By Christian Andriolas
After going 3-0 last weekend, Maryland volleyball squared off with Lehigh on Friday, trying to extend its win streak to four.
This was the fifth all-time matchup between the two, with the Terps being an undefeated 4-0 against the Mountain Hawks.
The Terps and Mountain Hawks came into this game with the same record, but Maryland was dominant as they completed the sweep, defeating Lehigh in straight sets (25-22, 25-17, 25-19).
Head coach Adam Hughes emphasized how non-conference games pose different challenges. Teams have different play styles, which can cause problems.
“I just think each matchup gives you a chance to test yourself in a lot of ways … Lehigh was one of the best passing teams we’ve played against … so it was a big matchup for us,” said coach Hughes.
The first set was the closest, as neither team had a lead larger than four points. The Terps led 23-19, but three points in a row from Lehigh made it a one-point game and forced a timeout call by Hughes.
The Terps came out of the timeout ready to play, scoring the final two points to win the set.
“One of the things I’m trying to do is use my timeouts to stop runs… I thought the team was still pretty focused, and [I] wasn’t concerned,” Hughes said.
Maryland started slow in the second set, falling down 5-1, but battled back to take the lead 9-8. The Terps never looked back from there and had their largest victory of the night.
The third set was back and forth early, but the Terps jumped out to a 17-13 lead. The Mountain Hawks cut the lead to two, but the Terps answered back, winning the set by six.
Defense is usually the Maryland’s identity, but that wasn’t the case in this one, with the Mountain Hawks finishing the game with more blocks (6-3).
The Terps’ contributions came from the offense. Three players finished with ten or more kills, led by graduate pin hitter Samantha Schnitta with 14.
“It’s not surprising, just knowing who she is as a human, she’s a workhorse, really driven, really dedicated [and] cares about the team,” said coach Hughes about Schnitta.
This was the fourth sweep in the Terps’ five wins this season, showing the team’s ability to come together.
“We have a fun vibe together… we’re always smiling and laughing, and we bring our locker room energy into the game, because we’re all so close and comfortable with each other,” said graduate middle blocker Anastasia Russ.
The Terps get another chance to defend home court on Sunday as they take on a winless UMBC team (0-6) with only one set victory this season.
