River Hill Grad Ends Sports Career at Maryland

The University of Maryland volleyball team ended a long losing streak just in time to send Maddi Lee out with a victory.

In the last game of her college career, the River Hill High School graduate from Clarksville was in the starting lineup for the Terps in an Atlantic Coast Conference home match against Boston College.

After 15 losses in a row, Maryland beat the Eagles, 3-0, on Nov. 23 at the Comcast Center in College Park.

"It was important to break that losing streak," the outside hitter said after getting her picture taken with senior teammate Sharon Strizak. "This year has been a struggle."

After winning three of its first four ACC matches, Maryland lost the next 15. With the win against Boston, the Terps were 10-22 overall and 4-16 in the ACC this season.

Lee played in 30 of 32 matches and had 267 kills in her senior year, the second-best total on the team.

"It is surreal," see Lee, who watched from the bench as Maryland clinched the match against Boston. "You never think (a career) will come to an end. I am going to miss the girls."

Lee had some key plays in the Boston match match. Her dink gave Maryland a 24-19 lead in the second game and the team won on its next serve.

In the third game of the match, the Terps came back from five points down to win. Lee had her spike blocked out of bounds to give Maryland a 21-19 lead and the Terps won, 25-21.

The win kept Maryland out of the ACC basement. Boston College was 3-17 in the ACC and 7-24 overall.

Lee is majoring in kinesiology and expects to graduate in the spring. She is unsure of her future plans but may consider graduate school.

Two days after her last college game, her alma mater River Hill beat Aberdeen, 41-7, in the Class 3A state semifinals in football.

The Hawks will face Gov. Thomas Johnson High School for the state title on Saturday at 7 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.