Maryland volleyball closed its 2025 season Friday afternoon with a 3-0 loss to Oregon, dropping the match 25-16, 25-11, 25-21 at the Pavilion.
The match was the final appearance for seniors Ajack Malual and Ally Williams, who were honored before the first serve. Maryland entered the afternoon trying to close the year on a high note after going more than six weeks without a win.
But that wasn’t the case.
Another loss ended a difficult season for Maryland, which finished 8-22 and 1-19 in Big Ten play. The Terps had not won since Oct. 10 against Illinois, and they did not know that afternoon would be their last victory of the year.
For Malual and Williams, the match closed the chapter on their Maryland careers. Malual finished with seven kills, while Williams added three digs in her final outing.
Maryland came out with energy in the first set. Malual scored the Terps’ first kill of the day, and junior Eva Rohrbach followed with another to give Maryland an early 4-3 edge.
Oregon (17-13, 8-12 Big Ten) responded with a wave of momentum. The Ducks strung together a seven-point run fueled by two aces and several transition kills, forcing Maryland into an early timeout. Valentina Vaulet and Iva Sucurovic powered the run for Oregon, turning a tight start into a four-point lead.
The Terps tried to settle in. Junior Sydney Bryant ended Oregon’s push with a sharp kill, and Williams provided her usual assistance that helped Maryland climb to 14 points. But Oregon never lost control of the set, closing the set behind a pair of late service aces to take it 25-16.
The second set started promisingly for Maryland. Malual delivered an early ace once again, and freshman Lilly Wagner added a kill of her own as the Terps claimed another brief lead.
But Oregon once again shifted the match with a long run. The Ducks pieced together a 10-1 burst that sent the set out of reach for Maryland. Vaulet continued her strong serving, and Oregon’s block forced the Terps into uncomfortable swings.
Rohrbach tried to spark Maryland with a kill to reach double-digit points, but the Ducks extended their lead one rally at a time. Little seemed to fall for Maryland offensively, and Oregon closed the set 25-11.
Maryland showed its best stretch of the match in the third set. Malual opened with another kill, and Rohrbach combined with Bryant for a block that fired up the bench. Moments later, Rohrbach dropped in an ace to put the Terps ahead by three.
Maryland kept building. A 7-2 run capped by a Rohrbach-Wagner block pushed the Terps ahead by five, their largest of the match. Bryant added another kill to reach double digits, and the Pavilion finally had some life.
Oregon answered again. Two more service aces and a pair of quick kills helped the Ducks erase the deficit and tie the set at 18-18. Maryland tried to hold its footing with another Bryant kill to reach 20 points, but Oregon followed with a final run to seal the sweep with a 25-21 win.
Maryland now turns toward next fall, returning a young core that saw heavy action this year. Bryant ended her junior season as one of the Terps’ top attackers, Wagner settled into her first year setting up the offense, and Rohrbach continued her rise as one of the conference’s top blockers.
Maryland leaves the 2025 season behind, hoping that Friday’s flashes of energy can become the foundation for 2026.
