Maryland volleyball cruises past Rutgers, 3-0, for first conference win of season

By: Matt Germack

Despite an 0-5 record in conference play, Maryland came into New Jersey leading the nation in blocks per set and the Big Ten in aces per set. The Terps’ shortcomings this season has been on the offensive side of the ball, as they rank dead last in the conference in kills per set.

Looking to get in the win column for the first time against a Big Ten opponent, they opened the first set doing what they do best. Junior Sydney Dowler scored a service ace — her first of four in the match — and Maryland’s all-time leading blocker Rainelle Jones knocked a Rutgers attack to the hardwood for an early 2-0 lead.

It was the Maryland offense, rather than the defense, that finally came alive and carried the Terps to their first conference victory of the season. After not hitting above .240 in any Big Ten matchup, they finished with a .290 hitting percentage, including a .480 showing in the second set.

Maryland volleyball took on Rutgers, looking to end its five-match losing streak.

The first set was closely contested, but Maryland’s defensive prowess was the deciding factor. Both teams found success on that side of the ball — there were multiple long rallies early — but Maryland controlled the net. The Terps out-blocked Rutgers 4:1 in the first set.

Junior Sam Csire delivered four early kills, but the Terps capitalized on numerous Scarlet Knight errors. They gave the Terps eight points on attack errors, compared to just two committed by Maryland. The Terps took the first set, 25-20.

Maryland dominated from start to finish in the second set. Freshman Laila Ivey racked up five kills, alongside four from Csire. It was another dominant performance for Ivey, who continued a stellar freshman campaign by leading the team in points (13). Her hitting power was on full display, and Rutgers had no answer for it — she racked up nine kills on just 14 attempts in the first two sets.

The Scarlet Knights continued to struggle with errors, committing another seven in the second set en route to 26 total in the match. Maryland went up 2-0 on a dominant 25-12 set score.

The Scarlet Knights found some offensive success in the final set, going up 11-9. Maryland took over from there, going on a 9-0 run that included four kills, two blocks and an ace by sophomore Milan Gomillion. 

Rutgers adjusted its block to neutralize Ivey in the third set, leading to a much better defensive output early. However, it opened the door for a more well-rounded offensive attack — five Terps recorded multiple kills in the final set, including Ivey, who still tallied four kills despite the early extra defensive attention.

Maryland took the set 25-16, sweeping Rutgers for its first win of the conference season.

Maryland was excellent at the point of attack. The Terps finished the match with ten blocks and held Rutgers to just four. Jones finished with six total blocks, including three solos.

The win was well received by a Maryland team that dropped a few frustrating matches early in the Big Ten season. Next, the Terps will travel to Evanston to take on Northwestern on Friday.