Continuity was the story of the offseason for Maryland volleyball, who is looking to make some noise in the Big Ten this season, and seventh-year head coach Adam Hughes returns a familiar and experienced squad.
The Terps went 10-2 in nonconference play last season, but couldn’t translate those results to the Big Ten, finishing 7-13 for the third consecutive year. Hughes’ squad also struggled mightily on the road, going 4-10 overall and 2-8 against conference opponents.
In a loaded conference that saw five teams earn a tournament bid — including eventual runner-up Nebraska — winning games was difficult. The Big Ten now expands to 18 teams with the addition of UCLA, Washington, Oregon and USC.
2024 won’t be much easier for the Terps. Seven conference opponents are ranked in the preseason American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25, with five in the top 10.
Key losses
One positive for Hughes is the lack of roster turnover. Maryland only had two players depart from last season’s roster: setter Erin Engel and opposite hitter Laila Ricks.
As the team’s backup setter, Engel tallied the fourth-most assists on the team with 19. She also recorded 31 aces, good for second on the team. After playing in every game last year, Engel’s impact will be missed. She spent her three seasons with the Terps before transferring to Florida in the offseason.
Ricks, a 6-footer, was a force at the net off the bench in 2023. She recorded 81 kills and 37 blocks last season, both of which finished sixth on the team. Ricks played in 95 games with 67 starts over her four years at Maryland. She is now at Wake Forest.
Notable returners
With 14 of its 16 players returning from last season, Maryland could take the next step and challenge for a postseason berth.
The Terps are led by two-time Big Ten Setter of the Week Sydney Dowler. She tallied the most assists on the team last season with 988, the seventh-best mark in the Big Ten. Dowler also recorded 80 kills and 84 total blocks, finishing fourth and second among Big Ten setters, respectively. After starting all but one game last season, expect Dowler to be a focal point of the offense and one of the top players in the conference again.
If Dowler is Maryland’s premier talent, outside hitter Sam Csire isn’t too far behind. Csire was a force on offense last year, leading the team with 272 kills and 321 total points. She started in 29 games last season and is expected to remain the Terps’ top option out wide.
The duo of middle blockers, Eva Rohrbach and Anastasia Russ, will look to anchor Maryland’s defensive effort. They finished first and second in total blocks on the team last year, with 126 and 119.
Rohrbach, a top-25 recruit in high school according to Prep Volleyball, was one of just two Terps to start every match last year. She’ll look to take the next step in 2024 after her strong freshman campaign.
If Russ plays like she did in 2022, Maryland will be a tough opponent to handle. She was one of the best players in the nation that year, finishing with 182 total blocks — the third-highest tally in the country. In likely her final year of college volleyball, she’ll look to rebound from a down year in 2023 and elevate her play.
Libero Lilly Gunter was a key contributor for the Terps last season. She led the team in digs with 421 — almost doubling the next-closest player — while also racking up 33 service aces. As Maryland’s lone player to appear in every set last season, she will play a big role in 2024.
Newcomers
Hughes brought in a talented group of fresh faces to round out his 2024 roster with three freshmen and one transfer.
The headliner of the group is setter Lilly Wagner, the No. 45-ranked prospect in the class of 2024, according to Prep Volleyball. The Wisconsin native could find herself in the rotation right away. She was the MaxPreps Wisconsin Player of the Year and first-team All-American in 2022. Engel’s departure opens the door for Wagner to see the court right away.
Pin hitter Katherine Scherer is another highly-touted recruit, coming in as the No. 71-ranked player in the class of 2024, according to Prep Volleyball. Out of St. Charles, Ill., Scherer was part of the 2022 IHSA All-State second team and on the JVA All-National team.
Freshman Duru Gökçen brings international experience to the Terps. The 6-foot-3 middle blocker from Istanbul spent three years playing for the Fenerbahçe S.K. volleyball club. While in high school, Gökçen played for the Irmak College team.
Outside hitter Skylar Gerhardt, the lone transfer, spent two years at Villanova before arriving at Maryland. After playing in only 14 games her freshman year, Gerhardt started and played in every set last year. She led the team in service aces with 43, finished third in kills with 295 and fifth in digs with 235.
Looking forward
Maryland will head down to Baton Rouge to open its season in the LSU Tournament, facing Troy, LSU and New Hampshire the weekend of Aug. 31.
The Terps will then return home for five of their next six games — including the Maryland Tournament — before traveling to Florida for the UCF Tournament.
Maryland begins conference play with home games against Northwestern and Iowa before heading on the road for three of its next four. The three road games are against teams ranked in the AVCA preseason top 25: No. 7 Penn State, No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 18 Minnesota.
The Terps close out the regular season with a home game on Nov. 30 against No. 2 Nebraska.
If the new talent pairs well with the veteran experience, Maryland could be looking at the end of its 19-year postseason drought.
