Maryland volleyball (4-2) has won consecutive matches for the first time all season, getting back over the .500 hump. This past weekend, the Terps swept the field in the Maryland Tournament, defeating all three opponents.
With two straight home games, Maryland will look to maintain this momentum. The Terps face Lehigh on Friday starting at 6 p.m., before taking on UMBC at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Lehigh Mountain Hawks (4-2, 0-0 Patriot League)
2023 record: 13-14 (5-11 Patriot League)
Entering her seventh year at the helm, head coach Alexa Keckler looks to get back to winning ways. In her first season in charge, Keckler led the Mountain Hawks to a 20-8 record, finishing tied for third in the Patriot League.
Six years later, Lehigh has yet to have another winning season. With 14 of their 20 rostered players from a season ago returning, Keckler hopes to use this cohesiveness to get results.
Players to watch
Makena Smith, senior setter, No. 9 — Smith, the Mountain Hawks’ three-time assists leader, is the top returner in what is likely her final season with the program. Last year, she tallied 743 assists, good for fifth in the Patriot League. Through the first six matches, Smith ranks third in the Patriot League with 138 assists. She has also recorded 28 digs, including a dozen against Towson.
Emily Stewart, senior middle blocker, No. 16 — As a locked-in starter this season, Stewart remains a versatile option for Lehigh. A season ago, she finished second in the Patriot League with 120 total blocks, while also tallying 183 kills, which ranked second on the team. Stewart’s 24 total blocks this season have led the team and certainly put her on Maryland’s radar.
UMBC Retrievers (0-6, 0-0 America East)
2023 record: 17-8 (8-2 America East)
Head coach Kasey Crider is in his third season at the helm and faces some pressure to continue UMBC’s recent success. In the 2023 campaign, the Retrievers earned their third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth, but lost in the first round. Crider will be looking to take the next step and earn a tournament win this year.
However, UMBC has gotten off to a slow start in 2024 as it remains winless through six challenging matches, only taking one set so far.
Players to watch
Hannah Howard, sophomore libero, No. 16 — As the America East Libero of the Year, Howard had a freshman campaign to remember. The top-100 recruit in the Class of 2023, according to Prep Volleyball, made an impact right away. Howard finished second in the conference last season with 406 digs, becoming the second freshman in school history to reach 400 digs in a season. So far in 2024, she has the third-most digs on the team with 38.
Mia Bilusic, senior outside hitter, No. 5 — In what is likely her final season with the Retrievers, Bilusic has experienced a strong start to the 2024 campaign. The three-time first-team All-America East selection leads UMBC with 54 kills and eight service aces. Simultaneously, Bilusic is second on the team with 41 digs and third with eight total blocks. Bilusic’s versatility makes her a tough player to stop.
Three things to watch
1. Net blocking. Maryland has been one of the better blocking teams in the nation through six games. The team ranks tied for 18th in the country in total blocks with 65.5. Leading the charge for the Terps is middle blocker Eva Rohrbach with 32 blocks, while middle blocker Anastasia Russ is a close second with 26 blocks.
2. Who starts at setter? Head coach Adam Hughes has rotated between Zoe Huang and Sydney Dowler throughout the season. Dowler started in the LSU Tournament and the last match, while Huang started the other two games.
“We’ve got matchups now that sometimes we can build some continuity,” Hughes said. “I think Zoe’s got a good relationship finding the middles pretty early in the match and I thought Sydney does a good job finding Eva.”
3. Three-match win streak. After winning three consecutive matches in the Maryland Tournament, including two of them at home, the Terps will be looking to handle business against Lehigh and UMBC. Maryland is 4-0 all-time against the Mountain Hawks and 4-1 all-time against the Retrievers.
