Impact Of A Scholarship: Abigail Bentz

For Abigail Bentz, an athletics scholarship was a golden ticket to a new, big, exciting place like College Park. The University of Maryland provided this 2019 alumna an incredible array of opportunities, setting her up for life beyond her four years on the Terps' volleyball team. 

Originally from the small town of Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, Bentz accredits her interest in the less mainstream sport to her older sister. "My sister played volleyball first, and I wanted to do whatever she was doing," said Bentz. "And so it happened that I had a pretty good knack for it from the jump." 

While on Maryland's volleyball team, Abigail Bentz tallied notable totals of 282 digs, 281 assists, and 35 aces. Yet Bentz's most significant contribution was likely her flexibility, playing several different positions across different matches.

Off the court, Bentz was a model Terrapin student-athlete. Along with earning various Big Ten sportsmanship and academic awards, Bentz served as Maryland's Student-Athlete Advisory Council President in 2018 and received the distinguished Big Ten Medal of Honor in 2019 for exemplary "proficiency in athletics and scholastic work."

But before all of the accolades and collegiate success, the opportunity to attend Maryland on an athletics scholarship was a dream come true for eighteen-year-old Abigail Bentz. 

"It was the coolest thing," said Bentz. "It was something I'd been working towards for probably at least eight years prior."

The Terrapin alumnus still remembers her first trips to College Park. "On my official tour it was pouring rain, but the campus was still so stunning," said Bentz. "We did our little drive around and I thought, 'this is the most beautiful, huge campus in this condensed space!'" 

Bentz also recalls getting along well with former head coach Steve Aird and the other girls that had committed. "I came to Maryland's [volleyball] camp, and the rest is history." 

The University of Maryland was especially appealing for Bentz because of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. "In high school, I was the editor of the newspaper, so it was very important to me that my college's journalism school was good too." Bentz went on to earn her bachelor's degree at Maryland in multiplatform journalism. 

For Bentz, Maryland offered the ideal intersection of athletic, professional, and personal opportunities. "The location of Maryland, being so close to D.C. and the metro, provided me with so many opportunities in the summertime," explained Bentz. "Not only having the journalism school on my resume but also having the location right next to one of the most influential cities in the world was a massive, massive perk." 

She also described the value of Maryland's in-house athletics leadership positions. "If you take advantage of the opportunities they have set up for you, you're able to also build your resume through athletics, which is usually a very comfortable space for athletes." For example, as president of SAAC, Bentz formed dynamic relationships with student-athletes from other Terrapin teams. 

Bentz couldn't say enough about the significance of her athletic scholarship, both during her time at Maryland and beyond. "The stability of having it in school is such a privilege that so many people aren't able to experience," noted Bentz. "And post-graduation, just having the freedom to explore career options… I've explored locations where I want to live, and what kind of people I want to be around. I am very grateful for that experience." 

Abigail Bentz currently works as a user experience designer for the video game company Blizzard. "Right out of school, when I was figuring out what I really wanted to do with my life, I quickly found user experience design," said Bentz. "It's been really neat!"

Bentz acknowledged the powerful lessons she took away from her Maryland experience. 

"I think the majority of the time being a student-athlete in college, especially at the level that the University of Maryland is, kind of gives you a tougher skin earlier on," said Bentz. "Being able to receive feedback well and knowing it's not detrimental to your life—I was able to carry that into my job." 

The alumna also highlighted the value of Maryland's diverse student body. "A lot of my teammates weren't from the same background as me or they just grew up differently," explained Bentz. "So you do get to learn how to work with all different types of people, which was something that I really needed coming from where I came from."

Regarding her current volleyball-related endeavors, Bentz occasionally plays for fun in the summer and very much enjoys cheering for her former Terp team. "I follow them on social media, and I definitely come back to games and try to root them on as much as I can."

Abigail Bentz emphasized her sincere gratitude to the members of the Terrapin Club. "First and foremost, thank you! The impact of what [the donors] are doing is beyond just college: it's really shaped my life, and I couldn't appreciate it more."