Maryland volleyball showed flashes in 2023, but still has more improvements to make

Maryland volleyball finished .500 or above but failed to make the NCAA tournament for the third season in a row in 2023. Making the tournament is a feat that Maryland has not achieved since 2005. After constant improvement over the past two seasons, making the tournament seemed like the next step.

“For me, I’m a little disappointed we weren’t able to get a few more wins but I know that I’m always going to want more,” coach Adam Hughes said. “To have three .500 or above seasons in a row is really important.”

Maryland started the season hot, entering Big Ten play with a 10-2 record before struggling in conference play. The Terps ended the season on a high note, defeating Rutgers at home in five sets. This brought their conference win total to seven, a familiar number. Hughes’ squad marked its third season in a row achieving a 7-13 conference record.

The season’s highlight came at home against No. 16 Minnesota when the Terps rallied to win in five sets. The upset win propelled Maryland to a 3-2 conference record, its best Big Ten start in program history.

Maryland began to struggle against a tough Big Ten schedule from there. The Terps lost their next four games, including a 3-0 loss to then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Since the win against Minnesota, Maryland lost 11 of its last 15 matches.

“The good news is, we’re disappointed with a 17-15 record,” Hughes said after the win. “Now, I finally feel like we’ve got a squad that can continue to say ‘Hey, being above .500 is not okay.’ To me, I want to raise the bar and raise expectations. I’m thankful the program feels that way.”

Maryland was a solid defensive team, allowing 11.97 kills per set and 11.21 assists per set, both the sixth-best in the conference. This is an improvement from 2022 when the Terps ranked 10th in the conference in both categories.

Maryland’s 1.40 aces per set was a decline from its 1.55 per set in 2022, despite the team placing an emphasis on serving throughout the season. This number peaked in the Terps’ win at Iowa when they out-aced the Hawkeyes, 12-2.

Another important point for Hughes this season was showcasing the improvements made in the program. This was successful, as Maryland won all three national TV matches on the Big Ten Network.

“It’s a bit different when you’re playing on national television. For us, we want to showcase our culture and I thought we did a great job of doing that,” Hughes said after Maryland’s 3-0 win at Iowa.

Looking toward the future, this team will have many returning players since many seniors on the team have eligibility left. Maryland did announce the returns of middle blocker Anastasia Russ, libero Lilly Gunter, pin hitter Samantha Schnitta, and outside hitter Sam Csire.

The program will also welcome a pair of freshmen in setter Lilly Wagner and outside hitter Katherine Scherer. Wagner recorded over 1,000 assists last season at Oconomowoc High School and Scherer recorded 92 kills at Saint Charles North before her season was cut short due to injury.