Maryland volleyball looks to snap five-game conference losing streak against Ohio State and Michigan

Photo courtesy of Kevin Snyder/Maryland Terrapins

Maryland volleyball returns home to the Xfinity Center Pavilion amidst a five-game losing skid, winning just three sets in that span. 

Presenting a huge opportunity for a much-needed win, the Terps (8-14, 1-11 Big Ten) will travel home and face the only team ranked below them in the Big Ten – Ohio State – on Saturday.

The Buckeyes (3-17, 0-12 Big Ten) have had a rough season on the court, winning just four sets in their last 11 games, and have yet to secure an in-conference win. In their last match, the Buckeyes lost in straight sets to No. 11 Wisconsin, with the closest set ending 25-14. 

Maryland’s last win was a 3-1 victory against Rutgers at home on Oct. 15, marking its only conference win so far this season. Since that win, the offense has been stifled by ranked opponents, including a match against then-No. 22 USC, where Maryland recorded just 21 kills, a season-low. 

In their last match, the Terps lost 3-1 to Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois. Despite the loss, the offense saw an impressive resurgence after a silent road trip, notching 53 kills at a .210 rate. Three players had at least nine kills, including a 16-kill performance from senior opposite hitter Ajack Malual. 

While the offense returned to its solid operation, errors continued to stifle any chance of a comeback victory, with the Terps committing 23 errors in the match. 

The Buckeyes have faced the same offensive struggles that the Terps have, notching a Big-Ten-lowest 862 kills at a .178 rate. Maryland ranks right above them in both categories, recording 934 kills at a .178 rate as well. 

Against the Badgers, the Buckeyes were unable to reach double-digit kills in any set, finishing the match with 23 total kills and hitting at just an 8% rate. Junior outside hitter Hannah Jones recorded nearly a third of the team’s kills with seven, extending her team-leading total to 231 kills.

Defensively, the Terps have a large advantage over the Buckeyes, and should be the difference between a dominant victory and a tight battle. The Terps rank fifth in the Big Ten with 220.5 blocks, while the Buckeyes are a distant last at 146.5.

After facing Ohio State, the Terps will get just a day to rest before Michigan enters the Pavilion on Sunday.

Michigan (15-8, 5-7 Big Ten) brings a well-rounded squad to the court, ranking in the top seven in both kills and blocks. The Wolverines will face Rutgers on Friday before taking on the Terps in the two teams’ first matchup this season.

In their last match, the Wolverines lost a battle at home against No. 10 Purdue, as the Boilermakers completed the reverse sweep and escaped with a 3-2 victory. However, in the match prior, Michigan stunned No. 19 Penn State on Oct. 31 in their own 3-2 triumph. 

The Wolverines notched 55 kills and 14.5 total blocks, despite the loss to Purdue. Michigan ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 1127 kills. Graduate outside hitter Allison Jacobs spearheads the production with 327 kills, fourth-most in the conference. 

In addition to the fiery offense, Michigan’s defense has accrued 202 blocks, good for seventh in the conference. While Jacobs leads the offense, senior middle blocker Serena Nyambio leads the defense. Accounting for more than half the team’s blocks, Nyambio’s 106 on the season is tied for second-best in the Big Ten, just behind Washington’s Katy Wessels’ 107-block season total. 

Maryland’s sophomore middle blocker Duru Gökçen, a breakout star from Istanbul, Turkey, who took home Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the season, is tied with Nyambio. 

The Terps’ defense should be able to contain a struggling Buckeyes offense. Against Michigan’s leading offense and solid blocking unit, though, Maryland will be tested once again.