PITTSBURGH – Going into the season, the Terrapin volleyball team knew it would rely on seniors such as Rachel Wagener and Stephanie Smith for leadership.
So while Smith took home MVP honors and Wagener was named an All-Tournament pick in this weekend’s Pittsburgh Invitational, the most notable Terp performance was the poise of sophomore Beth Gillming.
Gillming averaged 17 kills and 21 digs through three games this weekend, earning a spot on the all-tournament team.
“The key to Beth is that she is so confident,” coach Janice Kruger said. “She was clutch a bunch of times.”
After winning their Friday opener 3-0 over the host Pittsburgh Panthers (6-4), the Terps (6-0) came out flat the next morning and found themselves in a dogfight with Miami (Ohio).
The RedHawks (6-2) were able to pick apart the Terps and force the match into a tie-breaking fifth game. As the advantage went back and forth through 13 deuces, the fans and players of the upcoming game stood in amazement.
“Truly, the parents and fans might have been on the edge of their seats, but we had a certain calmness on the court,” Gillming said. “We just took it point by point, not looking to the end, but just playing through it.”
The Terps fought back several times from match-point and tied the game at 26. Then Gillming, who had already posted a double-double, slammed the door shut with both the advantage and game-winning points.
“It got really intense, but we stayed calm,” said Smith, who averaged 9.7 kills. “That’s what we’re gonna take from that. For a young team to come out and play that fifth game 28-26, that’s big for us.”
Afterward, the rest of the tournament was merely a formality. The Terrapins defeated American (3-4) to clinch their second tournament victory in the last two weeks.
“We have a lot of potential,” Kruger said. “But potential is only positive when you make it into something, and that’s what I’m trying to instill in these girls.”
Contact reporter Jason Fraley at sports@dbk.umd.edu.
