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Attention all current and future Maryland volleyball fans: Maryland Head Coach Steve Aird is offering the chance to preview 2014 edition of Maryland Terrapins volleyball. The Terps will open their scrimmages at the Pavilion at Xfinity Center on August 16, 20, and 23. This will be your only chance to see the Terps at Xfinity Center before they open their home season on October third when they will host Indiana in their first ever B1G home match.
Maryland opens the season with 13 consecutive road matches beginning the weekend of August 29 when they travel to North Carolina to face Elon before taking on Liberty and San Jose State on Saturday. The Terps will be on the road for the entire month of September including a trip to the west coast to face two PAC12 powers, fourth ranked Washington and fifth ranked USC. They will open their inaugural B1G slate with contests at (#11) Illinois and Northwestern.
Coach Aird and the staff want fans to get to know the squad as they prepare for the biggest challenge in the program's history. We'll have more on this in our detailed season preview, but for now, be aware that in the AVCA Coaches Preseason Poll the B1G has seven teams ranked in the top 16 nationally.
Scrimmages on the three dates will begin at 7:00 pm and the team will play until 9:00 pm. All three scrimmages are free and open to the public.
However, fans will want to arrive early on the twenty-third as Coach Aird has some special plans for that evening. Beginning at 6:00 pm, the coach will host an open house in Heritage Hall above the main gym in the Xfinity Center. complete with complementary beverages and appetizers prepared by a surprise chef. He'll give those attending a volleyball 101 chalk talk and will include his outlook for the season.
The team will then hold their final preseason scrimmage in the Pavilion. But this one will be more than just a scrimmage. It will be the full game atmosphere with officials, the PA announcer, and a student section. Who knows, we may even see some members of the pep band. Then, following the scrimmage, fans will have an up close and personal chance to meet the team and perhaps pick up and autograph or eighteen.
Fathers bring your daughters. Mothers bring your sons. Husbands bring your wives. Or vice versa across the board. It's a new era in Maryland volleyball. Let's get excited!