Maryland volleyball takes trip to the Northwest to face No. 14 Oregon and Washington

Photo courtesy of Dylan Davies/Maryland Athletics

Amid a four-game streak of being swept, Maryland (10-9, 1-7 Big Ten) has experienced the rigors of Big Ten volleyball. The trials aren’t stopping any time soon either, as the Terps take a weekend trip to the Northwest to face two strong conference newcomers.

Maryland takes on No. 11 Oregon (14-3, 6-2 Big Ten) in Eugene on Friday at 9 p.m. and Washington (14-4, 4-4 Big Ten) in Seattle on Saturday at 10 p.m.

“Excited for our first West Coast trip, it’s been a point of discussion amongst a bunch of the coaches,” coach Adam Hughes said. “I think the group overall is excited for the outing, especially some of the older players, it’s something that’s new within the conference.”

Sweep losses to then-No. 4 Pittsburgh and No. 3 Penn State, and a four-set defeat at the hands of No. 9 Wisconsin have kept the Ducks from the upper echelon of ranked teams, but Oregon firmly remains one of the best teams in the country.

Kill leader Mimi Colyer ranks eighth in the conference in kills per set (3.9) and hits a solid .262. Colyer leads an Oregon offense that ranks in the top half of the Big Ten in virtually every offensive stat. However, the Ducks truly excel defensively — particularly on the block where Maryland has recently struggled.

Against then-No. 14 Minnesota and No. 16 USC, two of the Big Ten’s premier defensive teams, Maryland’s attack was smothered by elite blocking.

The Terps made mid-game adjustments to hit around the block, but by the time they got into an offensive groove a comeback was out of reach.

The Ducks will serve as another test for Maryland’s offense and its coaching staff, as they rank second in the Big Ten in blocks per set (2.95), only .01 blocks behind USC, and tie for first in hitting percentage allowed to opponents.

“[Oregon] does some things that USC was doing … like triple blocking, so there are moments where we’ve seen pieces of how they try to play,” Hughes said. “But it will be a challenge. The middles are very athletic, very dynamic.”

While Oregon shines on defense, Washington may be the most well-rounded team Maryland has faced, despite being unranked.

The Huskies have an astounding six players with triple-digit kills and hit a solid .254. Washington is above-average in every facet of the game, ranking within the top seven of the conference in nearly every stat.

In early October, Washington cracked the top-25 rankings and stood atop the Big Ten at 13-0 overall and 3-0 in the conference. When their win streak was snapped in a decisive loss to Wisconsin, their momentum seemed to halt entirely.

The Huskies lost their next three as well, giving them a losing record in the conference and dropping them out of the rankings.

Still, Washington remains on the cusp of the AVCA rankings and currently places tenth in the Big Ten, a more impressive feat than it may seem.

The Big Ten’s top 10 teams have a combined 148-36 record, while the bottom eight combine for 61 wins and 87 losses. Though they only have a 4-4 record in conference play, the Huskies serve as the gatekeeper to this elite class of the Big Ten.

If the Terps can knock off Oregon or Washington, they will be one rung higher on the Big Ten ladder and one step closer to bridging the gap between the top 10 and bottom eight.