By Christian Andriolas

After facing two ranked opponents on the road last week, Maryland returned home to face No. 16 USC. The Terps entered with a 10-7 (1-5 B1G) record, while USC came in at 12-4 (4-2 B1G).

The Terps lost in straight sets (25-15, 25-17, 25-23) — their third consecutive match getting swept. 

“I wish we had started a lot faster… We weren’t able to win the battle of possession, and playing from behind is not a place we like to be,” said head coach Adam Hughes. 

Set one was the worst of the night for Maryland. The Trojans dominated, jumping out to an early lead fueled by the play of its front line. 

“They like to triple block, something a lot of teams don’t do,” said Hughes. “They’re [playing] a different style we don’t see a whole lot.” 

This included the blocking from USC’s front line, where the Terps have been historically dominant, but have struggled recently. 

“That’s a priority. It’s been a problem honestly,” said Hughes. “I think one of the things is how we set up around it. I think we might have some disconnect at times.” 

In set two, Maryland showed more fight. 

The Trojans jumped out to an early lead once again, but the Terps cut the deficit to four points — 21-17 — late in the set. 

After the run by the Terps, the Trojans answered with a 4-point run to win the set. 

Set three was the closest of the night. Both teams played back and forth, with Maryland holding a late 21-20 lead. 

After a timeout by the Trojans with a tie score – 23-23 – two service aces closed out the set and the match.

“I thought we competed better in set three but lost the set and pass. Against a really good team, that makes the challenge that much [greater],” said Hughes.

Maryland will look to bounce back Sunday, traveling to Illinois to face the Fighting Illini. Maryland has never beaten Illinois in its history.