Maryland
Northwestern
Terps Host Northwestern, #4 Illinois on Alumni Weekend
11/1/2018 3:26:00 PM | Volleyball
THE MATCHUP
Friday, November 2 -- vs. Northwestern, 7:00 p.m.
BTN Plus | Live Stats | Tickets | Clear Bag Policy
Sunday, November 4 -- vs. #4 Illinois, 1:00 p.m.
BTN Plus | Live Stats | Tickets
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The Maryland volleyball team will welcome back some of the program's greats for Alumni Weekend as the Terps take on Northwestern on Friday, Nov. 2 at 7:00 p.m. and #4 Illinois on Sunday, Nov. 4, both at the XFINITY Center Pavilion. Because of a women's basketball game taking place at the same time as the game on Friday night, the Clear Bag Policy will be in affect. Click here for more information on the policy.
QUICK HITS
• Maryland stands at 14-10 overall and 5-7 in Big Ten play midway through conference play, the quickest the Terps have ever gotten to five wins. Maryland has beaten Rutgers twice and Indiana and Iowa in straight sets, while also winning a five set battle with Ohio State.
• Maryland is led by sophomore outside hitter Erika Pritchard, who has 366 kills, 216 digs and 48 blocks on the season. Pritchard has 10 double-doubles this year and is second in the Big Ten with 4.26 kills per set.
• Sophomore setter Nicole Alford leads the team with 850 assists this season, at 9.88 per set. Freshman libero Allegra Rivas is first in digs with 397, at 4.62 per set. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Katie Myers leads the team in both blocks (91) and aces (39).
ALUMNI WEEKEND
• The Terps are hosting Alumni Weekend over the next few days, hosting many former Terps for both home matches, a tailgate and locker room tour. All alumni in attendance at Sunday's match against #4 Illinois will be honored between the second and third sets.
• In addition to Alumni Weekend, Eden Kroeger Burks ('97) will become the first Maryland volleyball player to be inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame at the same time as Friday night's match. Kroeger Burks was the 1997 ACC Player of the Year, a Two-Time First Team All-American and is first all-time in Maryland history in career assists with 5,259. Maryland will honor Kroeger Burks' achievement at Sunday's match.
RIVAS EARNS BIG TEN HONORS
• For the second time this season this lastt week, freshman libero Allegra Rivas was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
• In the Terps two games against Purdue and Indiana, Rivas totaled 40 digs, at a Big Ten best 5.71 digs per set. The freshman managed 19 digs over four sets in the loss at Purdue on Friday before averaging seven digs per set for a total of 21, helping Maryland cruise to a straight set win at Indiana on Sunday.
• Rivas also earned the honor on September 24, after averaging a Big Ten best 6.17 digs per set in her first ever two conference matches against Rutgers and #3 Minnesota. After tallying 18 assists against Iowa, Rivas stands fourth in the conference at 4.62 digs per set and has totaled over 20 digs in five different matches this season, including two that only went three sets.
• With this honor, Rivas joins Michigan's Jenna Lerg as the only two players to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week recognition twice this season and the first ever Maryland player to receive two honors in one season.
EP TIME
• Sophomore outside hitter Erika Pritchard has had an impressive sophomore season, currently second the Big Ten with 4.26 kills per set.
• Over the last six matches, which include two against top-20 opponents, Pritchard has 108 kills at 4.91 per set. The sophomore was on fire in the Terps wins against Indiana and Iowa, posting 20 kills in each three-set victory, the most kills by a Terp in any three set Big Ten match since Maryland's joined the conference.
• 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.
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 24 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 fourth in the Big Ten with 4.62 digs/set and earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors on September 24 and October 22.
• 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 68 kills and 28 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 39 (0.45 per set) and leads the Terps in blocks with 91 (1.06 per set).
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
• Northwestern is currently on a two game winning streak and has won three out of four Big Ten matches and currently stands at 3-9 in conference play and 13-11 overall.
• The Terps lead the all-time series with Northwestern, 4-3. Maryland ended their 2017 season with a 3-0 win over the Wildcats in College Park. Erika Pritchard tallied 15 kills on a .500 clip in the win.
• Northwestern is led by Nia Robinson, who is fifth in the Big Ten with 3.99 kills per set.
SCOUTING THE ILLINI
• No. 4 Illinois currently stands at 20-3 this season and 9-3 in the Big Ten and have won five games in a row.
• The Terps have never beaten the Illini and fell in straight sets in their trip to Champaign a few weeks back.
• The Illini rank second in the Big Ten in assists, kills and aces and third in hitting percentage. Outside hitter Jacqueline Quade leads the Big Ten in kills with 4.27 per set and setter Jordyn Poulter is second in the Big ten, averaging 11.77 assists per set.
UP NEXT
Wednesday, November 7 -- at #14 Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
