Preview: Maryland volleyball vs. No. 22 Ohio State

Maryland volleyball (12-3, 2-1 Big Ten) continues its road trip at No. 22 Ohio State (4-8, 1-2 Big Ten) on Sunday. The Terps come into this one in the midst of a two-match win streak after defeating Rutgers on Wednesday.

The midweek battle saw Maryland set the tone early, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. The Terps dropped the third set but locked in after that and finished the match in the fourth. They hit extremely well as a team, rocking a .333 percentage and committing just 11 errors.

Pin hitter Samantha Schnitta continued her strong start to Big Ten play. The senior filled the stat sheet against the Scarlet Knights, collecting a team-high 16 kills, six digs, four blocks, and a pair of service aces.

“[Schnitta’s] arm is something that scores, just being a lefty is different and a lot of people don’t have that,” coach Adam Hughes said. “We can find ways to utilize her when we need it and go the opposite way. I think her blocking has also improved so it’s been great to have her.”

Setter Sydney Dowler continued her strong campaign and recorded her first double-double of the season against Rutgers. Her 40 assists, 11 digs and three kills on a .429 hitting percentage proved pivotal in the win. The senior’s 9.96 assists per set ranks third in the Big Ten.

This Ohio State squad has seen a tough schedule this season. The Buckeyes ended conference play with losses to No. 11 Georgia Tech, No. 3 Stanford, No. 6 Oregon, No. 10 Texas and No. 18 Baylor. Ohio State didn’t get any easier competition to open Big Ten play, facing No. 2 Nebraska and No. 1 Wisconsin.

Outside hitter Emily Londot leads the Buckeye offense. The senior is coming off her second All-Big Ten first team honors of her career and is building another high-kill season. Her team-leading 208 kills ranks top 30 in Division I and her 4.73 kills per set is the best in the Big Ten. Londot collected 13 kills and five digs in the loss to Wisconsin on Wednesday.

“[Londot’s] gonna be a handful, she’s been a very special player,” Hughes said. “The fact that she’s passing as well when she wasn’t really a ball-handling person for the past couple of years is pretty amazing. I give her a lot of credit and the staff to have that kind of growth in a player is pretty wild.”

Londot’s kill success is not possible without freshman setter Mia Tuman and her team-leading 404 assists. Tuman is not afraid to get it done on defense either; her 92 digs are just five shy of the team lead.

Despite the success of these two, Ohio State ranks at the bottom of the Big Ten in most offensive stats. Its .210 hitting percentage is second-to-last while its 12.32 kills per set is fourth-worst. The Buckeyes’ calling card is their defense, something that Hughes has been preparing for.

“They’re a really scrappy defensive team and they can try and find ways to frustrate you,” Hughes said. “They make you have to win long rallies, but realistically a lot of times we predicate ourselves on trying to keep people out of system.”

Maryland pulled off the upset against then-No. 5 Ohio State last season, snapping a 14-match win streak. The Terps will search for another victory over the Buckeyes this weekend, this time on the road.