Volleyball takes two at Arundel Mills Invitational

Although the performance may not have been as dominant as it was the weekend before, the Terrapins volleyball team could still walk away from its matches this weekend at the Arundel Mills Invitational a winner.

After a dissapointing, winless start to their season, the Terps beat Yale and Delaware on Friday and Saturday night, respectively, to move above .500 on the year for the first time. But for all the progress, it could've been even better: They came up one set victory short of a consecutive sweep of a three-match tournament, losing to Sacred Heart, 3-2, after a 15-13 setback in the final set.

The weekend did not get off to an ideal start for the Terps (5-4), who dropped the first two sets of the match against Yale (3-3). But after a challenging second set that finished in Yale's favor, the Terps strung together three set victories in a row.

Outside hitter Ashleigh Crutcher, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Week, tallied a double-double with 15 digs and 14 kills in the win. Setter Remy McBain contributed her second triple-double of the young season with 14 digs, 10 kills and a career-high 56 assists. Outside hitter Maddi Lee was also crucial in triumph, earning 15 kills. Her strong performance was the just the beginning of an impressive weekend for the senior.

On Saturday, Lee and junior Caitlin Adams starred. The upperclassmen were the top two in attack percentage for the tournament (Adams with 33.8, Lee with 31.5). They both finished with 35 kills on the weekend and were also named to the all-tournament team.

Although the Terps couldn't overcome Sacred Heart (8-2) in the afternoon slate, there were definite glimpses of potential in the 3-2 loss. Crutcher earned another double-double with 18 digs and 11 kills, and the team registered 20 total blocks, just one short of the school record for a single game.

The win over Delaware (2-8) in the final match of the tournament saw key contributions from several players. McBain got another double-double, and Crutcher posted her third in as many weekend games. Outside hitter Mary Cushman tallied 14 kills, and Lee put up 10. Adams, meanwhile, converted 45 percent of her attack chances, ultimately walking away with 11 kills.

Despite the early stages of their season, the Terps' match against Delaware best demonstrated their various offensive weapons. It also capped off a hugely successful homecoming, during which the Terps went 5-1 in Comcast Pavilion.

Next weekend, though, they will have to prove the first road tournament of the year, where they dropped three matches in Knoxville, Tenn., was a mere fluke. The Terps are set to compete in Ohio State's Sports Imports Classic in Columbus, Ohio, in a tournament field that includes Akron, Albany and the host Buckeyes.

munson@umdbk.com