Sydney Dowler’s complete performance propels Maryland volleyball to 3-0 sweep over Iowa

Maryland volleyball put last night’s offensive performance in the rearview mirror. After struggling to get kills against No. 1 Nebraska, the Terps hit .337 en route to a 3-0 win over Iowa.

The Terps (15-9, 5-7 Big Ten) swept the Hawkeyes (8-16, 0-12 Big Ten), dominating in a 25-8 second set, after beating the Hawkeyes in four sets just a week ago.

Maryland’s 6-0 run in the third set erased Iowa’s early lead and killed any momentum the Hawkeyes had left. The Terps closed out the set with kills from Laila Ivey and Samantha Schnitta.

“Last time [against Iowa] I don’t think we got too cautious but we did slip up and let them back in the match,” coach Adam Hughes said. “I walked into the huddle between sets two and three and the team was talking about [closing out the match]. As a coach, that means they understand the message, they believe it, and they’re gonna live it.”

Outside hitter Sam Csire found early offense for the Terps and hit extremely well all night. The senior recorded a team-high 11 kills while hitting .440. Csire’s seven kills in the first set ignited the offense.

The match started similar to last week, with a service ace from freshman defensive specialist Jonna Spohn. Unlike last week, Iowa gained an early lead thanks to a 5-0 run that included four kills from four different players. Setter Sydney Dowler put an end to the run with a kill following a Maryland timeout.

Maryland fought back to win the set, 25-19. Dowler ended it by delivering three straight service aces. The Terps collected six service aces in the first set, something they excelled at during the win last week. They ended tonight’s match with a season-high 12 aces with four from Dowler and Erin Engel.

Dowler, who always excels with assists, did everything for the Terps. On top of 32 assists, she also put together three kills, four digs, and three blocks.

“[Dowler’s] our quarterback,” Hughes said. “She did a really good job making sure she was prepared for the match and she was really aware of what Iowa was trying to do. She was doing a good job being comfortable within the game itself.”

The hot serving continued into the second set. Maryland began to pull away after a run that included two Engel aces and an Eva Rohrbach block. The Terps continued to string together runs on their way to a dominant 25-8 win. They ended the set on a 9-0 run.

Up to this point, the hitting was as sharp as ever, putting together 28 kills on 55 attacks. The Terps also kept the errors to a minimum as displayed in the .436 hitting percentage. Despite the set three win, they had seven attack errors after just four through the first two sets.

The Terps will look to build on this win next weekend on the road again when they face Michigan State and Michigan.