Maryland volleyball begins Big Ten play vs Iowa and No. 1 Nebraska

Photo by Grayson Belanger/Maryland Terrapins. Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.

After nearly a month of non-conference matches, Maryland volleyball will begin Big Ten play on Thursday with a three-game road trip.

Maryland (7-3) faced Seton Hall (6-5) on Friday at the Pavilion — just its second home game of the season. A balanced offensive attack from senior opposite hitter Ajack Malual, junior middle blocker Eva Rohrbach, and redshirt sophomore outside hitter Olivia Ruy led the Terps to a victory in straight sets.

The trio combined for 28 of the team’s 37 kills, ending each set emphatically, despite consistently falling behind against the Pirates. The Terps have yet to lose a set at home this season.

The Terps will open their three-game road trip in Iowa City, Iowa, to play the Hawkeyes (9-3) and then travel to Nebraska to play the Cornhuskers (10-0) on Saturday.

The Hawkeyes have had a strong 2025 campaign, starting the season 6-0 and claiming seven of their nine wins in straight sets.

“I think this might be the best Iowa team I’ve seen in probably five, six years,” head coach Adam Hughes said. “So it’s going to be a big learning curve for us this weekend.”

On Sunday, the Hawkeyes defeated Lindenwood 3-0.  Iowa’s offense dominated throughout the game, sporting a 0.351 hitting percentage and tallying 44 total kills. The game’s second set saw the Hawkeyes outkill the Lions 17-7, eventually winning the set 25-11. 

Graduate outside hitter Chard’e Vanzandt leads the team in kills, with 112, and has spearheaded Iowa’s offensive attack. Vanzandt is in her first season with the Hawkeyes after transferring from Chattanooga. In Sunday’s match, Vanzandt led the team in both kills  — with 12 — and aces — with three. 

Supporting Vanzandt is senior setter Claire Ammeraal, who currently ranks third in the Big Ten with 392 assists. Ammeraal notched a team-leading 30 assists in the win against the Lions on Sunday. 

The key to the contest may be both teams’ defensive play, as Maryland and Iowa boast three of the top four blockers in the Big Ten. Although Oregon’s Iva Sucurovic leads with 58 blocks, sophomore middle blocker Duru Gökçen is close behind with 57. Rohrbach is third with 55, tied with Hawkeye middle blocker Hannah Whittingstall. 

Whittingstall is a threat on both sides of the ball. The junior has accrued 73 kills this season — the third-highest on the team.

After playing Iowa, Maryland will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, to face No. 1 Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have started the season 10-0, continuing their historical dominance.

The Cornhuskers swept Arizona in straight sets on Saturday, excelling on offense with a 0.392 hitting percentage and outkilling the Wildcats 52-38. Junior outside hitter Harper Murray led the team with 14 kills, bringing her team-leading total to 120. 

Murray has been a powerhouse offensive presence for the Cornhuskers, finishing the 2024 season with a team-leading 411 kills. Murray has relied on junior setter Bergen Reilly for support, with Reilly registering 298 assists this season. 

While Iowa looks to be a defensive matchup for the Terps, Nebraska will be all offense. The Cornhuskers average 14 kills per set, compared to Maryland’s 12.2. 

“Looking at the locker room, I know that [the players] realize the challenge is big,” Hughes said. “We’re hoping to have a good practice this week.”