Maryland volleyball preview: Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Classic

Maryland volleyball will head south this weekend for its final non-conference matches of the season.

The Terps (7-2) hit the road once again as they head to Fort Myers, Florida for the Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Classic. They will kick off the weekend facing Le Moyne (0-6) on Friday, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday against Florida Atlantic (7-3) and Florida Gulf Coast (5-4).

Maryland enters the tournament on a positive note, coming off a sweep last weekend with victories over Coastal Carolina, Princeton and Howard. Its offense clicked in every match, especially against Howard, when the Terps hit .438, the second time they’ve crossed the .400 mark this season. 

The weekend bumped the Terps’ season hitting percentage to .287, top-20 among all Division I schools.

“I didn’t think we were playing at our best and we knew that from the jump …  I thought they did a good job of being aware of it and competing to find a way to win,” coach Adam Hughes said. “The big thing is we found ways to win and I’m sure we’ll have to find new ways this weekend against three very different teams.”

Senior setter Sydney Dowler is coming off another stellar weekend after dishing out 120 assists, including 57 against Coastal Carolina. Dowler also accounted for the game-winning kill in the five-set thriller against the Chanticleers.

Defensive specialist Lilly Gunter has been one of the best in the Big Ten at serving. The senior set a new career-high with five service aces against Howard, bringing her service aces per set average to 0.5, sixth-best in the Big Ten.

All eyes will be on outside hitter Sam Csire this weekend as she closes in on the 1,000 career kills milestone. Her career total sits at 986 after recording 40 kills last weekend, including a team-leading nine against Howard.

“I mentioned to her she’s been really focused,” Hughes said.  “The maturity of her is [that] she is not chasing a result. A lot of times when you’re young you want those numbers and you don’t realize that it can be a process.”

Maryland’s match against Le Moyne will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Terps will look for instant success against a Dolphins club that’s yet to notch a win this season in their first season in Division I, having been swept in five of their six matches.

Led by first-year coach Susan Kim, Le Moyne is hitting an abysmal .01, with its opposition hitting .308 against. Outside hitters Madison Dembroski and Emily La Ruffa lead the poor offense with 27 kills each, accounting for 45 percent of the school’s overall kills.

Florida Atlantic is a much different story. The Owls are coming into this weekend in the midst of a four-game winning streak after sweeping the Owls Paradise Classic following a win to cap off the Miami/Best Western Invitational the week prior. In its most recent win against Bethune-Cookman, Florida Atlantic set a program record for single-game service aces (20).

In the attack, sophomore outside hitter Adrianna Beckham leads the group with 88 kills, including 26 this past weekend. Beckham’s strong weekend earned her Owls Paradise Classic All-Tournament Team MVP. 

Maryland will finish its weekend with a battle against the host Florida Gulf Coast. The Eagles are coming off a 3-1 win over Houston Christian where they recorded 11 blocks and 11 aces. That snapped a two-match losing streak.

Junior outside hitters Skylar English and Shelby Kent led the way for Florida Gulf Coast’s offense in its recent victory, each recording 14 kills. Kent leads the Eagles with 86 kills on the season. 

Florida Gulf Coast is most dominant at the net, averaging over two blocks per set. Middle blockers Oreva Evivie and Juliana Lentz both average over a block a set.

The match against the Eagles will be the Terps’ second of the day, so fatigue may be a factor. Maryland will look to close out its weekend, and its non-conference slate, with a win over Florida Gulf Coast.