Weekend Preview: Maryland volleyball prepares for two-game slate versus Lehigh and UMBC

Photo courtesy of Dylan Davies/Maryland Athletics

Following a reenergizing three-game sweep last weekend, Maryland (4-2) faces two teams with very different looks this season.

The Terps play their first two-game weekend slate of the season after playing three matches the past two weekends. Coach Adam Hughes welcomes the change of pace.

“Instead of it being over three days, now it’s over five or six days,” Hughes said. “So that does give you more time to prepare.”

Despite the high volume of matches last weekend, the Terps will enter these two with momentum after a great showing in the Maryland Tournament.

Maryland started the weekend off hot hitting a program-record .500 against Alabama A&M en route to a sweep for a win in their first home game of the season.

The Terps pushed undefeated American to a fifth set and gritted out the victory to hand the Eagles their first loss of the season.

The offense proved dominant in Maryland’s third game as well. The Terps hit .391 and averaged almost 15 kills a set to down North Texas.

Samantha Schnitta was the star of the weekend, leading the Terps in kills for all three matches. Schnitta posted 21 kills against American and 48 kills for the weekend total.

The streak pushed Schnitta to the top of the kills leaderboard this season for Maryland, all while hitting an efficient .279. Expect the Terps to rely on the hot hand of Samantha Schnitta in the upcoming two matches.

Maryland takes the momentum into this weekend of matches starting on Friday at 6 p.m. against Lehigh (4-2) in the Xfinity Center.

The Mountain Hawks return to the state of Maryland for the second time this year after playing their first three matches in the Towson Tournament.

In that tournament, Lehigh proved themselves a worthy opponent, taking a strong 6-1 Towson team down to the wire. Ultimately the Mountain Hawks were defeated by the Tigers 3-2. 

However, Lehigh was surprisingly swept last Saturday by a struggling Southeast Missouri State, so their trip to College Park could prove important to getting back on track.

Lehigh has been solid all around this season. Opposite hitter Natalie Luscomb has been a standout on offense. Luscomb leads the team in kills (66), averaging nearly three kills per set, and is hitting an astounding .368. 

Though the team mostly leans on its upperclassmen, sophomore outside hitter Alysia Fingall has taken a leap from last year. 

Fingall has been one of the most productive Mountain Hawks, trailing only Luscomb with 53 kills, nearing her total from last year already.

Maryland wraps up its weekend on Sunday with another match at home against a winless UMBC (0-6) at 3 p.m.. The Retrievers have only managed to win one set in six matches this year, a far cry from their recent seasons.

UMBC claimed the America East Championship in 2023, their fourth consecutive conference title, and finished last year top 50 in RPI.

The Retrievers return senior Mia Bilusic, but not Kamani Conteh. Each player averaged over 3 kills per set on last year’s squad.

UMBC has been tested by a tough non-conference schedule so far, including two ranked opponents in No. 8 Purdue and No. 22 Dayton. Still, the Retrievers’ offense has struggled mightily, mustering a lackluster .136 hitting percentage this year.

The Terps will look to continue their three-game win streak in the Friday and Sunday matches in the Xfinity Center.