Volleyball makes up for season's slow start with tournament sweep

The Terrapins volleyball team got off to a 0-3 start to the 2011 season last weekend. It took nearly no time at all to make up for it.

The Terps took out Virginia Commonwealth on Friday night before sweeping Xavier and Quinnipiac on Saturday in the Courtyard by Marriott Maryland Invitational in College Park. Even more strikingly, they executed these wins in dominating fashion. All three of the matches ended with a score of 3-0, with the squad not dropping one set over the course of the weekend.

"I think we got a lot better this weekend and stepped up in a big way," coach Tim Horsmon said. "I think it's all about having some time to come together, and get our younger players and everyone else to play at that level and build chemistry."

The younger players certainly didn't shy away in the Maryland Invitational. Sophomores Mary Cushman and Sarah Harper, both team captains, factored significantly in the Terps' overall success. Cushman recorded 10 kills against Xavier, while Harper finished with 12 digs against the Musketeers. Harper also finished with 42 digs, a tournament high. Ashley Crutcher, an Under Armour All-American, continued her strong play from the opening weekend. The freshman finished with 33 kills over the three matches, the highest total of any player in the tournament. She was named the tournament's most valuable player.

"She's definitely someone we're looking toward to score points for us," Horsmon said. "She is a force that stabilizes us in the back row … and offensively, she's unstoppable, so the sky's the limit for her."

Senior Maddi Lee and junior Remy McBain were also critical in the Terps' victories. Both upperclassmen, along with Crutcher, were named to the all-tournament team. McBain earned a double-double against Xavier and had the highest attack percentage of any player in the tournament with 0.586. Lee finished second in attack percentage with 0.418 and had four kills in the final set against Quinnipiac to finish off the tournament sweep.

The Terps will have the chance to get over the .500 mark this weekend, when they host another three-match home tournament, the Arundel Mills Invitational. The tournament will feature Yale, Sacred Heart and Delaware.

Horsmon and the Terps, meanwhile, have no apprehension about the squad's momentum.

"I hope the players continue to trust in what they can do on the court, and keep playing these big roles," Horsmon said. "We're looking to move forward into next weekend with some confidence."

munson@umdbk.com