Maryland volleyball’s offense abysmal again in lopsided loss to No. 19 Minnesota

Photo courtesy of Rose Fernandes/Maryland Athletics

Maryland volleyball left the court after its loss to Indiana on Sunday with a newfound confidence in its offense. 

On Friday, against No. 19 Minnesota, that confidence dwindled.

Maryland (8-19, 1-16 Big Ten) dropped its 10th consecutive match – the fourth straight in sweep fashion – at the Pavilion in College Park, Maryland. No. 19 Minnesota, which boasts a top-five offense in the Big Ten, notched 44 kills at a .391 rate for its third consecutive win.

Minnesota (19-8, 10-7 Big Ten) led the all-time series 19-1 entering Friday’s match, with the only win for Maryland coming in 2023. Senior outside hitter Julia Hanson stepped onto the court ranking fifth in the Big Ten with 383 kills. The Golden Gophers’ defense has posted 253 blocks, the third-highest mark in the conference.

The Terps have yet to find a second conference win, with their only victory coming on Oct. 15 against Rutgers at home. They’ve won just two sets against ranked opponents, both coming in the Oct. 5 loss to then-No. 16 Penn State, and sit last in the conference.

Maryland has struggled to generate offense against ranked opponents this season. In their loss to Indiana, the Terps’ offense broke out, hitting at a .312 rate and notching 40 kills on only 11 errors. The .312 team hitting percentage was the squad’s highest in nearly a month. 

“I thought we handled the ball really well against Indiana,” coach Adam Hughes said. “I thought we had one of our best offensive performances.”

They returned to form against the Golden Gophers, notching 19 kills and hitting just .034.

The match opened with another close battle, a familiar first-set story for this season’s Maryland team. It was Minnesota’s Hanson, though, that gave the Golden Gophers a 15-12 advantage midway through the set with a six-kill performance. 

As the Golden Gophers’ offense rose, the Terps’ offense went silent, falling victim to their common Achilles heel: offensive miscues. The Terps tallied just eight kills, compared to the Golden Gophers’ 15, in the opening set, while committing four errors, leading to a .154 hitting percentage in the 25-16 set loss. 

Though a third of Maryland’s points came from Minnesota’s service errors in the second set, the miscues didn’t translate to success.

The Terps opened the second set with just two kills on two errors through the first 16 points, and were never able to generate any points. The team accrued seven kills on five errors, hitting at .065 and erasing any momentum they may have gained. 

“Honestly, it was probably our first touch,” Hughes said. “We didn’t pass very well, and against a good team, that’s your equalizer.”

The 25-11 domination was spearheaded by 16 team kills for Minnesota on just two errors, good for an impressive .538 hitting percentage and a 2-0 match lead.

Seven kills in a set is the second-lowest mark this season for the Terps, only higher than a five-kill third set against Indiana on Oct. 31. Over their nine-game losing streak, the Terps’ offense hit above a .200 rate just three times, adding to their conference-worst .177 hitting percentage. Maryland’s 11.08 kills per set rate is nearly 0.6 lower than the closest team, Ohio State (11.63). 

The Golden Gophers remained relentless, opening the third set on an 8-1 scoring run. The Terps once again trailed big early, down 16-7 with just two kills and two attack errors. Through the first 25 points, Maryland hit at a .000 rate. 

Third sets have proven difficult for Maryland, losing their last three by a combined score of 75-47. Friday’s contest was no different.

Minnesota’s 13-kill, four-error set handed the Terps another loss, taking the third set 25-13 and cruising to victory. The Terps finished the set hitting -.094, with four kills on seven errors, numbers the offense is all too familiar with producing. Minnesota doubled Maryland’s kills, while committing half the attacking errors.

“Looking forward, the back stretch is really tough,” Hughes said. “We knew we were going to play two top-20 teams on the road, and at this time of year, everyone’s playing for something.”

The ranked opponents continue for Maryland, as the team travels to State College, Pennsylvania, to face No. 24 Penn State for the second time this season. 

“I don’t want [young players] to be pained by [season struggles], but I need to be driven by this,” Hughes said. “This is not acceptable, and it’s not where we want to be.”