August 25, 1997

Maryland Volleyball Opens 1997 Season at Oregon State Tournament

Terps to Meet Kent, Drake, Ohio State and Oregon State

WHAT'S AHEAD: Maryland opens its 1997 campaign at the Gazette Times Volleyball Showcase hosted by Oregon State. The Terps first meet Kent at 2 p.m. (PDT) on Friday, Aug. 29, and then take on the host Beavers at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Terps square off against Drake at 10 a.m. and conclude tournament play against 14th-ranked Ohio State.

1996 REWIND: Maryland finished the 1996 campaign ranked No. 21 after posting a 27-5 record. The Terrapins finished Atlantic Coast Conference play with a perfect 16-0 record, becoming the first team in ACC history to go undefeated with 16 wins. The Terps received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament, and then traveled to Louisville for second-round action. The Terps lost in four games to the Cardinals. Senior Daune Koester was named ACC Player of the Year, while teammates Elizabeth Efron and Eden Kroeger were named First Team All-ACC. All three also earned All-District 3 honors, as well.

1997 PREVIEW: Maryland returns seven letterwinners, including two starters, from last season's 27-5 squad. Highlighting the list of returning players is senior All-America candidate and right side hitter Elizabeth Efron and senior All-America candidate and setter Eden Kroeger. Efron hit a team-high .314 after totaling 381 kills. She was second on the team in service aces with 45, and also totaled 86 blocks. She finished fourth in the ACC in hitting (.314), and third in service aces with a .455 per game average. Her 3.9 kills per game ranked her sixth among ACC leaders. Kroeger returns as the Terps' starting setter for the fourth consecutive season. Kroeger has easily established herself as one of the best setters in the ACC, as well as in the nation. The Colorado native currently stands in sixth place in the ACC career record books with 3,874 career assists. She is on tap to break the Maryland career assist record, needing only 399 more assists in her final year. She recorded 1,228 assists last year, her third consecutive 1,000+ assist season. Her 280 digsand 31 aces placed her third on the team.

KRUGER'S COURT: Maryland head coach Janice Kruger owns a 180-110 record entering her 10th season at Maryland. She is ranked 12th among active winning coaches with 552 career wins. She guided the Terps to their second ACC title last season, after doing the same in 1990. Her career record stands at 532-206 (Division I victories) in 18 years of coaching.

NET NOTES: Maryland received 93 votes in the 1997 USA Today/AVCA Coaches' Preseason Poll...Maryland opens at home on Wednesday, Sept. 3 against Georgetown at 7 p.m...Cole Field House will serve as the Terps' home until the end of September when they move into the new Ritchie Coliseum ... Maryland was among the nation's best in kills, won-loss percentage and in team hitting percentage--the Terps averaged 17.5 kills per game to rank No. 8; 12th in won-loss percentage with a .839 average; and their .261 hitting percentage ranked them 22nd in the country...the .261 attack percentage is the best mark in Maryland history...the Terps' 1,664 assists and 1,924 kills were the second-best mark in Maryland volleyball history...Maryland's front-line is the tallest in school history--Maren Stuart and Katie Jentes stand at 6-1 while Katie Cramer stands 6-2.

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