Maryland Volleyball ended its five-game losing streak, sweeping Rutgers to earn its first Big Ten victory.
Maryland’s losing streak stood at five coming into this matchup with Rutgers. The Terps have struggled since starting Big Ten play, losing twice to Illinois. Rutgers has had similar struggles in conference play, holding a conference record of 1-4, the lone win against Michigan State.
The first set was back-and-forth, with both teams battling hard. The set consisted of eight lead changes, neither team was able to gain any separation. Maryland finally found the separation they were battling for, thanks to two separate scoring runs, late in the set.
The Terps won the first set, 25-20, the first time they’ve done so since starting conference play. Coach Adam Hughes was happy with the set one victory and Maryland’s ability to execute fast.
“I think the one thing we were kind of happy about is we were starting to execute a little bit faster. Against Illinois, we had some blown assignments out of the gate. And when that happens, it’s kind of like penalties. It’s just shooting yourself in the foot, and that can take away some of the confidence. Starting on time in the style of play is probably equally as important as getting that first set win,” said Hughes.
Set two was all Maryland, as the Terps won 25-12. Maryland never trailed once in the set and outkilled Rutgers by three. The Terps hit at a very efficient clip as well, raising their hitting percentage to .339 in the first two sets.
Rutgers jumped out to an early one-point lead in set three, putting the score at 7-6. The Terps were able to battle back in the set, tying it at 11. Maryland controlled the set from that point on due to a 9-0 scoring run that gave the Terps a seven-point lead.
Maryland went on to win the set and sweep the match to earn their first conference win of the season.
The Terps’ offense played a big part in their victory. Maryland had 41 kills in the match and a hitting percentage of .290, which is the best since starting conference play.
Maryland received tremendous offensive contributions from both Sam Csire and Laila Ivey. The two combined for 24 of Maryland’s 41 kills, each having 12 in the match. The Terps also got the middle working, with both Rainelle Jones and Anastasia Russ having over five kills each.
The defense for Maryland continued to show its dominance as well, totaling 10 blocks for the match. The defense was led by Jones, who had six total blocks, and Milan Gomillion’s 14 digs.
“I’ll give it back to what we call the littles, so like the Lexi’s, Maddie’s, Milan’s, and then when those guys are digging balls, and you have a lot of trust in them, then you can let some of those balls go past you. So, I thought the adjustment that we made was trying to get back to being a little bit more disciplined with our handwork allowing people around us to make some plays. And you know when they’re working together, that’s what the defense can look like,” said Hughes.
This is a huge win for a team struggling in Big Ten play. A win that Lexy Finnerty believes lifts a weight off the team’s shoulders.
“Obviously, going into this game like we wanted a win under our belts, and I think we have to give ourselves credit; Rutgers is a good team, and we stayed steady. And obviously, it’s just good to get our first win,” said Finnerty.
With this victory, Maryland’s record now stands at 10-8 and 1-5 in conference play. The Terps look to bring that momentum into their next match, which will come on Friday when they take on Northwestern in Illinois.
