Heading into the match with a four-game winning streak, Maryland volleyball looked to continue its hot start to the season. The Terps took on the winless UMBC Retrievers at the Xfinity Center Pavilion and handled them in quick fashion, winning in straight sets.
“The quality of opponents that UMBC played is pretty impressive,” head coach Adam Hughes said. “They know that their goal is to test themselves to get ready for their conference. I think it’s a trap when you look at the records for some of these teams in the nonconference.”
In her second consecutive start, setter Zoe Huang had a game-high 24 assists, leading the charge for a steady Terps attack.
Off to a quick start in back-to-back matches, Maryland (6-2) took an early 4-0 lead, with a service ace from Huang and joint-block from outside hitter Sam Csire and middle blocker Anastasia Russ. A kill from UMBC middle blocker Mila Ilieva was followed up with a service ace from UMBC outside hitter Jada James, cutting the Terps lead to two.
Russ responded with a kill of her own before Csire hit back-to-back service aces, opening the score up to 7-2.
With the score at 12-7, pin hitter Samatha Schnitta, who has a team-high 85 kills on the year, recorded two more kills.
Another kill from Ilieva cut the lead to six before the Terps scored four in a row, including a kill from Russ and outside hitter Sydney Bryant. Outside hitter Mia Bilusic recorded a kill to stop the bleeding, but that wasn’t enough, as the Terps held onto the lead, taking it 25-12.
The opening set was a balanced attack for Maryland, as six players recorded a kill, including a set-high from Bryant with four. The Terps also had four service aces with Huang and libero Lilly Gunter each tallying one, while Csire recorded the other two.
Knotted up at two, Bryant added another kill before Schnitta found a service ace, opening up a Terps lead. A kill from Csire and two errors from the Retrievers helped Maryland extend its lead to four. Unlike in the first set, UMBC had a response of its own, cutting the lead down to one with a kill from outside hitter Hannah Dobbs.
Setter Sydney Dowler recorded a sneaky kill followed up by one from Csire. The Terps kept the lead around three throughout, stopping any potential momentum the Retrievers hoped to get.
While UMBC cut it to 13-12 with a service ace from utility player Aysia Miller, Schnitta responded immediately with a kill and service ace. Middle blocker Eva Rohrbach added another kill, extending the lead back to four. With the lead up to six after a joint-block from Russ and Schnitta, Maryland looked to have the set all wrapped up.
However, four late kills from Bilusic tied the set up at 23. With Maryland now up 25-24, an attack from Dobbs sailed long, giving Maryland a 26-24 set victory.
“The team realizes that [Dobbs] has to take some big swings and sometimes she’ll make it and sometimes she won’t,” Hughes said. “I’m not going to take her out of that situation. I don’t even talk to her. You don’t want them to overthink it, just want them to be in their flow.”
Looking for a third consecutive sweep, the Terps headed into the third set with one thing in mind: finish the game.
Csire and Russ got the first two points of the set before UMBC responded with four of its own.
Schnitta and Csire helped respond with the next four points. Another service ace from Miller tied it up before Bryant recorded her seventh kill of the match. With the score at 12-10, kills from Schnitta, Csire and two service aces from Huang extended the lead to six.
Three late service aces from Schnitta gave Maryland set point before Rohrbach finished off the match with a kill, finishing the third set, 25-16.
Schnitta led the charge with 13 kills and five service aces while Bryant and Csire each had 10 kills of their own. After losing the blocking battle on Friday, the Terps out-blocked the Retrievers 6-2, led by four total blocks from Russ.
Three things to know
1. Strong display from Bryant. With double-digit kills in three of her last four matches, Bryant has provided Hughes with three solid attacking options. She trails only Schnitta and Csire in total kills this season. Look for Bryant to keep earning crucial minutes as Maryland heads to conference play soon.
“It’s just about gaining confidence,” Hughes said. “She was in and out of the lineup last year in some key games. … This year, she’s in a bigger role for us, playing full time. I think she’s learning what that feels like, what it’s going to mean.”
2. Clean home matches. Through four home matches, the Terps have yet to drop a set. With sweeps of Alabama A&M, North Texas, Lehigh and UMBC, Maryland hopes to carry this momentum into another home match against Delaware State on Wednesday.
3. Heavy slate ahead. After Sunday’s sweep of UMBC, the Terps head into a heavy schedule. They play three matches in four days, with two road matches taking place in Orlando, Fla. Maryland will hope to use more of its bench on Wednesday to keep players fresh.
