Maryland volleyball extends win streak to four; beats Delaware State in straight sets

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

It was all international on the court Wednesday for Maryland volleyball, as Ajack Malual and Duru Gökçen controlled the pace.

Playing for the first time this season at the Pavilion in College Park, Maryland, (4-2) extended its winning streak to four games after starting the season 0-2, defeating Delaware State (3-4) in straight sets.

“I think we learned a lot about ourselves that first weekend,” senior defensive specialist Ally Williams said. “Against North Carolina, we came out really strong, we won that first set … so we kinda wanted to take how we played against North Carolina into this last weekend and now this upcoming weekend.”

Hailing from Rome, the six-foot-one opposite hitter Malual led the Terps in kills, with 66 entering Wednesday’s matchup. Adding 11 more to her season total, Malual led an offensive explosion en route to the sweep. 

Malual dominated the first set for the Terps, notching six kills and setting the stage for an impressive collective offensive night. She continued her production throughout the match, recording four more kills in the second set and maintaining her presence at the net.

“[Malual]’s had a couple sets in the first couple matches we’ve had where she’s had six or seven kills,” head coach Adam Hughes said.

On Monday, sophomore middle blocker Gökçen was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for her 21-block weekend at the UMBC Tournament in Baltimore. On Wednesday, the Istanbul native tallied seven blocks, sending her season total to 34.

The duo held a considerable height advantage against the Hornets, amplifying Gökçen’s and Malual’s ability to generate blocks. They recorded a combined 10 blocks at the net, a decisive contributor to the Terps’ defensive efforts.

Unlike the first five games of the Terps’ 2025 campaign, most of Martyland’s sets were not close. The Terps had routinely played tight sets entering Wednesday’s match, but Maryland consistently pulled away in the middle frame of each set, securing 25-11, 25-14, and 25-19 wins.

The opening set was strong for the Terps, a common thread in recent victories this season. Jumping out to an early 15-7 lead, they hit at a strong 31% clip, with Malual notching six kills. The Terps were victorious by 14 points in the first set — their largest single-set margin of victory all season.

While Maryland’s offense thrived, Delaware State’s offense struggled. The Hornets struggled with attacking errors heading into the contest, and those struggles continued, tallying 16 through the first two sets and finishing the game with as many errors as kills.

In the final set, the Terps continued to dominate. Malual recorded another kill, while Gökçen increased her kill count to five, contributing on both sides of the ball. A fast start for the Hornets was extinguished by the aggressive Terps offense, taking the third set 25-19 and completing the second sweep of the season. The Terps finished the game hitting at nearly a 30% clip as a team, with Malual’s percentage finishing at 40%. 

“[Malual]’s had a pretty good start for us and I know that she wants to see herself as a cleaner player,” Hughes said, “Tonight I thought she did a really good job of that.”

The Terps will now go back on the road to face Davidson on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C.