When junior setter Tedi Doucet went down with a stress fracture in her foot in just the third match of the season, it set the tone for a roller-coaster season for the Terrapin volleyball team.
The team had a number of highs, such as beating Florida State and Miami at home during a single weekend and upsetting ACC third-place finisher Georgia Tech. However, the loss of Doucet, first to the foot injury and later to a kidney infection that put her in the hospital, forced the Terps (18-13, 10-12 ACC) to rearrange their rotation and push freshman Rachel Profit and sophomore Hayley Hanson into the setter rotation.
“We practiced the 5-1 a lot,” coach Janice Kruger said. “We had to go back to a 6-2 and recruit Rachel Profit to setter. We had to use the 6-2 offense, which limits what you can do with substitutions. You only have 15, and with double subs, you run out of those pretty quickly and you can’t throw in anyone else. We worked through a lot of issues and the main issue was Tedi Doucet, her absence from our performances. She was a big hole to fill.”
While Doucet’s injury was a big reason for the up-and-down season, youth also contributed to the team’s inconsistency. The Terps thrust four underclassmen into major roles, which added to the team’s struggles, especially on the road, where the team only won three matches all season.
As the season wore on, however, the underclassmen began to step up and provide a consistent presence for the team. ACC All-Freshman outside hitter Michelle Kenning finished fifth on the team with 156 kills. Meanwhile, sophomore middle Katie Usher finished with 233 kills and 97 blocks.
With younger players playing major minutes, the Terps relied on senior outside hitters Beth Gillming and senior outside hitters Jade Brown, who was voted to the All-ACC Second Team, and Beth Gillming for leadership and guidance throughout the year. The seniors helped the Terps improve upon their 2006 record despite Doucet’s absence.
“It was definitely a better season than last year,” Brown said.
“I feel like we took ownership of the team and led both on and off the court,” Gillming said.
Juniors Maggie Schmelzle and Mary Beth Brown also helped fill the role of solid elder statesmen for the team. Schmelzle provided stability to the team’s defense, emerging as the Terps’ starting libero and leading the team with 483 digs. Brown was a vocal leader and provided the Terps with an experienced presence as a blocker and attacker up front, leading the team with 144 blocks.
The combined production from younger players and experienced veterans helped the Terps display a marked improvement from last season, finishing seventh in the conference after finishing 6-16 in 11th place in the ACC last season.
The culmination of the hard work came against Georgia Tech in the team’s final match of the season. The Terps’ upset against Georgia Tech in the season finale played a part in keeping the Yellow Jackets out of the NCAA tournament, and it gives the team something to build on in the offseason.
“I have a very positive outlook on what is possible with the players we have and with new ones coming in,” Kruger said. “Our thought is a lot about the future and it’s good that we finished on a winning note, beating the third-ranked team in the conference.”
Terp Note: Jade Brown made the All-ACC team for the third consecutive year. Brown also made the ACC All-Freshman team her first season. … Michelle Kenning became the first Terp freshman to make the ACC All-Freshman team since junior Maggie Schmelze did it two years ago.
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