Maryland volleyball has never finished a season with a conference record above .500 since entering the Big Ten in 2014.
The Terps have shown signs of improvement in 2025, but failed to turn progress into results on Friday against UCLA.
Maryland was one set away from victory but was outplayed the rest of the way, falling to UCLA in five sets, 3-2, at Xfinity Center.
The five sets scored 25-23, 20-25, 25-21, 13-25 and 12-15.
“I don’t think we lost it. I think they went and grabbed it, and they got the win,” Maryland head coach Adam Hughes said.
Maryland volleyball has never finished a season with a conference record above .500 since entering the Big Ten in 2014.
After a historically bad 1-19 conference record last season, the Terps have looked much improved in 2026. They’ve already won three more games than they did all of last season and have played more competitively against Big Ten powerhouses.
That was the case again on Friday against UCLA. The Bruins have been an above-average Big Ten team since joining the conference in 2024. The Terps of old likely wouldn’t have put up a fight.
“In some ways, [I am] proud we don’t quit. We have a lot of fight, and I didn’t see the group not fight,” Hughes said. “I just thought they got to learn how they’re going to execute against the top 25 team.”
Maryland didn’t let the past affect them. It took a two-sets to one lead and looked on the verge of earning its biggest win in years in front of 2,367 fans on the Xfinity Center main court.
Instead, the Terps were blown out by 12 in set four and let UCLA pull away in set five to seal another Big Ten loss.
The teams matched in attack errors in the first and second sets, but the major difference was the blocks the Bruins put up.
With the wall the Bruins put up, they won the second, fourth and fifth sets. UCLA racked up 14 total blocks throughout, compared to the Terps five.
While losing the battle at the net, the Terps looked strong in serve and receive. They committed only two reception errors. Freshman Brooklyn Brass earned a pancake in serve receive, getting the Terps a replay in the fourth set ultimately earning a point.
“We stabilized with serve receive, and she’s a big part of that. You know, a lot of people are targeting her, and I thought she did a great job,” Hughes said.
Service errors were the opposite, costing the Terps nine points throughout the night.
In the first and third sets, Maryland pulled with help from standout freshman Ava Brown. The outside hitter finished with a team-high 17 kills and kept the Terps in the game.
The freshman class was key for Maryland with the help of Brass who totaled 15 total kills and 16 digs. In the first set alone, Brass had eight kills and hit at .438.
Graduate outside hitter Haley Melby returned for the Terps. She had been out with an injury since the match against Campbell on Sept. 17. Trying to ease her back, she stuck to the back row and racked up five digs, one ace, and one kill.
Maryland faces a quick turnaround, hosting Northwestern on Saturday back in the Stephen M. Schanwald Pavilion. It serves as another chance for the Terps to earn a conference win.
“Different matchup, different style teams, and [we] can’t have an emotional hangover in the next outing. But I have no doubt the group will be ready,” Hughes said.
