Maryland Volleyball won its second match in a row beating Northwestern in a clean sweep.
The Terps came into the match riding high after winning their first conference match versus Rutgers on Sunday. Maryland won in a sweep in part of an offensive showing featuring five Terps scoring three or more kills.
Northwestern entered after losing in four sets to a No. 6 ranked Ohio State squad. The Wildcats started the season 11-1, but since then, they’ve lost four of their last six.
Set one was all Terps early, as Maryland held a lead until Northwestern tied the match at 13. The two teams traded points for a little, with Northwestern taking a 22-19 lead late in the set.
The Terps didn’t let the lead affect them as coming out of a timeout, the Terps went on to dominate, earning the last six points of the set. The run sparked from a huge diving play from Milan Gomillion to keep a ball alive en route to a Maryland kill, a play that head coach Adam Hughes was amazed to see.
“I mean, that’s usually the m.o. of Milan; she makes some really amazing saves, and that’s ones that I don’t think a lot of people else, what other people can make,” said Hughes.
Maryland won set one 25-22.
The Terps continued their dominance into set two, earning five straight points to open the set, causing an early timeout from Northwestern. The Maryland lead grew, forcing the Wildcats to take their second timeout with the score being 13-7 in Maryland’s favor.
The Wildcats’ timeout worked wonders, as they came out and tied the set at 19. The two teams traded points until the Terps took a one-point lead via a Sam Csire kill. Without a timeout to break up the momentum, the Wildcats looked on as the Terps won the set, 25-22.
Maryland’s domination continued in the third set, squashing any sliver of momentum Northwestern tried to hold. The Terps held the lead for most of the match, their largest being 10. The Terps won the set, 25-16.
It was a dominant win for the Terps, executing on both ends of the court. Hughes referred to the win as “a great team performance.”
Maryland amassed 13 total blocks and 35 digs. Anastasia Russ continued to be the driving force of the defense, blocking nine balls in total.
Laila Ricks also showed out defensively, blocking seven total. Hughes took notice of Ricks’ defense, helping to shut down Northwestern outside hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara.
“I thought Laila Rick’s had a phenomenal match. And um, she was on [Thomas-Ailara] she was calling for that, and she was making big moves. And I’ve said this a million times, I think Laila Ricks is the best blocking right side in the country,” said Hughes.
The offense was right on par with the defense tonight. Sam Csire led the match in kills with 16 and a stellar hitting percentage of .400. Laila Ivey tacked on another 10 kills for the Terps as her hot hitting continued. The two have combined for 50 kills between this match and the match against Rutgers.
Sydney Dowler’s 27 assists helped spread the ball around and contribute to an impressive Terps’ offensive attack.
“I thought Syd was doing a really good job. She knew where the matchups were. She knew the advantages of some of the block areas that we wanted to fit into,” said Hughes.
Maryland looks to carry this momentum into their next match, on the road against No. 11 Purdue.
