Preview: Maryland volleyball gears up for the Stony Brook Tournament

After a 2-1 showing in the Maryland Invite to open up its 2022 campaign, the Terps hit the road this weekend as participants in the Stony Brook Tournament.

Maryland kicks off its three game matinee in New York with a doubleheader on Friday. The Terps are set to face Georgetown (0-3) in the afternoon before a matchup against Stony Brook (2-0) in the evening.

The Terps dropped their most recent match, a 3-1 loss against Florida Gulf Coast last Saturday. After dropping the first two sets of the match, Maryland showed resilience with a big third set win. However, Florida Gulf coast took care of business in the fourth, winning the set 25-14 to clinch the victory.

One key Terp who played a pivotal role in the 25-14 third set win for Maryland was freshman Laila Ivey. Ivey notched five kills in the third set and ten overall in the match, second most on the team.

Junior Sam Csire led the aggression from the Terps, as she led the team in kills (15) and total attempts (40). Through three games, Csire leads Maryland in points (44.5), kills (39), and total attempts (98).

Georgetown enters on a three-game losing streak to start the season. The Hoyas have won only one set through three games.

In their last time out against Howard, the Hoyas lost 3-0 as they were outplayed from the start, losing to Howard in points, kills, aces, blocks, assists, and digs. Georgetown put up no more than 19 points in a set.

Georgetown is led by sophomore Mary Grace Goyena, the team’s leader in points (37.5), kills (32), and total attempts (111).

Stony Brook enters the tournament without a loss on the season. The Seawolves won in three sets in their season opener against Quinnipiac, and most recently defeated Fordham in a tightly played five-set battle last Sunday.

After dropping the first two sets to Fordham, Stony Brook responded with resilience. The Seawolves won each of the next two sets 25-21, and clinched the match victory with a 15-12 fifth set win.

The offense for the Seawolves has been spread out across their first two games, as four different players have at least 20 points on the season. 

Freshman Kali Moore and junior Leoni Kunz have both crossed the 20 kill mark, with junior Abby Campbell not far behind (19).

Following Maryland’s doubleheader on Friday, the Terps are set to return to the court on Saturday against South Florida (1-2).

The Bulls opened their season with a victory over William & Mary, but back-to-back losses to Ball State and South Alabama put their record below .500 entering the Stony Brook Tournament.

After splitting the first two sets against South Alabama, the Bulls lost each of the next two sets by just two points, resulting in a crushing defeat.

Freshman Maria Clara Andrade has taken charge in her first season for South Florida, leading the team in points (51.5), kills (45), and total attacks (115).

The Terps’ first match on Friday starts at 12 p.m. against Georgetown, and their second is at 6:30 p.m. against Stony Brook. On Saturday, Maryland’s match starts at 10:30 a.m. against South Florida.