Maryland volleyball drops tightly-played match against No. 13 Penn State, 3-1

Down 2-1, nearing the end of the fourth set, Maryland volleyball looked for a comeback to keep the match alive.

Penn State grew its lead to 21-19, which forced a Maryland timeout. Coming out of the timeout, a vicious kill from graduate student Rainelle Jones put the Terps within one.

However, the Nittany Lions rebounded well, and Penn State was on the brink of leaving College Park with the win. No. 13 Penn State did what was needed to close out the set, 25-22, clinching the match victory over Maryland, 3-1.

The Nittany Lions striked first in the first set, but the Terps took an early 2-1 lead. Penn State tied the score at four all before Maryland re-gained the lead, 7-4, after three errors from the Nittany Lions. 

Penn State quickly cut the Maryland lead down to just one after a kill and a service ace. After Penn State had taken the lead, a forceful kill from Jones tied the set, 9-9. Jones’ kill was the start of a 4-0 run that gave Maryland the lead, 12-9. 

A few points later, the Terps and the Nittany Lions found themselves tied at 15. A kill from senior Zoe Weatherington put Penn State up by one point, forcing a Maryland timeout. 

After the timeout, a kill from freshman Laila Ivey quickly re-tied the score. Still tied, this time at 22, another strong kill by Weatherington gave the Nittany Lions the lead. Another kill to follow put Penn State up by two, 24-22, just one point shy of the first set win. A Maryland attack error gave Penn State the first set win, 25-22.

Penn State held Maryland to a silencing .083 hitting percentage, compared to Penn State’s .324. 

The Nittany Lions took a 2-0 lead over the Terps to start the second set, but Maryland quickly went on a 3-0 run to take the lead, 3-2. Maryland continued its lead due to three incredible kills from junior Sam Csire and a Penn State attack error, making it a 8-4 set. A kill from Jones extended the Maryland lead to four, 9-5.

Entering the middle of the set, a 4-1 run gave the Terps a five point lead, 14-9. Attesting to their great blocking night so far, another block assist from junior Laila Ricks and redshirt junior Anastasia Russ kept Maryland’s lead alive. Up by six, a solo block that could be heard around the gym by junior Sydney Dowler stretched the Maryland lead to seven, 19-12. Dowler’s block forced a Penn State timeout. 

After the timeout, the Nittany Lions went on a 3-0 run, trimming their deficit down to five. Maryland was forced to take a timeout in response.

Nearing the end of the second set, a kill from Jones put the Terps within two points of clinching the set, 23-19. On a 3-0 run, a service ace from Penn State cut the Maryland lead all the way down to one, 23-22, and Penn State soon tied the score at 23.

Despite its comeback effort, Maryland closed out the set strong when needed. Russ made it look easy with a kill that gave the Terps the set win, 25-23. 

Despite tying in kills, the Terps held the Nittany Lions to a .176 hitting percentage, while they went on to record an astounding .480 percentage themselves.

The third set started in a close battle, but Penn State went on a 5-1 run to take an 8-3 lead. Maryland was forced to take a timeout. 

After the timeout, Penn State extended its run after several kills and attack errors, taking a seven point lead. The extended run forced another Maryland timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Terps went on a 3-0 lead to cut their deficit down to five, 13-8. 

Extending their run to 6-1, the Terps began to close in on Penn State’s lead. A few points later, kills from Jones and Csire cut Maryland’s deficit down to just two, 19-17. 

Maryland never got within two, as Penn State closed the set strong to take set three, 25-21. 

Penn State outscored the Terps in kills and blocks, and held the Terps to a .296 hitting percentage. 

Penn State and Maryland were tied early in set four at three apiece. A few points later, The Nittany Lions gained control, forcing a Maryland timeout. 

On a 3-0 run after a defying kill from Ivey, the Terps pulled within one. 

Now down 15-13, another run from the Terps, this time including a sneaky block from Ricks, helped make it a one point score, 19-18.

The Terps tied up the set at 19, but the Nittany Lions quickly took their lead back. 

Penn State closed out the set strong to win it, 25-22, clinching the match victory. 

Maryland’s next chance to find the win column is tomorrow night against Northwestern.