Preview: Maryland volleyball gears up for weekend road battles at Northwestern, No. 1 Wisconsin

Maryland volleyball (13-5, 3-3 Big Ten) will travel to the midwest this weekend to take on Northwestern (8-8, 2-4) on Friday and No. 1 Wisconsin (15-0, 6-0) on Sunday.

The Terps are coming off an up-and-down weekend. They picked up their first-ranked win of the season in thrilling fashion on Friday against No. 16 Minnesota. After going down two sets to one, Maryland stormed back and won in five sets. 

Saturday against Indiana was a different story, as the Terps were shutout.

Senior outside hitter Sam Csire had a career night against the Badgers, recording a season-high 20 kills with seven digs. However, she struggled early on in the Saturday loss and was benched after the first set.

“Older players like [Csire] are more resilient,” coach Adam Hughes said. “I thought it was clear that she was trying her best but might not have had it that day. I’m expecting Sam to bounce back because that’s who she is.”

Northwestern’s .500 record is a bit deceiving. The Wildcats’ tough schedule saw them face a pair of ranked teams in non-conference play and three more in the Big Ten. They won two of those matchups, beating then-No. 13 San Diego and then-No. 17 Purdue.

Graduate outside hitter Julia Sangiacomo has been a kill machine. In the Wildcats’ win last Saturday, she collected 32 kills, upping her season total to 208. This is the second game this season she surpassed the 30-kill mark. Sangiacomo is admirably filling the role of Temi Thomas-Ailara, who led the Big Ten in kills last season but transferred to Wisconsin for the 2023 season.

This team has also been solid on defense led by junior libero Ellee Stinson. The defensive specialist leads the Big Ten in digs per set (4.33) and total digs (264). Despite these numbers, the team still ranks 11th in the conference in digs and ninth in blocks.

Sunday’s match will be the Terps’ toughest test yet as they roll into Madison to face the No.1- ranked team in the nation. The Badgers’ 15-0 undefeated record is not due to their strength of schedule, as they have taken down six ranked squads. The Badgers have been a force ever since their national championship win in 2021.

Offensively, the Badgers get their kills from a handful of players led by senior outside hitter Sarah Franklin. Their .313 hitting percentage is the best in the Big Ten and fourth in all of Division I. They also feature a conference-best 13.87 kills per set.

Wisconsin also gets it done on the defensive end, holding opponents to a .152 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Julia Orzol has a team-high 180 total digs with 3.40 digs per set. Sophomore middle blocker Carter Booth has also been a major player on the defensive end, averaging over a block per set (1.53).

“It’s wild to see what [Wisconsin] has been able to do,” Hughes said. “Big Ten teams are losing their best players to go there. The depth that they’ve been able to build, and I think it’s really fascinating to see how physical they are in terms of size and athleticism … I firmly believe, as most others do, it’s the best team in the country.”

The Terps will look to hand the Badgers their first Big Ten loss in over a year.