Maryland volleyball faces Illinois and No. 7 Wisconsin, two high-powered offenses, this weekend

Maryland volleyball has learned valuable lessons after a 0-4 start to conference play. The Terps are hoping to apply them at home against Illinois on Friday and No. 7 Wisconsin on Sunday.

Maryland (7-7, 0-4 Big Ten) dropped both its games this past weekend, losing 3-1 to Rutgers and 3-2 against No. 16 Penn State. The latter was the team’s first home loss this season, but also marked the closest it’s been to a Big Ten win this year. 

The story thus far has been the Terps’ inability to contain powerhouse offenses and offensive playmakers. The Terps have been outkilled 207 to 140 in conference play, and opponents have hit at an average rate of .284. 

Maryland’s first chance to bounce back comes on Friday against Illinois (8-5, 3-1 Big Ten), a team it has never beaten. Despite entering Big Ten play at 5-4, the Fighting Illini have found success in-conference, even upsetting No. 10 Purdue on Sept. 28. 

The Fighting Illini beat Michigan State in a close contest on Sunday, handing them just their second loss of the season by a final score of 3-2. Both sides of the ball were producing, as the Fighting Illini outkilled the Spartans 71 to 58, and outblocked them 11 to 5. The team hit at a 34% clip, including a .727 hitting percentage in the fifth set. 

Four players have recorded over 100 kills during the 2025 campaign, with redshirt sophomore outside hitter/opposite Taylor de Boer leading the pack with 173. However, the Fighting Illini have been outkilled 660 to 652 this season, and will be the first Big Ten team the Terps play that has allowed more kills than it has recorded. 

De Boer has dominated conference play, notching 63 kills, eighth-best in the Big Ten during conference matches. Against the Spartans, she tied a career-high with 18 kills hit at a .366 rate. It appears she’ll be the next offensive threat the Terps will have to contain if they hope to capture their first Big Ten win of the season.

After Illinois, the Terps will stay home and welcome No. 7 Wisconsin (11-1, 4-0 Big Ten) to the Pavilion. In their last 10 games, the Badgers have lost just one set, sweeping nine games in straight sets.

While the Badgers will play No. 19 Penn State on Friday before facing the Terps, Wisconsin claimed its last game in dominant fashion. With over 7,000 fans in attendance, the Badgers swept Michigan and hit .356 while notching 47 kills. Senior outside hitter Mimi Colyer led the team with 23 kills and has spearheaded the offense all year.

Colyer leads the Big Ten with 5.39 kills per set and ranks sixth in total kills with 205. Perhaps more impressively, Colyer has recorded a .361 hitting percentage, consistently delivering clean hits over the net. 

The Badgers have held their opponents to only 410 kills, while notching 579 themselves. Their serve receive has been impenetrable, allowing only 20 service aces in 12 games. Perhaps the most well-rounded opponent the Terps have seen besides Nebraska, the Badgers have also outblocked opponents 108 to 62.5.

The Terps’ strong point still seems to be their blocking, as they’ve recorded 148.5 blocks on the season, the second-most in the Big Ten. Their offense has been unable to capitalize against stronger teams, however, hitting at .191 and notching just 11.4 kills per set, the worst rate in the Big Ten. Two more dominant hitters stand between them and a successful weekend, but head coach Adam Hughes is optimistic.

“I’m hoping this will lead to another good weekend, some progress,” Hughes said. “We’ll see if we can take a good shot against a great team at home.”