By Zachary Sturgill

After suffering back-to-back sweeps, Maryland volleyball returned home Friday night to take on No. 24 Indiana.

The Terps’ struggles haunted them again Friday on Halloween night, as they fell in straight sets to No. 24 Indiana at the Stephen M. Schanwald Pavilion. 

Maryland’s (8-13, 1-10 B1G) return to their home court looked to be the difference. They jumped out to a 6-0 lead to begin the first set, thanks to two kills and a block from Ajack Malual. 

But Indiana (17-4, 8-3 B1G) quickly took control following a timeout, going on a 9-0 run to take a 15-9 lead. From then on, the Hoosiers dominated the Terps, keeping them at a comfortable distance throughout. 

The Hoosiers held on to that lead for the remainder of the set, closing it out 25-19.

Indiana’s dominance carried over to the start of the second set, taking a 4-0 lead early.

The Terps struggled to get back in the game from there. Sydney Bryant provided a spark, picking up two kills and a block to score three points in a row for Maryland, but it wasn’t enough.

In the decisive third set, Indiana didn’t let up. It led 14-6 when Maryland Coach Adam Hughes was forced to take a timeout.

Coming out of the timeout, the Terps were able to find their groove on offense. Ajack Malual and Olivia Ruy each picked up a kill to kickstart a 4-0 run for the Terps.

But again, the Hoosiers’ authority over the game did not waver. Thanks to the big lead they had established early on in the set, the Hoosiers closed out the set 25-12, resulting in a 3-0 sweep victory.

The Terps will try to get their season back on track on Sunday, as they travel to Evanston, Illinois to take on Northwestern, their first unranked opponent in two weeks.