Maryland came out with an aggressive approach to set George Mason into a scramble. 

During a 20-8 lead in the second set, Terps head coach Adam Hughes was smiling after a block from outside hitter Sydney Bryant.

There was reason to smile, as the Terps had five attack errors and 10 blocks throughout the match.

The wall and the kills put up by the Terps were not the only standout from today, but also the work from starting freshman, libero Raina C and outside hitter Ava Brown. 

Brown put up an unfaltering wall throughout the match to stop any attempt of an attack from the Patriots.

“Ava as a youngster was a really good blocker. We’ve been putting our left front a little bit just to make sure we’ve got some size and physicality,” Hughes said.

However, if the block for the Terps ever failed, Raina was the saving grace for the team. She seemed to be everywhere on the court, diving to make saves as block cover, passing strong attacks from GM or assisting with kills when setter Sara Toth was out.

After a straight set win against Eastern Shore, the Terrapins went onto the court confident and working fast to put out aggressive plays against George Mason.

While the freshman on the team stood out, leadership from outside hitter Haley Melby let the Terps score from anywhere she was on the court.

Whether it was a set from Toth or an assist from Raina C, Melby was able to strategically place the ball in the holes of the Patriot’s defense, leading the team with 13 kills. 

George Mason retaliated by putting up tips and using high hands against the Terps to earn some points. 

The Patriots also displayed their team’s determination, running after each ball no matter how difficult to snag.

Melby said the team is very tight knit and encouraging for one another, despite any setbacks or mistakes.

“We’re really tight knit teams, so we’re just willing to talk each other through things,” Melby said. “We’re so confident in each other that it’s really easy.”