THE MATCHUPS
Friday, October 19 -- at #17 Purdue, 7:00 p.m.
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Sunday, October 21 -- at Indiana, 1:00 p.m.
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The Maryland volleyball team will travel to the Hoosier State this weekend to face both of Indiana's Big Ten teams, #17 Purdue and Indiana in their home gyms. Friday night's match at Purdue will be broadcasted nationally on the Big Ten Network with Chris Vosters and Liz Tortorello-Nelson on the call.
QUICK HITS
• Maryland stands at 12-8 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten play. Maryland has beaten Rutgers twice in straight sets and Ohio State, while losing to ranked foes #3 Minnesota, #9 Penn State and #17 Purdue, #13 Michigan, as well as Michigan State.
• Maryland is led by sophomore outside hitter Erika Pritchard, who has 300 kills, 178 digs and 45 blocks on the season. Pritchard has eight double-doubles this year and ranks third in the conference with 4.11 kills per set. Last weekend, Pritchard had a big weekend at home, totaling 42 kills over the two matches, first recording a career-best 24 in Friday night's match against Michigan State. In the following match against #13 Michigan, Pritchard had a double-double by the second set and finished the match with 18 kills and 13 digs.
• Sophomore setter Nicole Alford leads the team with 716 assists this season, at 9.81 per set. Freshman libero Allegra Rivas is first in digs with 332, at 4.55 per set. Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Katie Myers leads the team in both blocks (77) and aces (37).
ACES ON ACES
• Recently, Maryland has been on point from the service line, totaling 110 service aces on the season, the fifth most in the conference. 45 of those aces have been during Big Ten play, the fourth most in the conference over that span.
• Katie Myers is first in the Big Ten and 11th in the NCAA in service aces with 0.51 aces/set. In Big Ten play, Maryland has three players in the top-15 of aces/set, with Myers in third at 0.43, junior setter Samantha Snyder in fifth at 0.33 and sophomore defensive specialist/libero Samantha Burgio in 15th at 0.30.
FRESHMAN IMPACT
• Maryland has gotten a lot of contributions from their freshman so far this season, with all three of them playing crucial roles.
• Middle blocker Rainelle Jones, the only freshman committed before the spring has started in all 20 matches and has totaled 0.92 blocks per set, playing a huge role defensively as well as offensively.
• Libero Allegra Rivas has also started in every match, making huge impact, ranking fifth in the Big Ten with 4.54 digs/set and earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors on September 24
• Outside hitter Emma Schriner stepped into a starting role on the outside as conference play began with an injury to Jada Gardner and has filled in with 52 kills and 19 blocks.
KATIE ACE. KATIE BLOCK.
• Redshirt freshman Katie Myers returned to the starting lineup this season after suffering season ending knee injuries in each of the last two seasons. Myers was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA this spring, giving her three more seasons in College Park.
• Myers has made an impact. She leads the Big Ten in service aces with 37 (0.51 per set) and leads the Terps in blocks with 77 (1.05 per set).
EP TIME
• Sophomore outside hitter Erika Pritchard has had an impressive start to her sophomore season. Pritchard is averaging 4.11 kills per set, the third best mark in the Big Ten.
• Last weekend, Pritchard had a big weekend at home, totaling 42 kills over the two matches, first recording a career-best 24 in Friday night's match against Michigan State. In the following match against #13 Michigan, Pritchard had a double-double by the second set and finished the match with 18 kills and 13 digs.
• Earlier the season at the Akron Invitational, the sophomore totaled 56 kills and 35 digs, recording a double-double in all three games en route to being named the tournament's MVP. The Middletown, Md. native has a double-double in seven of 12 contests this season.
RIVAS EARNS BIG TEN HONORS
• After averaging a Big Ten best 6.17 digs per set in her first ever two conference matches, freshman libero Allegra Rivas was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on September 24.
• Rivas tallied 23 digs at No. 7 Minnesota, the most by a player in a three set Big Ten match in two years and the most by a freshman in a three set Big Ten match since Illinois' Brandi Donnelly had 25 against Minnesota on October 1, 2014. The 23 digs were also the most ever by a Maryland player in a three set Big Ten match.
• The Aledo, Texas native now has the most digs per set in the conference through four games of Big Ten play and stands fifth overall with 4.69 digs per set on the season.
• The freshman is the first Maryland player to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors since Ashlyn MacGregor on August 29, 2016. She is also the first Maryland player to earn any Big Ten weekly honor since Erika Pritchard was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week last year on November 27.
SCOUTING THE BOILERMAKERS
• No. 17 Purdue currently stands at 15-4 with an even 4-4 mark in the Big Ten and leads the all-time series with Maryland, 7-1.
• For Purdue, Brooke Peters stands second in the conference, averaging 4.96 digs per set.
• This will be the second meeting this season between the Terps and the Boilermakers, with Purdue taking the first one, 3-1 at the XFINITY Pavilion earlier this season. Sophomore outside hitter Erika Pritchard totaled 17 kills on a .300 clip 17 digs, her eighth double-double of the season, while also tallying three blocks to lead the way for Maryland.
SCOUTING THE HOOSIERS
• Indiana is 12-7 and 3-5 in Big Ten play. Maryland leads the all-time series, 5-3, winning both of last year's matchups, 3-0 and 3-1 respectively with Pritchard totaling four service aces.
• Breana Edwards leads Indiana with 217 kills, 105 digs and 40 digs this season. The Hoosiers are out-blocking their opponents 330 to 268.
UP NEXT
Wednesday, October 24 -- at #7 Illinois, 8:00 p.m.
