By Christian Andriolas

Maryland volleyball won its first match in over a month on Thursday beating Michigan State in four sets. The Terps hoped the win could build their momentum going into Saturday’s matchup against UCLA. 

“I thought we made strides Thursday to rally and find a common intention and purpose,” head coach Adam Hughes said. 

Maryland took down UCLA in four sets (25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 25-17) winning back-to-back Big Ten matches for the first time this season. Maryland improved its record to 12-13 (3-11 B1G).

“It’s really nice,” said senior setter Zoe Huang. “We’ve been talking about coming together and finishing strong because we did have a really tough stretch.” 

The UCLA matchup presented many career highlights for Maryland players and coaches. 

Hughes earned his 100th career win and three players set new career highs: Samantha Schnitta with 22 kills, Katie Scherer with 13 kills, and Huang with 36 assists. 

The team’s ability to close out sets late in the past two matches is a key reason for the team’s improvement. 

“I just think when we focus on doing our jobs, sometimes it’s a lot easier thinking about the scenario we are in,” coach Hughes said. 

Maryland’s next match is a road trip to Columbus to face Ohio State on Friday. Following that, the Terps will return home to face No. 3 Penn State on Sunday.