Terps Begin Home Slate with Maryland Invite
9/7/2018 10:45:00 AM | Volleyball
MARYLAND INVITE
Saturday, September 8 -- vs. Colgate, 10:30 a.m.
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Saturday, September 8 -- vs. South Carolina, 7:00 p.m.
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Saturday, September 9 -- vs. Liberty, 3:00 p.m.
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The Maryland volleyball team will open up its 2018 home slate this weekend with the Maryland Invitational. Playing their first games in the Pavilion in the 2018 season, the Terps will take on Colgate, South Carolina and Liberty on Saturday and Sunday.
QUICK HITS
• The Terps are 5-1 on the young season, defeating Wake Forest, UNC Greensboro, Akron and Canisius in straight sets, Stony Brook in four sets, with the lone loss to Air Force in five sets.
• Maryland is led by sophomore outside hitter Erika Pritchard, who has 100 kills and 62 digs on the young season. Pritchard has a double-double in five of the six matches to start the season and was named the Akron Invitational MVP after totaling 56 kills and 35 digs. Sophomore setter Nicole Alford and freshman libero Allegra Rivas were also named to the All-Tournament team. Alford tallied 104 assists, 25 digs, seven kills and four blocks while Rivas notched 42 digs and 12 assits.
• The weekend before, Terps were led by Wake Forest/UNCG Tournament MVP Jada Gardner last weekend, who totaled 38 kills at a .326 percentage. The sophomore middle blocker set a career-best in kills against Air Force with 18, while also totaling 18 blocks and seven digs. Alford and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Katie Myers were also named to the All-Tournament team.
• The Terps boast a squad of 15 athletes for the 2018 season, 10 returners and five newcomers. The returners are led by a trio of sophomores: Erika Pritchard, Jada Gardner and redshirt sophomore Katie Myers.
• The Terrapins welcome five new faces to the 2018 team: sophomore transfers Nicole Alford and Hailey Rubino and freshmen Rainelle Jones, Allegra Rivas and Emma Schriner.
• Alford, Jones and Rivas have all started in all six matches for Maryland.
WELCOME BACK KATIE
• Redshirt sophomore Katie Myers returns 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 started in 10 matches at middle blocker as a team captain before injury in 2017, posting 58 kills at a .325 clip, 43 blocks and 20 digs.
• In her first weekend two weekends back, Myers has started in all six matches, posting 40 kills and 17 blocks thus far.
EP TIME
• Sophomore outside hitter Erika Pritchard has had an impressive start to her sophomore season. Pritchard is averaging 4.76 kills per set, the best mark in the Big Ten and the 10th best line in the country.
• Last weekend 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 five out of six contests this season.
PARTY IN THE PAVILION
• In the last three seasons, the Terps have set six of the top-10 attendance records in program history in the last three years. Maryland set a new XFINITY Center Pavilion attendance record with 1,808 fans against Penn State last season. The Terrapins hosted more than 1,300 fans in their 2017 season opener.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
• Colgate, Maryland's first weekend opponent, is 2-4 so far this season. Maryland and Colgate have only matched up once all-time, with the lone meeting coming in 1980, a 2-1 win by the Terps.
• South Carolina is 5-1 on the season. The Terps have a 5-2 series lead over South Carolina. Maryland and the Gamecocks last met 10 years ago in 2007, with the Terps winning in five sets.
• The Terps and Liberty, who is 2-4 this season, met last year at Liberty, with the Terps winning in straight sets. Erika Pritchard led the match with 13 kills while hitting at a .370 clip. Maryland leads the series with Liberty 4-1.
UP NEXT
Temple Invite
Friday, September 14 -- vs. New Hampshire, 11:00 a.m. || vs. Temple, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 15 -- vs. Princeton, 2:00 p.m.
