Maryland volleyball prepares for a pair of ranked opponents

Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics

Maryland volleyball will return home on Friday to face No. 19 Minnesota before traveling to State College for a rematch against No. 24 Penn State on Sunday.

Maryland (8-18, 1-15 Big Ten) has lost nine consecutive matches, with six coming via sweeps. The Terps’ last win came on Oct. 15 against Rutgers, their only conference win of the season. 

Offensive struggles have defined the Terps’ losing streak, averaging over 20 attack errors per game and hitting over .200 just twice. The Terps’ fourth-best blocking unit in the Big Ten has not been able to overcome the woes of their conference-worst offense.

Maryland’s last match against then-No. 18 Indiana was a much-needed bright spot, despite the result being a 3-0 loss. 

The Terps hit at a .312 rate, notching 40 kills on just 11 attacking errors. Senior opposite hitter Ajack Malual returned to her usual production after a quiet match against then-No. 9 Purdue, leading the team with 13 kills. However, the Hoosiers had three players reach double-digit kills, capitalizing on a dominant third set and rolling to victory.

The first opportunity for the Terps to continue the improved offensive production comes on Friday against No. 19 Minnesota at the Pavilion. 

Minnesota (19-8, 9-7 Big Ten) won its last match in five sets against Iowa, hitting at an impressive .342 rate. The Golden Gophers notched 67 kills on 17 errors and were led by freshman outside hitter Kelly Kinney’s 17-kill night. 

Four players reached double-digit kills, including senior outside hitter Julia Hanson. The senior enters play ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 383 kills and has spearheaded the Golden Gophers’ offense all season.

Minnesota will also bring the Big Ten’s second-best blocking defense, recording 253 total blocks. Graduate middle blocker Lourdes Myers is the team’s leading blocker with 107, while freshman middle blocker Jordan Taylor is close behind at 97 blocks. 

The Terps’ defense will need to match Minnesota’s if they hope to keep their offensive momentum and snag a win in front of the home crowd. The Terps are 1-19 all-time against the Golden Gophers, a trend they attempt to buck on Friday.

Maryland will then travel to Pennsylvania to face reigning champions, No. 24 Penn State, on Sunday.

Penn State (15-11, 9-7 Big Ten) enters the contest in the midst of an inconsistent season, including a 3-0 loss on Nov. 14 against Minnesota. In their last match, the Nittany Lions defeated Ohio State in five sets, accruing 75 kills at a .297 rate. 

Junior right-side hitter Kennedy Martin led the team with 34 kills, continuing her nationwide domination. Martin leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally with 532 kills — good for 5.48 kills per set. The Nittany Lions thrive on offense, boasting the fourth-best production in the conference with 1,374 total team kills. 

The Terps last met the Nittany Lions at home on Oct. 5 in front of the second-largest crowd in team history, taking them to five sets before ultimately losing 3-2. Maryland dropped the first two sets, but Malual’s 20-kill night aided in forcing three more sets.

But Maryland’s offensive stats were emblematic of season-long trends, finishing the match with just a .143 hitting percentage and 22 errors. The defense surrendered 61 kills as Penn State rolled to a 15-5 victory in the final set. 

Maryland has faced Rutgers and Indiana twice this season with very different results, but the squad has been much more competitive and successful the second time around. An inconsistent Penn State team could be the perfect chance for a statement win to close out the 2025 campaign.