Maryland volleyball completes weekend sweep; downs UMBC 3-1

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

Redshirt freshman setter Lilly Wagner’s role on Maryland volleyball’s offense came into the weekend as a supporting one. 

After an emphatic three-match winning streak for the Terps, it’s become clear that her role is pivotal.

Backed by strong performances from Wagner and Ajack Malual, Maryland (3-2) overcame a dropped first set to defeat the UMBC Retrievers (1-4), 3-1, at the Chesapeake Arena in Baltimore on Sunday. The win completed Maryland’s sweep of the UMBC tournament.

Wagner entered Sunday’s match after recording 27 and 34 assists against Old Dominion and William & Mary, respectively — with the latter being a career-high. Against UMBC, Wagner maintained her impressive pace, notching 33 assists in the match and setting up 12 of opposite hitter Ajack Malual’s 14 kills en route to victory.

The Retrievers had been consistently out-digging their opponents entering Sunday’s contest, and that trend continued despite the loss. Junior defensive specialist Hannah Howard led the Retrievers with 22 of the team’s 58 digs. 

Sunday’s game, in combination with Wagner’s contributions, was defined by multiple mid-set scoring runs that brought the Terps back in contention. A fourth set that seemed destined to go to the Retrievers saw a massive momentum shift after a timeout from head coach Adam Hughes. The Terps cleaned up their errors from the offense, allowing for four aces to close the gap.

Despite falling behind 3-0 in the opening set, the Terps built off Wagner’s 10 assists to stay in it throughout the set. A 5-1 Retrievers scoring run diminished the lead the Terps built, though, with junior outside hitter Jalynn Brown securing six kills and a set one victory, 26-24. The opening set defeat was Maryland’s first all season.

The Terps continued to struggle in second sets, notching as many attacking errors as kills with nine. But Maryland turned it around as the teams traded scoring runs, storming back after falling behind 16-10 and capitalizing on 11 Retriever attacking errors on their way to a 25-23 win.

Another early set deficit plagued the Terps in the following set. But a late surge, powered by a plethora of defensive blocks from Maryland’s net defense, edged out the Retrievers for a 25-22 victory. Wagner posted ten more assists, helping the Terps’ offense steady and capitalize on momentum.

A quieter fourth set from Wagner saw the Terps fall behind 11-4 early, but a 13-2 run, which included four aces, swung the pendulum back to Maryland’s side. The teams traded set points, but a string of kills from sophomore middle blocker Duru Gökçen and a final ace from Malual sealed the 3-1 match win, 28-26.

Wagner’s 33 assists bring her weekend total to 94, and her season total now sits at 158. The redshirt freshman has started her collegiate career strongly, and with in-conference play looming, the Terps will look for her production to continue.

Maryland will finally step foot in the Pavilion, seeking to extend its three-game winning streak against Delaware State on Wednesday.