Ohio State came into Saturday’s match with Maryland volleyball 0-12 in conference play, but the Buckeyes found their first win.

The Terps forced a fifth set, but Ohio State came through when it mattered, winning the match, 3-2.

Both teams came into the match with a combined Big Ten record of 1-25 — it was anyone’s game from the start.

The Terps stuck to their roots to open the first set. Senior Ajack Malual had all three of their first points, and Freshman Lilly Wagner assisted all three. Ohio State looked to break through early, but Maryland went on an early 4-point run consisting of a pair of Malual kills to break ahead early.

The game remained neck-and-neck, as Maryland senior Ally Williams kept making crucial digs to keep the Terps afloat.

After a media timeout, Ohio State came out hot and went on a run, forcing Maryland to take a timeout of their own. Buckeye freshman Na’Vea Gauthier found her footing with a trio of kills within the run.

Maryland junior Eva Rohrbach put the Terps up late in the set with a pair of service aces, but Ohio State followed up with a pair of points themselves to tie the game at 22. After a service error by Ohio State, Rohrbach and junior Haley Melby find a block to give Maryland the first set, 25-23.

The second set started in the Buckeyes’ favor, but many attacking errors followed, keeping the Terps ahead.

Every point seemed like a thrill, with dig after dig by both teams proving their defensive values. The Pavilion was packed and on their feet throughout the evening, going electric for every point Maryland accumulated.

Ohio State rallied hard, going on an insane 13-1 run to retake the lead. Buckeye sophomore Olivia Hasbrook led the charge with three service aces, while sophomore Reese Wuebker had a trio of kills.The Terps couldn’t find any momentum to fight back, with a pair of kills by Ohio State’s Gauthier sealing the second set, 25-16.

The Buckeyes kept their rampage going in the third set, taking an early 9-4 lead. A pair of service aces and a pair of kills from junior Mia Tuman pushed them ahead. Malual brought some life to the Terrapin offense, following with a pair of service aces herself, but the rest of the offense couldn’t seem to land their kills.

That was until Rohrbach landed two kills, trying to get their groove back. Maryland was slowly digging itself out of a deficit, but every time it came within a point of tying it up, Ohio State would extend its lead.

After a crucial timeout by Maryland, Ohio State closed the door with a trio of kills from Wuebker.

Ohio State dominated the third set, 25-21, not conceding the lead a single time throughout. They looked like the hungrier team, and Maryland needed to find their footing quickly if it wanted to win the match.

The fourth set showed some Terrapin life, with sophomore Duru Gokcen finding a pair of kills to push Maryland in the lead for the first time since being up in the second set. Maryland sophomore Katie Scherer added on to the lead with three kills of her own, pushing Maryland to their largest lead of the night.

Despite a kill by Ohio State’s Wuebker taking them out of the frying pan, four kills by Maryland senior Sydney Bryant send the Buckeyes into the fire, extending their lead to eight.

“[Bryant has] really stepped up in these last few games,” said Maryland head coach Adam Hughes. “You can tell she felt a lot more comfortable, a lot more confident, and she’s a big spark for us.”

Ohio State couldn’t stop Maryland’s firing squad, conceding the fourth set, 25-11. Melby found late kills to send the match to the fifth set.

The fifth set opened with kills from both sides, notably a back-to-back pair from Wuebker.

Malual showed up when her team needed her to, finding two kills to keep her team within one point.

Ohio State, however, broke ahead after some great defensive plays, drawing two early timeouts out of Maryland.

Maryland attempted to rally back, but a kill by Wuebker sealed the fifth set, giving the Buckeyes the 15-12 set win, and their first win in conference play.

“This could be a whole different scenario, but that’s the danger of going five, and unfortunately, we’re on the wrong end of that,” said coach Hughes.

Bryant and Scherer both had career-highs this evening for the Terps, with Bryant collecting 13 kills and Scherer having 8 kills as well.

Maryland looks to close out the weekend undefeated, as Michigan comes to College Park on Sunday at noon.