Maryland volleyball defeats Seton Hall in straight sets

Photo by Austin DeSisto/Maryland Terrapins. Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics

In Friday’s matchup, Maryland volleyball saw two new faces step up to lead the team to a victory full of mid-set comebacks.

In a pivotal second set, redshirt sophomore Olivia Ruy rocketed four kills to bring the Terps close mid-set. It was junior middle blocker Eva Rohrbach who sent three of her own kills over the net, sealing the set win and eventually the match.

Maryland (7-3) remains unbeaten at the Pavilion, defeating Seton Hall (5-5) in straight sets in the Maryland Challenge. The Terps continuously punished the Pirates’ defensive line, maintaining a strong .280 hitting percentage throughout the match. 

Ruy, an Arkansas transfer, has provided offensive support for the Terps all season, but has mostly backed up senior opposite hitter Ajack Malual’s higher-kill performances. Ruy posted a season-high 16 kills against Davidson on Sept. 13, but hasn’t had a chance to lead the Terps.

That was the case until Friday’s contest.

With eight kills, including four in the second set, Ruy produced in critical situations. With the Terps down throughout most of the first two sets, Ruy’s consistent play kept them in contention. 

“We know [Ruy]’s got a bright future, and she took some really big swings there. She was trying to find ways to win the game,” head coach Hughes said.

However, it was Rohrbach who capitalized on the late-set momentum shifts.

Rohrbach has been consistent this season following her 2024 campaign. She notched a season-high 11 in Maryland’s Tuesday contest against Coppin State. 

On Friday, Rohrbach’s nine kills often came in the later stages of sets, ensuring the Terps could capitalize on their furious comebacks. In addition to her offensive prowess, Rohrbach accrued four blocks, adding to the already sturdy defensive effort from the Terps.

“[Rohrbach]’s got a little bit of an edge to her,” Hughes said. “We’ve always loved [that] about her.”

The Pirates entered Friday’s contest with momentum, taking a tight 3-2 match from Harvard on Sunday and moving to 5-4 on the season. An inconsistent start to the 2025 campaign for the Pirates has been spearheaded by freshman outside hitter Sadie Reich’s team-high 110 kills.

Reich continued her dominance, recording a career-high 23 kills, despite the losing effort. Hitting at a 25% clip, Reich kept the Pirates close in all three sets, helping them outkill the Terps 44-36.

Crucial attack errors plagued the Terps’ offensive attack to start the match, as the Pirates jumped out to an 8-3 lead. But a mid-set resurgence, partly due to Malual’s four kills and redshirt freshman setter Lilly Wagner’s nine assists, enabled the Terps to claw back to a 16-16 draw. 

Rohrbach collected four kills through the first set, while Ruy was able to notch two of her own, supporting a balanced Terps offensive attack on their way to a 25-22 set victory.

A 4-0 scoring run from the Pirates opened up an early 7-4 lead, forcing the Terps to once again operate from behind. But Ruy came alive in the middle of the second set, recording four kills as part of a 10-6 run that helped Maryland regain the lead and later secure the point. 

The third set saw a strong defensive start for the Terps, allowing them to start with a lead for the first time all match. Still, the Pirates kept it close at 10-8. While the Pirates never let the Terps earn more than a three-point lead in the final set, three errors allotted Maryland half of its final six points. Seton Hall finished the game with 17 errors.

The Terps’ tendency to play from behind early in sets has defined their three losses to Coastal Carolina, North Carolina, and Wake Forest. However, they used trailing early to their advantage against the Pirates, capitalizing on mid-set momentum shifts and late-set defensive resiliency. 

“We’re finding ways to win when the pressure’s high,” Hughes said. “But we feel like, you know, [we’re] just missing some opportunities to string some points together a little bit earlier is something that we’re going to have to focus on.”

This win wrapped up the non-conference section of the Terps’ schedule. Maryland will face Iowa for its first Big Ten matchup on Thursday at 7 p.m. — the first of a three-game road trip.