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News Release

UMBC Volleyball News and Notes:

9/21/2006

Inside News and Notes this week is an update on the Retrievers second place finish at the Villanova Classic, UMBC ranking ninth in the nation in digs per game and updates on the Retrievers all-time records.  UMBC’s lone match this week is at Morgan State on Saturday, September 23 at Morgan State with a start time of 5 p.m.

This Week

Date                                         Opponent                     Time               

Sat. Sept. 23                             at Morgan State             5:00 pm

Last Week

Date                             Opponent                     Final Score                             

Tue. Sept. 13                Loyola (Md.)                 W, 3-1 (30-20, 22-30, 30-23, 30-26)

Fri. Sept. 15                   vs. Sacred Heart            W, 3-0 (30-19, 30-24, 30-23)

Sat. Sept. 16                  vs. Holy Cross               W, 3-1 (30-26, 30-24, 25-30, 30-17)

Sat. Sept. 16                  at Villanova                    L, 0-3 (21-30, 24-30, 26-30)

Home Game in Bold

Dawg Bites

Retrievers Take Second in Villanova Classic

With a 2-1 record in the Villanova Classic, UMBC took second place overall and placed two members on the All-Tournament team, as freshman Ashley Oscars and sophomore Ashley Hargrove earned the honors.  Oscars averaged 4.00 kills per game and hit .223 for the weekend.  Hargrove recorded 27 kills on 51 attacks with four errors for a .451 hitting percentage at the tournament. 

Two Retrievers Claim Weekly Honors

Two of UMBC’s freshman collected weekly honors by the America East Conference as Kira Giles was named America East Conference Setter of the Week and Ashley Hargrove was tabbed America East Conference Rookie of the Week for the week ending September 17, 2006. 

Oscars earns the award for the conference's top rookie for the second-straight week as she garnered a spot on the Villanova Classic All-Tournament team last weekend after leading UMBC with 4.00 kills per game and 4.61 points per game. Oscars, who has double figure kills in her last seven matches, recorded 13 kills against Sacred Heart, 14 against Holy Cross and 13 against Villanova. Oscars had three service aces and two assisted blocks for 17.0 points in the UMBC win over Sacred Heart. Against Villanova, Oscars hit .281 with four errors on 32 attacks.

Giles continued to run the UMBC offense effectively last week as UMBC went 3-1 on the week, en route to winning her first-ever Setter of the Week award. Giles averaged 11.86 assists per game with 166 total assists on the week. Giles recorded 53 assists for her first 50-plus assist performance in UMBC’s 3-1 win over Loyola (Md.). Giles placed three Retrievers in double-figure kills in the match and recorded four kills on her own, with no errors on nine attacks (.444 hitting percentage).

Giles in the Retrievers’ three-set win over Sacred Heart handed out 32 assists to go with nine digs before setting a new career high against Holy Cross, handing out 54 assists to top her 53 mark earlier in the week. With 13 digs to go with her 54 assists, Giles tallied her seventh double-double of the year. Giles finished the week with 27 assists and eight digs against Villanova. For the season, Giles is averaging 10.91 apg, a pace that will place her third on UMBC’s single-season assists per game chart. She is adding 3.05 digs per game as well.

Wylie Controlling Back Line As UMBC Ranks Ninth In Nation In Digs

UMBC senior Jennifer Wylie has been a force on the Retriever back line this year, taking over the duties of libero and taunting opponent hitters with a 5.70 digs per game, tops in the America East Conference.   She currently ranks as of games through September 17, 21^st in the nation in digs per game while UMBC with a 19.41 average ranks ninth among national Division-I teams.  Wylie as the team libero has been the biggest force but has received a lot of help from Sarah Ball at 4.05 dpg, Kira Giles at 3.05 dpg, Mallorie Clary at 2.26 dpg and Pam Jarrett at 1.73 dpg.  

Retrievers On The Long Road Back Home

After UMBC completed its second home match of the season by defeating Loyola (Md.) last Wednesday night, the Retrievers hit the road for seven matches before returning to RAC Arena.  UMBC played three matches at the Villanova Invitational last weekend going 2-1.  UMBC takes on Morgan State and St. Francis (Pa.) in non-conference action and travel to Hartford and Albany to begin league play.  UMBC’s next home match will not be until October 6, when the Retrievers host Maine.  Seven of UMBC’s final 12 matches are at home.  

Retriever Travels Takes Them To Home Of National Champions

UMBC’s travels took them to the home of the 2005 National Champions as UMBC visited the University of Washington for four games in the Husky Classic.  UMBC went 0-4 in the classic, including a three-set loss to the reigning NCAA champions.  UMBC also faced Gonzaga, Portland State and North Dakota State

UMBC Wins Colgate Classic With Best Start Since 2001

UMBC went 3-0 to start the season with wins over La Salle, Rider and Colgate, capturing the Colgate Classic title and posting its best start since the 2001 season.  UMBC swept all three teams as Sarah Ball and Kira Giles each made the all-tournament team of the invitational.  In 2001 UMBC went 5-0 to start the season before losing its next seven matches.  That year UMBC went 8-1 in the Northeast Conference regular season. 

Ashley Oscars Captures Second Rookie of the Week Honors For UMBC

UMBC freshman Ashley Oscars (Bakersfield, Calif./Liberty) was named America East Conference Rookie of the Week for the week ending September 10, 2006.  The award is the second consecutive for UMBC as fellow freshman Kira Giles (Winnipeg, Canada/Glenlawn) won the honor the first week of the season. 

Oscars emerged as an outside hitter last week, averaging 3.73 kpg and 4.10 ppg in five matches last week. Oscars entered in the second game of a three-game match with Delaware, recording seven kills, eight digs and two service aces over the final two sets. Used as a reserve against Washington, Oscars once again recorded seven kills over the final two sets of the match.

Oscars joined the starting line up the final three matches of the week, recording double-digit kills in each match. She began with 15 kills against Gonzaga, recording three errors on 38 attacks for a .316 hitting percentage. She added 14 kills against Portland State and 13 against North Dakota State. Oscars added 1.47 digs per game and 0.33 blocks per game as well on the week.

Kira Giles Earns First Rookie of the Week Accolade of the Season

UMBC freshman Kira Giles (Winnipeg, Canada/Glenlawn) was named America East Conference Rookie of the Week for the first weekly awards of the 2006 season.  The Retriever freshman recorded 11.69 assists per game in the opening four matches en route to winning the league honors.  Giles earned a spot on the Colgate Classic All-Tournament team after leading UMBC to three sweeps and the tournament title with a double-double and a 12.65 assist per game mark.  

Giles opened the season with 37 assists, seven digs and two service aces against La Salle.  She went on to record 17 digs and 43 assists against Colgate and followed that up the same day with 33 assists, four digs and a service ace against Rider.  Giles against Towson recorded her second double-double of the season with 16 digs and 39 assists. In her first four games, she averaged 11.69 apg, 3.38 dpg and 0.54 bpg.

Retriever Stat Pak

UMBC’s 2006 America East Weekly Honors

Week                                                     Athlete                                                   Award

Aug. 25-Sept. 3                                    Kira Giles (UMBC)                               Rookie of the Week

Sept. 4-10                                             Ashley Oscars (UMBC)                      Rookie of the Week

Sept. 11-17                                           Ashley Oscars (UMBC)                      Rookie of the Week

Sept. 11-17                                           Kira Giles (UMBC)                               Setter of the Week

2006 Double-Doubles

Name                           Total 1                Total 2                      Opponent        

Kira Giles                      54 Assists            13 Digs                      Holy Cross

Sarah Ball                     15 Kills                23 Digs                      Holy Cross

Sarah Ball                     14 Kills                15 Digs                      Sacred Heart

Sarah Ball                     14 Kills                17 Digs                      Loyola (Md.)

Ashley Oscars               16 kills                 11 Digs                      Loyola (Md.)

Kira Giles                      43 Assists            10 Digs                      North Dakota State

Sarah Ball                     19 Kills                18 Digs                      North Dakota State

Kira Giles                      32 Assists            10 Digs                      Portland State
Kira Giles                      35 Assists            11 Digs                      Gonzaga

Kira Giles                      32 Assists            14 Digs                      Delaware

Kira Giles                      39 Assists            16 Digs                      Towson

Sarah Ball                     14 Kills                15 Digs                      La Salle

Sarah Ball                     15 Kills                10 Digs                      Rider

Kira Giles                      43 Assists            17 Digs                      Colgate

Sarah Ball                     17 Kills                13 Digs                      Colgate

UMBC In America East Charts

America East Charts (as of games thru 9-21-06)

Hitting Percentage (Min. of .200/3.0 attacks per game)

      Name                     Mark

1.   Ashley Hargrove       .247

9.   Ashley Oscars         .212

Kills (per game)

      Name                     Mark

4.   Ashley Oscars         3.86 kpg

9.   Sarah Ball               3.48 kpg

Assists (per game)

      Name                     Mark

3.   Kira Giles                10.91 apg

Digs (per game)

Name                           Mark

1.   Jennifer Wylie          5.70 dpg

3.   Sarah Ball               4.05 dpg

Blocks (per game)

      Name                     Mark

1.   Amanda Willey        1.29 bpg

Points (per game)

Name                           Mark

5.   Ashley Oscars         4.34 ppg

9.   Sarah Ball               4.05 ppg

Service Aces (per game)

      Name                     Mark

8.   Jennifer Wylie          0.36 sapg

20-Dig Game Club

Name                           Digs                    Opponent

Jennifer Wylie                32                        Holy Cross

Jennifer Wylie                31                        Towson

Jennifer Wylie                25                        Delaware

Sarah Ball                     23                        Holy Cross

Jennifer Wylie                21                        Colgate

Jennifer Wylie                20                        Portland State

Jennifer Wylie                20                        Rider

Jennifer Wylie                20                        Sacred Heart

UMBC Career Assists Chart

      Name                     Assists

1.   Lanae Baker            4722

2.   Megan Gross           3647

3.   Heather Hollidge      3034

4.   Joy Figueredo          2501

5.   Judy Jackson          2481

6.   Stacey Pirotte         1272

7.   Tracey Cullins          1153

8.   Stacy Carroll          609

9.   Carla Miala              570

10.  Bola Afolabi             493

      Kira Giles               480

UMBC Career Total Blocks Chart

      Name                     Total Blocks

1.   Dana Eberly            426

2.   Rehena Rentuma     365

3.   Kara Welniak           364

4.   Jennifer Davis          258

5.   Kelly O’Brien           251

6.   Jessie Folk             242

UMBC Career Assisted Blocks Chart

      Name                     Assisted Blocks

1.   Kara Welniak           299

2.   Jen Davis                227

3.   Jessie Folk             220

4.   Dana Eberly            191

5.   Jocelyn Teoh           180

6.   Rehena Rentuma     129

7.   Anna Gibbs             124

      Lisa Cline                124

9.   Megan McNamara    102

10.  Joanne Marshall       101

      Ashley Hargrove    101

      -bold denotes active player