Volleyball readies for ACC litmus test this weekend

After this weekend, the Terrapins volleyball team will likely have its bearings on just where it stands in the ACC.

The Terps host Virginia (6-7, 0-3 ACC) today and Virginia Tech (8-7, 1-3) on Sunday. And while the Cavaliers are struggling mightily early on in ACC play, having lost all three of their conference matches, the Hokies aren't unlike the Terps. Both should prove challenging for the Terps, whose place in the ACC has yet to be determined.

"We'll be playing one team that's below us in the conference and another just ahead of us this weekend," coach Tim Horsmon said.

The Cavaliers come to College Park with four different players in the top 10 in the conference in key statistics like hitting percentage, kills, assists, digs and points, while the Hokies have three players with similar rankings. Although the Terps (8-7, 2-1) have had a season characterized by a different player seemingly coming up big every night, trouble may be looming, if just for one weekend of matches.

Horsmon said the Terps are battling injuries, which might affect the team's lineup this weekend. Although he declined to say which players are affected, he commented on the impact one injury might have this weekend.

"One of the six rotating players in our lineup is out with a concussion," Horsmon said. "Although this will be a challenge for us, I'm confident that we have good players in our program that will step up and fill the roles they need to."

This latest injury will diminish the Terps' already thin lineup. The current official roster includes just 13 players, injuries and all. These recent developments will force Horsmon to rely on his star players even more.

Junior setter Remy McBain, who had a gaudy 54 assists in two matches last weekend, will enter this weekend leading the ACC in total assists with 542 on the season. She is also just 111 assists short of becoming fifth all time in Terps history. Mary Cushman, the leading attacker for the Terps right now, leads the team in kills and is ranked ninth in ACC play in kills per set. She also has been on a hot streak — the sophomore has tallied double-digit kills in eight of her past 10 matches.

Another force opponents might have to prepare for is freshman Adreene Elliott. The middle blocker was named the ACC Freshman of the Week after an impressive start in conference play. Elliott put up 24 kills and eight blocks in the Terps' three conference matches thus far, and has also earned eight kills in each of the last four matches.

"We need to make some luck for ourselves," Horsmon said, "but we'll be ready."

munson@umdbk.com