Maryland volleyball extends winning streak with 3-2 victory over Davidson

Bridging the gap of experience, redshirt freshman setter Lilly Wagner and senior opposite hitter Ajack Malual’s chemistry on the court was undeniable in Saturday’s win.

In a 14-12 set point in the fifth set, the duo ended the game with Wagner assisting Malual’s 20th kill.

Maryland (5-2) won its fifth game in a row against Davidson (4-4) in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Saturday in a tough five-set battle. The 3-2 Terps win is their first five-set victory of the season.

“This group is learning ways to win, and I’m really proud that they stayed together. It was a great team win,” head coach Adam Hughes said after the victory.

Wagner’s offensive support has been pivotal throughout the Terps’ winning streak, tallying at least 20 assists in every game this season. On Saturday, she added a career-high 48 assists to her 179-assist season total, recording a double-double with 13 digs.

Working in tandem with Wagner, Malual collected a season-high 20 kills, dominating the final set and securing the Terps win. Extending her team-leading kill count from 77, the Tennessee transfer has been pivotal for the Terps offense all season.

“Although [Malual] started high-error in games one and two, she found a way to settle in a little bit,” Hughes said.

As a team, the Terps entered the matchup with newfound momentum, winning four games in a row and defeating Delaware State in straight sets in their home opener on Wednesday.  

A 6-0 Terps run to start the match gave them an edge, as they collected 14 kills and hit at nearly a .300 clip, continuing the trend of strong first-set performances that have proved crucial in recent victories. The Wildcats rallied to keep it close, but a 12-assist showing from Wagner pushed the Terps to a 25-20 win. 

The second set saw the Terps commit blunders.

Junior outside hitter Elena Garcia-Guerrios notched six kills in the team’s first 14 points and Davidson hit .313 in the set. A late 10-4 scoring surge from the Terps wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit, dropping the second set, 25-22. Garcia-Guerrios finished the set with eight crucial kills.

A tight third set saw the Wildcats continue to tough out mid-set deficits, but the momentum shifted after an overturned attack error call on the Terps set up a 5-0 scoring run. The Wildcats ended the set on a 9-1 run of their own, winning 25-19 and taking a 2-1 match lead.

Despite starting the fourth set with a 4-0 lead, the Terps once again allowed the Wildcats to storm back and even up the set. A 20-20 tie was broken with a kill from junior middle blocker Eva Rohrbach, allowing the Terps to finish the 25-21 set win on a 5-1 run, tying the match at two sets apiece.

The fifth set saw the teams trade points, but Malual got hot at just the right time for the Terps, collecting four kills. Another close set ended with a 15-12 final score, giving the Terps a 3-2 win.

The Terps stay in Winston-Salem and face Wake Forest on Sunday at 1 p.m. as conference play looms near. The Demon Deacons are just 3-4 this year, but they swept Davidson on Friday.