Maryland volleyball has emphasized the importance of leaving its 2025 struggles behind.

Friday night’s straight-sets victory over Seton Hall was evidence of putting that into action.

The Terps won each set more convincingly, knocking off the Pirates 25-21, 25-18 and 25-10 at the Stephen M. Schanwald Pavilion.

The first set was Maryland’s toughest challenge. The Pirates began with the lead, putting up tips and roll shots to throw off Maryland’s defense.

“I didn’t think we played clean from the start. I thought we had a little miscues, and some of that I credit to Seton Hall,” Maryland head coach Adam Hughes said. “I thought they came out with a ton of energy, and we were playing free.”

The Pirates also played very scrappy right off the bat, running after every ball and earning a few points through pure effort.

Hughes said the team expected the Pirates to come out hot and forced Maryland to bounce back after a high-stakes set.

“I think the thing that this group has gotten better at … we want to be the underdogs,” Hughes said.

Maryland’s offense retaliated with the help of outside hitters Sydney Bryant and Haley Melby combining for 21 kills.

Middle blocker Duru Gökçen also contributed offensively with seven kills and putting up a .545 hitting percentage. Another standout was Maryland’s serving, with eight aces compared to Seton Hall’s two.

As the match continued, the Terps improved defensively. Blocks from Gökçen and Ava Brown came out strong in the second and third sets.

Gökçen said that in the first set, she and Brown missed blocks by not closing the gap, but after a conversation between sets, they fixed the problem. Of the team’s seven total blocks, they racked up three block assists each, with Brown earning a solo block.

“We are really confident with our block,” Gökçen said.

While the first and second sets were closer and riddled with long rallies, Maryland pulled away quickly in the third.

Bryant strategically placed balls in the gaps of the Pirates’ defense, earning some smart points for the Terps.

The match ended when freshman outside hitter Marlee Sivak earned the last two points to close out the dominant win.

“We want to make sure that our mentality is that we’re going to outwork you and [out] hustle you, and sometimes I thought we wanted it maybe a little bit too much,” Hughes said.

Camper reunion night brought Maryland fans to the game. Maryland Volleyball hosts the annual event, and campers can attend the game for free.

“[Camper reunion night] just creates a great community. So we love having them here, and they’re usually pretty loud too,” Hughes said.

Gökçen and Hughes both said they love playing at home at the Pavilion and said the tight atmosphere and loud crowd give the team a boost.

With a 5-1 record, the Terps have the strongest 6-game start since the 2021 season.

The Terps face a quick turnaround with a 7 p.m. start Saturday against Princeton, looking to continue the strong start.