Erika Pritchard becomes Maryland volleyball’s first All-Big Ten preseason selection

For the first time since joining the conference in 2014, Maryland volleyball has a preseason All-Big Ten selection.

Outside hitter Erika Pritchard was named a conference honoree Monday. Last season, Pritchard was a key leader for the Terps and was selected First Team All-Big Ten, AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) All-North Region and was also an All-American Honorable Mention from Volleyball Magazine. She led the conference in kills/set (4.32) and she set the second-highest single-season kill total in Maryland history (493).

”I’m excited Erika received this preseason honor,” head coach Adam Hughes said in a University press release. “It’s great recognition from the coaches in this amazing conference of what she’s capable of achieving. That being said, I know Erika is working hard to make sure she’s recognized for what she brings to our team at the end of the year, not just the beginning.”

Over the summer, Pritchard was among 13 players from the Big Ten selected to represent the conference on a foreign tour in Japan. The Middletown, Maryland, native was joined by fellow Terp Jada Gardner and competed against Japanese volleyball teams in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo.

This season, Pritchard will look to build on the success the team had in the first year under Coach Hughes. The team went 18-14, recorded a school record nine wins in conference play and barely missed out on an NCAA Tournament bid.

Maryland opens play on Aug. 31 against Austin Peay and Kansas State.

In other news

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Other position battles will also be settled today as the first official depth chart is scheduled to be released. Here are some of the biggest questions to be answered.

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Maryland men’s soccer season is also right around the corner. The defending NCAA champions open the year at the top of the preseason poll and have their first match August 29 at home vs USF.

In that home opener, freshman Malcolm Johnston will look to make his first official impact for the Terps. He had a goal in Maryland’s exhibition Aug. 24 against No. 6 North Carolina.

Mark Turgeon joined Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports on his podcast to discuss the state of Maryland basketball heading into the 2019-20 season. Turgeon told Rothstein that this year’s team is deeper than the 2016 team that made the Sweet 16 and had this to say about Jalen Smith.

The Maryland men’s and women’s basketball teams celebrated the first day of school on Twitter with some of the teams’ players holding boards to indicate their year in school. Among those players was Anthony Cowan Jr. who caught the attention of none other than Scott Van Pelt.

Former Terp Bruno Fernando gave back to the youth today as the Atlanta Hawks spent time with the Jr. NBA.

The Maryland faithful spoke up, and Maryland Athletics heard them. After surveying fans for their feedback at the end of the 2018 season, 25 improvements were implemented at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium for the 2019 home football season. The most notable additions include the brick artwork, a shell tunnel entrance for the team and a 135 oz. souvenir plastic popcorn bucket with unlimited same-game day refills for only $10.