5, 2-1) in the Terrapins' Big Ten home opener on Sunday at 1 p.m.
• The Terps' match vs. the Illini will be streamed on BTN Plus. Live stats will be available here.
Promotions
• All fans who present a ticket from Maryland football's game vs. Purdue on Oct. 1 will receive complimentary admission to Sunday's match.
• The Maryland volleyball season ticket holder gift will be available on Sunday.
• The first 150 students in attendance will receive a Maryland MOB t-shirt.
last time out
• The Terps fell to Iowa, 3-0, on Wednesday evening in Iowa City, Iowa.
• Freshman outside hitter Gia Milana led Maryland with 12 kills. Senior middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor posted five kills, two service aces and four blocks.
Scouting the illinois fighting illini
• The Illini fell to No. 1 Nebraska in three sets on Wednesday night. Jacqueline Quade led Illinois with 14 kills.
• Quade leads the team with 3.20 kills per set. She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday. Jordyn Poulter paces the Illini with 10.27 assists per set.
• Ali Bastianelli leads the Big Ten with 1.82 blocks per set. Illinois ranks third in the conference with 2.96 blocks per set.
• The Illini advanced to the NCAA Tournament Regional semifinals last season.
Series history
• Maryland is 0-2 all-time against the Illini with both previous meetings coming since the Terps joined the Big Ten in 2014.
• Last season, the Terps fell to then-No. 9 Illinois in three sets on Sept. 25 in College Park.
• The Terps and Illini compete twice this season. The teams will face off again in Champaign, Ill., on Nov. 18.
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 1.80 blocks per set and is fifth nationally with 92 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 .315 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 second in the Big Ten with 4.67 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.
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 13th nationally with 2.89 blocks per set. MacGregor is third nationally with 1.80 blocks per set while sophomore opposite hitter Angel Gaskin ranks 10th in the Big Ten with 1.24 blocks per set.
• Junior middle blocker Hailey Murray is posting 0.88 blocks per set while senior setter Whitney Craigo is averaging 0.83 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-
