Preview: Maryland begins gauntlet with matchups against No. 9 Wisconsin and No. 14 Minnesota

Maryland (10-5, 1-3 Big Ten) showed its resilience and next-player-up mentality in its first conference win against Rutgers, but it will take a near-flawless team effort to win this weekend. 

The Terps are entering what looks to be their toughest stretch of the season, as six of their next seven opponents are ranked.

The gauntlet begins this weekend against No. 9 Wisconsin (9-4, 3-1 Big Ten) on Friday at 8 p.m. and No. 14 Minnesota (9-5, 2-2 Big Ten) on Saturday at 6 p.m.

“Two top-15 teams on the road … we got our hands full with some really good Big Ten competition,” Coach Adam Hughes said.

The two staples of Big Ten excellence both leaped right into competition in early September with the Intersport Volleyball Showcase against No. 5 Stanford and then-No. 1 Texas. Wisconsin dropped both matches 3-1, but Minnesota upset Texas for its biggest win of the season and its first victory over a top-ranked program in five years.

The Badgers and Golden Gophers matched up to open conference play, with Minnesota pulling off yet another upset in a tense five-set match.

Wisconsin quickly bounced back and rattled off three straight sweeps, improving to sixth place in the Big Ten.

The Badgers’ attack is spearheaded by a familiar foe for the Terps – reigning AVCA National Player of the Year Sarah Franklin.

Franklin returned to Wisconsin for her fifth-year season and picked up where she left off in 2023. The outside hitter ranks third in the Big Ten in kills per set (4.45) and has been one of the most efficient attackers in the conference given her volume. Franklin has the second-highest hitting percentage in the Big Ten among players averaging over four kills per set (.291).

Franklin has tallied over 100 more kills than Wisconsin’s runner-up, middle blocker Devyn Robinson. This is less an indictment on the surrounding pieces in the Badgers’ attack, and more of an ode to how dominant Franklin has been.

Robinson and middle blocker Anna Smrek, who ranks third on the team in kills, have both recorded triple-digit kills while hitting well over .300.

Powered by Franklin’s stardom and clean, efficient hitting from the rest of the roster, Wisconsin’s offense has been among the most productive in the Big Ten.

Minnesota’s offense has not been as elite as the Badgers’ attack, statistically ranking around the middle of the pack in the conference. This is due in part to the Golden Gophers lacking a go-to player on the level of Franklin, but Minnesota’s depth has kept the offense effective.

Six players have logged over 50 kills this season, and outside hitter Julia Hanson averages a very respectable 3.42 kills per set.

While their offense is solid, but not exceptional, Minneosta’s defense is truly special. Averaging a conference-leading 15.72 digs per set, the Golden Gophers excel at extending rallies and staying alive in sets.

Four of Minnesota’s five losses were five-set matches, with the lone exception being their most recent match against No. 20 USC.

For a Maryland team that has struggled in the clutch, going 2-3 in five-set matches, this could prove troublesome.

The Terps’ first conference win was a sweep, but it wasn’t pretty. Maryland had one of its poorest offensive showings of the season, hitting only .159.

Samantha Schnitta and Sam Csire both had disappointing hitting performances, but sophomore Sydney Bryant picked up the slack and pushed Maryland to victory. Bryant led the team with 13 kills — her third consecutive game in the double-digits.

While Schnitta, struggled in the front row, she was excellent from the service line. The nation’s leader in aces per set (.91) had five aces to only three errors.

Hughes attributes Schnitta’s performance as one of the best servers in the country to conquering a mental roadblock.

“[Schnitta] has gotten over some of the fear,” Hughes said. “I think she’s gotten over that hump of ‘Hey I’m gonna have to miss a lot to get to where I need to be’ and now her misses are dialed in. They’re not bad misses, they’re controlled.”

From the stars to the rising stars, in the front row and on the service line, Maryland will have to fire on all cylinders to pull off an upset this weekend.