The Terps’ offense gave a consistent performance throughout the match, but the Hoosiers’ offense hit .456 and stayed ahead of the Terps. Even with promising improvements, the Terps dropped their second straight-set loss against the Hoosiers this season.

Maryland is now 1-15 in conference play this season.

Both offenses were hot to start the match. At the first timeout, the Terps were hitting .348 and the Hoosiers were holding a 15-12 lead and a .429 hit percentage.

The offensive performances were precipitated by efforts from Ajack Malual, who again took the initiative on offense for Maryland with six kills in the first set. However, she’d be matched from Indiana.

Jaidyn Jager finished with eight kills in the first set, setting the pace of the match. Her efforts caused Indiana to keep their short lead over the Terps as the set continued.

[Maryland volleyball swept by No. 9 Purdue, 3-0, for eighth straight loss]

Eva Rohrbach and Haley Melby brought the set back to a point with the only blocks from either team in the set, but Maryland’s second and last attacking error of the frame made the deficit two again.

The Hoosiers took the first set 25-23 with help from leading scorer Candela Alonso-Corcelles, who supplied two of Indiana’s last five points. In the loss, Maryland’s .389 hit percentage in the set showed promise.

A few Indiana errors contributed to Maryland starting the second set with a 3-0 lead. The teams traded short runs followed by opposing timeouts, ending up tied at nine.

Jager and Alonso-Corcelles continued to score and Avry Tatum tallied eight kills through two sets.

As the second set continued it progressed into a dogfight between Malual and Indiana’s top weapons. Despite Malual’s three kills and a few blocks, Indiana’s collective offensive effort kept Maryland at bay, and the Hoosiers took a 2-0 match lead.

[Poor offense, late-set inconsistency have plagued Maryland volleyball under Adam Hughes]

Maryland’s offense continued to operate efficiently in the third set, but weren’t able to match the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers hit .456 in the match and had three players finish with double-digit kills.

Malual closed the match with 13 kills — continuing to be the Terps’ most reliable offensive option. Setter Lilly Wagner also got her 13th double-double of the year with 32 assists and 11 digs, adding to her consistent campaign.

The match brought another recurring problem to the forefront for Maryland volleyball.

Despite keeping scoring relatively close throughout the first two sets, Maryland couldn’t hold momentum long enough to take the win, or even a single set.

This is something that happened in matches against Ohio State and Northwestern earlier this season. The Terps’ many close set losses have led them to drop multiple matches this year.

Wagner recorded Maryland’s final point. Despite hitting a collective .312 across the match, the Terps’ offensive improvement couldn’t get them a win as they fell to Indiana 25-14 in Set 3.

The Terps’ lack of sustained offense, a visible constant through their seven straight conference losses entering Friday, only continued against No. 9 Purdue.

Maryland mustered just a .157 hitting percentage — against a Boilermakers team that has allowed opponents to hit .216 on average this season — en route to a 3-0, straight-set road loss on Friday.

Maryland (8-17, 2-10 Big Ten) opened with improved offensive urgency. Bolstered by an early .235 hitting percentage, it led the Boilermakers midway through the first set.

The Terps entered Friday tied with USC for second in the Big Ten in blocks with 240.5, only behind Iowa.

[Poor offense, late-set inconsistency have plagued Maryland volleyball under Adam Hughes]

However, the Boilermakers (21-3, 12-2 Big Ten) dominated the area on Friday, 10-5, and surged back through the latter half of the opening set, never relinquishing their lead. Half of Purdue’s 10 blocks came in the first set alone — it committed just one error across the entire set and finished with a .571 hitting percentage.

Maryland committed eight attacking errors in its 25-19 first-set loss. Self-inflicted errors have remained a constant over recent weeks.

The visible performance gap got wider in the second set. After quickly falling into a seven-point hole, coach Adam Hughes spent both of his remaining timeouts.

Fueled by its high-pressure defense, Purdue continued to force Maryland’s offense into a myriad of errors. The Terps continued to stall offensively, hitting -.038 in the frame.

Amid an abysmal Terps’ offense, Ajack Malual yet again showed flashes as Maryland’s lone bright spot offensively. The senior logged eight kills through Friday’s first two sets, part of an eventual team-high 11.

[Maryland volleyball’s offense collapses in home losses to Ohio State, Michigan]

Despite Malual’s consistency within the Terps’ front line, middle blocking duo Duru Gökçen and Eva Rohrbach weren’t nearly as effective. The pair’s regular-season blocking totals have been among the Big Ten’s best — but the pair were held to just two block assists in the first two sets.

After an eight-point second-set win, Purdue started the third set on a 9-2 run. Hughes, once more, exhausted his timeouts in quick succession, hoping to alleviate a red-hot Boilermakers attack while regaining some momentum.

It didn’t work. Purdue finished with a .357 hitting percentage and 41 kills, nine more than the Terps. Boilermakers’ starters Grace Heaney and Kenna Wollard finished with 13 and 10 kills, respectively.

Throughout Maryland’s uninspiring effort, the service ace differential proved impactful in illustrating the two team’s clear offensive gap. Purdue notched eight to the Terps’ four, despite ranking third-worst in the Big Ten in service aces this season.

Maryland strung together four straight consolation points to close the third set, including Malual’s final kill, before another Heaney kill cemented its eighth consecutive defeat.

But the Terps have gone 1-13 in conference play so far — the second consecutive year they’ve started with such a record — and sit last in the Big Ten in winning percentage.

The team’s struggles stretch back to when coach Adam Hughes took over in 2018. Maryland’s conference record is 46-108 and it hasn’t finished above .500 in any season under Hughes — with tendencies emerging that contextualize the program’s woes in his tenure.

“We don’t take the court with the confidence we should in ourselves, and that’s kind of what’s hindering us right now,” junior Eva Rohrbach said.

Offensive output has been Maryland’s most glaring flaw this season, especially against Big Ten opponents. The Terps’ 10.13 kills a set, 9.52 assists a set and .146 hitting percentage all rank last among Big Ten teams.

While this season has been especially alarming, it isn’t an anomaly under Hughes.

[Maryland volleyball’s offense collapses in home losses to Ohio State, Michigan]

The Terps have hit below .200 against conference opponents in every season of Hughes’ tenure. He thinks that consistency has plagued Maryland.

“It’s probably the consistency of playing high-end ball for long periods of time,” Hughes said. “I don’t think we have that sort of high end [consistency] for long periods of time … to do it for a long time is hard.”

In close, late-set moments, the Terps’ issues have exacerbated. Maryland dropped a pair of five-setters this season against Penn State and Michigan State.

The Terps opened conference play last season with consecutive five-set losses to Northwestern and Iowa. Maryland blew a 2-1 set lead in the Northwestern match and lost by a point against the Hawkeyes.

Even in Hughes’ first season, the Terps won the first set of a match against No. 16 Purdue by 10 points, only to lose the next two — each by four or fewer points.

Junior outside hitter Sydney Bryant said many of the situations come down to mentality.

“The [coaches] work hard on trying to get us back to just focusing on doing our jobs, not thinking too much about the things that are necessarily not going right,” she said. “Getting back into the mental state of, ‘We can do this, just keep your eyes on the prize.’”

Beyond the court, there’s also the transfer portal that has hindered Maryland. Talented players for floundering programs have received plenty of opportunities to find new teams.

[Maryland football unravels in fifth straight loss, 35-20 at Rutgers]

For a Terps team that hasn’t made the postseason since 2005, it’s tough to justify a vision for the program to top players. While the Big Ten’s top and even middle-tier teams improve through the portal, the Terps are heavily limited. Hughes said he’s focused on making the most out of the transfers he can land.

“Anastasia Russ transferred from Pitt and was an all-conference player for us. Samantha Schnitta did the same — transferred from Ole Miss in her senior year and was an all-conference player,” Hughes said. “AJ [Malual] transferred and she’s on track to potentially be an all-conference player.”

With new leadership at Maryland athletics, including first-year athletic director Jim Smith, how Hughes finishes the 2025 campaign could determine his future. Nearly a decade’s worth of losing seasons doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

But the Terps couldn’t close.

Maryland’s abysmal season continued in its first weekend homestand of November. It fell to the Buckeyes, 3-2, on Saturday and was swept by Michigan, 3-0, on Sunday.

“We’ll regroup. I know that’s the case for this group.” coach Adam Hughes said. “We got two top 25 teams on the road next week, so there’s no other option.”

The Buckeyes (5-17, 2-12 Big Ten) and Terps entered Saturday’s match as the only two Big Ten teams hitting less than .200 in 2025.

But Ajack Malual set the tone for Maryland (8-16, 1-13 Big Ten) early, logging the first three points for the Terps in dominant fashion. The 6-foot-1 senior finished with a team-high 16 kills. Malual’s offensive success was initially complimented by Maryland’s defense — an area that’s served as a constant for most of this season.

[Maryland volleyball’s dismal offense hit a new low on West Coast trip]

The Terps picked up eight blocking assists through Saturday’s first period against the Buckeyes, including four in the final five points.

Maryland took the set, 25-23. Then came the Buckeyes’ attack.

The Terps tallied just seven kills in 36 attack attempts during the second period, hitting a nightmarish .028 en route to a 25-16 loss.

Though Maryland added 13 kills during the third frame, its offense was weakened by crucial self-inflicted mistakes. The Buckeyes, hunting their first conference win, committed just three errors in contrast to the Terps’ six.

The trend continued into Maryland’s 15-12 fifth-set loss. Ohio State’s offense gave up just one error in the extra period.

Despite the loss, Sydney Bryant made an impact.

The 5-foot-11 junior logged three consecutive kills for the Terps in Saturday’s fourth set, part of a season-high 13 and her second straight match in double digits. Bryant’s offensive success comes after an increased offensive role throughout the latter half of Big Ten play.

“You can tell she feels a lot more comfortable, a lot more confident, and she’s a big spark for us.” Hughes said.

[Maryland volleyball’s defense is a bright spot amid grueling season]

Bryant impressed again against Michigan (17-8, 7-7 Big Ten) on Sunday, logging three early kills. But it was the lone highlight in yet another Maryland collapse.

Malual managed just six kills against the Wolverines, and the Terps didn’t reach 20 points in any of the three straight sets — with no players scoring double-digit kills.

The two teams’ breakdown in serve-receive proved crucial on Sunday, a constant theme for Maryland throughout the pair of weekend losses. Michigan tallied 10 service aces to the Terps’ two.

After impressing in elevated minutes Saturday, Hughes gave offseason transfer Annika Sokol her first start of the year as setter on Sunday — a change that may have impacted the Terps’ overall rhythm. Sokol logged one of Maryland’s six service errors.

“It can be frustrating when you get a good pass and you aren’t able to terminate,” Hughes said. “Those things work in circles … That puts more pressure on you to feel like you have to pass even better.”

Maryland dropped its fifth straight game in a 3-1 loss to Northwestern. They have now lost 11 Big Ten games and guaranteed a sub .500 record for the 14th straight season.

The Wildcats played sloppy in the first set of the match. At the game’s first timeout, Northwestern was hitting .000 and had committed 10 errors. Maryland’s offense, who’s struggled in conference matches, had a golden opportunity.

Northwestern’s point of weakness is attacking errors specifically. The Wildcats were failing to put their attacks where they wanted, which allowed Maryland’s (8-13, 1-11 Big Ten) offense a much higher range of attacking windows than they’d usually have.
Ajack Malual, Maryland’s star player on offense, quickly took advantage of the Wildcats’ (15-9, 5-7 Big Ten) issues. She contributed two kills and 1.5 total blocks in an 8-0 run that gave the Terps a 16-12 lead.
But the Wildcats found their rhythm following the timeout, as they committed three more errors in the rest of the set. Northwestern chipped into Maryland’s lead.

[Maryland volleyball’s dismal offense hit a new low on West Coast trip]

Maryland’s serve-receive broke down, allowing Northwestern to score three service aces in the span of five plays. Northwestern entered this game with the 2nd most total aces in the Big Ten, and that sequence put its quick-strike prowess in the spotlight.

Malual pulled her team back to match point with a kill and two block assists. Once again, Maryland held the lead and all the Terps needed was one more point to close the game.

But again, they couldn’t finish the job.
The Wildcats forced a deuce and quickly took a 27-25 win in Set 1, with a fifth service ace in the set serving as the dagger. Despite outhitting Northwestern .152 to .104, Maryland was losing.

The next set was even worse. Hughes used his timeouts in quick succession after falling into a 15-8 hole in the second set.

[Maryland volleyball’s defense is a bright spot amid grueling season]

What made this offensive performance all the more disappointing was the performance in the middle. Maryland’s in the top five Big Ten teams in blocks per set while Northwestern entered this match at the bottom.
Despite the defense’s help, the offense once again couldn’t find any consistency. Maryland’s attack fizzled out and the Wildcats won the set 25-17.
On the precipice of their fourth consecutive 3-0 loss, the Terps initially fell into a 6-1 hole in the third set. Hughes quickly called timeout to try and rally his players.
They finally got the message. Malual led a comeback effort, recording 12 kills, 3.5 total blocks and five digs by the end of the set. Three of those kills came in a four-play stretch that gave Maryland a 22-20 lead.
Two consecutive kills from Sydney Bryant gave Maryland its first set win since Oct. 19. The two teams traded the lead back and forth throughout the fourth set. With a 15-13 lead, the Terps had a chance to force a fifth set.
Another late set collapse put an end to this dream. Northwestern once again rallied to take a 20-18 set lead. In a fitting end to a match defined by missed opportunities, the Wildcats won 25-21 and secured a win in four sets.

Coach Adam Hughes’ team leads the Big Ten in blocks and blocks assists. It’s also a top 10 in the conference for total digs, which has kept them in games despite a struggling offense.Maryland is also the only Big Ten team with two players in the conference’s top 10. Middle blocker duo Duru Gökçen and Eva Rohrbach have excelled defensively, combining for 191 blocks this year.

Rohrbach has led the Terps in blocks for the past two seasons, and now she’s on track for her most productive campaign yet. On a Maryland roster filled with transfers, the junior has been a constant for Hughes’ team.

“[Eva’s] our sturdy rock,” Hughes said.“When we need a play, she’s ready to go make it.”

Her recent performance against Illinois is emblematic of her skillset. She recorded seven kills, five digs and 11 block assists in the Terps’ 3-1 loss.

[Here’s how Maryland volleyball found its first conference win last week]

While Rohrbach has been a steady presence in College Park, Gökçen has burst onto the scene in her sophomore campaign. The middle blocker — who has dominated at the net for Maryland all season — was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week in September.

She was pivotal in the Terps’ lone Big Ten win over Rutgers with six block assists and six kills. Gökçen ended the match with the team’s final kill, cementing her best game of the year.

“In volleyball, your middle [blockers] are your middle linebackers, they’re the ones who kind of run the defense for the most part.” Hughes said.

Maryland’s blocking numbers are the most impressive element of its team, but the Terps’ defense has shined in other aspects.

Their defensive unit is predicated on disrupting the opponent’s offensive rhythm.

[Maryland volleyball’s dismal offense hit a new low on West Coast trip]

Maryland held a dynamic Michigan State offense to a season-low .104 hitting percentage earlier this month. The Terps also limited Penn State to .028 points below its season average and forced Rutgers to convert just .157 of its hits, a 0.074 point improvement from the team’s meeting earlier in the season. 

But the strong efforts haven’t translated into wins. In the Terps’ losses to ranked opponents Nebraska, Wisconsin, USC and UCLA, their offense hit below the .200 mark and allowed all four opponents to finish with a .300 hitting percentage or better.

The offense and defense work in tandem. Maryland’s offense has generated little pressure on opponents’ defenses in several games, allowing teams to control the match.

“Part of us getting better defensively is actually improving offensively,” Hughes said. “Why that matters is that you’re in less of a defensive battle.”

Even with some uncharacteristic struggles, Maryland’s defense has been the team’s saving grace in another stagnant Big Ten showing. Maryland is at risk of not winning five conference games for first time since 2014.

As the Terps enter the back half of their Big Ten slate, their defense will likely determine how the season concludes.

But that total was cut dramatically when Maryland played No. 22 USC and No. 25 UCLA this week. The Terps only amassed 50 kills in California, resulting in two straight-set losses.

The challenging road trip showed Maryland is still fighting many of the same issues that have plagued it since conference play began — issues that have largely defined the team’s poor play this season.

“This group is competitive. I know they want it bad,” coach Adam Hughes said. “I think our challenge is to stay in the fight and keep battling.”

Maryland’s offensive showing against the Trojans in particular may contend for its worst effort this season. The Terps ended the match with a season-low 21 kills and a negative hitting percentage.

[Maryland women’s soccer ties Rutgers 0-0 in season finale]

USC’s effective gameplan against Ajack Malual largely contributed to Maryland’s struggles. Normally the team’s most effective player, the senior was held to five kills and recorded nine errors, more than the entire USC team.

Malual was able to bounce back somewhat in the UCLA match, notching a .139 hitting percentage and a team-high 11 kills. But the Terps still failed to win a set and were behind the pace of the Bruins throughout.

“One of the things we’ve been trying to focus on is getting started a little bit faster, a little bit earlier,” Hughes said after the loss to Illinois earlier this month. “Sometimes it seems like we’re maybe not executing as well as we want at the start.”

Maryland’s supporting cast around Malual has not done its part.

Not only did the offense hit below .200 for the eighth time in 10 conference matches, but Olivia Ruy was the only player besides Malual to reach double-digit kills in the Terps’ two California matches.

[No. 4 Maryland men’s soccer earns marquee win over No. 14 Indiana, 3-2]

The Terps’ offense has repeatedly shown that it is not able to remain competitive against most Big Ten opponents. Malual’s performances alone aren’t enough to get wins in conference play.

The inability for Maryland’s offense to put up points has led the Terps’ defense, whose workload is already high with more total blocks than any other Big Ten team, to exhaust even more energy while trying to make up deficits.

Maryland’s middle blocker duo of Duru Gökçen and Eva Rohrbach have been lighting up the Big Ten, with both players in the conference’s top 10 for total blocks. Despite this, the pair was invisible against the Trojans. Maryland only mustered two block assists in the match.

Though Gökçen rebounded against UCLA, tallying three blocks, the Terps’ six total blocks in the match was still a far cry from their best. The team had 21 total blocks against Michigan State, averaging more than four per set.

In Hughes’ eighth year at the helm, with a continued pattern of falling short of expectations in conference play, one may be led to wonder how much longer Maryland could be stuck in this cycle.

The Terps entered off a promising week with their first Big Ten loss, and it was the next text against a strong unit.

Almost immediately, it was clear Maryland couldn’t do it.

USC swept the Terps and them to a -.047 hitting percentage throughout the match and collected 12 total blocks en route to a decisive sweep.

USC started the match by taking a 9-3 lead. By the time Hughes used his first timeout, three Trojans already had multiple kills. There were no remnants of Maryland’s recent competitive performances.

[Here’s how Maryland volleyball found its first conference win last week]

What little scoring Maryland could achieve in the opening period was offset with several attacking errors. Duru Gökçen was the only Terp to record more kills than errors in the set, and the team hit -.083 across the frame.

Without any scoring of their own, the Terps’ normally effective defense couldn’t counter. Heading into this match, London Wijay was the only player averaging 3+ kills per set for USC. Three Trojans had three or more kills in the first set against Maryland alone.

USC then rolled to a 25-12 win in the opening set, a major disappointment following last week’s many marked improvements. Despite the flat start, the Terps would have a chance to bounce back.
It didn’t happen.

Hughes was forced to take another early timeout as the Trojans assembled an 8-2 lead in the second set.By then, Maryland amassed five errors on seven attacking attempts — still no kills.

Ajack Malual, usually reliable in these situations, was helpless to stop the onslaught. She led Maryland with five kills in the match, yet finishing with a -.182 hitting percentage with nine errors.

[Here’s how Maryland volleyball found its first conference win last week]

Maryland’s offensive struggles were compounded by the emergence of USC’s defensive talent. The Trojans logged 7.5 total blocks throughout the set, snagging the second set 25-14.

Maryland managed a 12-11deficit midway through the third, aided by sloppy play from USC.

The offense garnered a few kills, but Maryland was completely demoralized by another 7-1 run that ended the set, 25-18.

Maryland’s poor offensive performance resulted with 21 total kills on the night, only one more than the Trojans’ two top scorers combined.

The Terps claimed their first conference victory Oct. 15 against Rutgers in four sets — part of a week that saw the Terps’ best form since Big Ten play season began. The win snapped a six-match losing streak.

While Maryland lost the following meeting against Michigan State in five sets, the team’s improvement in recent matches has been precipitated by multiple factors, but the three most prevalent have been the team’s increasingly multifaceted offense, the re-emergence of a team leader and an inspiring middle blocker duo.

“I thought it was the best we played as a group, cohesively, working together in transition,” coach Adam Hughes said after the win. “It means a lot in how it got done, for sure, to do it under pressure in tough situations.”

Maryland’s offense struggled to adjust to the Big Ten when it began conference play. In their first two conference matches against Iowa and Nebraska, only sophomore outside hitter Olivia Ruy reached double digit kills for the Terps.

[Maryland volleyball snaps 6-game skid with 3-1 win over Rutgers]

In contrast, four Terps reached 10 or more kills in their matches against Rutgers and Michigan State. The Rutgers meeting was one of the best offensive showings Maryland has had this year, with the team hitting .341 and averaging 14.75 kills a set.

Outside hitter Sydney Bryant’s recent production is a microcosm of the offense’s development. The junior went from being completely inactive in the team’s first week of conference play to having more than six kills in each of her last five games, tying her season-high of 11 kills in the Rutgers win.

“The more offense you have, the less you’re on the defense,” Hughes said. “One of our things that we have been focusing on is trying to be a little bit more offensive, and I think we’ve been doing that week to week.”

While Maryland’s offense has grown into a more versatile unit, its success still hinges on senior right side hitter Ajack Malual — the team’s standout through non-conference play.

Iowa and Nebraska made it a priority to contain her. Malual was limited to eight and nine kills in the two matches, including a flat .000 hitting percentage against the Hawkeyes.

The recent diversification of attackers in Maryland’s offense gave Malual more room to breathe. She has averaged 4.04 kills a set and a .247 hitting percentage over her last five games.

Malual’s showing against Rutgers reflected Maryland’s growth. After her 14-kill effort in the teams’ first meeting went to waste, she rebounded in the rematch by hitting .378 and matching her season high with 21 kills.

“It’s hard to be a star, it’s hard to be the focal person or feature person offensively,” Hughes said. “She’s done a good job in a short amount of time, and I still feel like she’s just getting warmed up.”

[Maryland volleyball’s losing streak hits six as No. 7 Wisconsin sweeps]

The offense’s overall improvement complements a Maryland defense top five in the Big Ten in numerous metrics — with key contributions from sophomore Duru Gökçen and junior Eva Rohrbach.

The pair of middle blockers are the first and second most prolific blockers in the Big Ten, with Gökçen and Rohrbach having 93 and 92 blocks respectively. Despite this, the duo could only muster 4.5 combined blocks in the Terps’ two opening conference matches.

The narrative flipped last week, particularly against Michigan State. Gökçen and Rohrbach combined for 9.5 total blocks and altered numerous Spartan swings, anchoring a defensive effort that carried Maryland through five sets.

“Duru’s coming to understand what she can do at this level and Eva’s been there and Eva’s done a really good job talking to Duru a lot about trusting her skills,” Hughes said. “Those guys have become a backbone.”

With new energy from fresh faces, a resurgent Malual and the growing dominance of Gökçen and Rohrbach as one of the conference’s top defensive tandems, Maryland will head west with more confidence — and momentum — than usual.

But unlike in their last meeting, the Terps fought back. Maryland rode a resurgent offense to win the next three sets — and the match — snapping its six-game skid and leaving Ohio State as the lone Big Ten team without a conference win.

“I’m not gonna lie, I shed a few tears.” Lilly Wagner said. “It means a lot that we have used what’s happened this season as a learning experience instead of just being stuck with it.”

A few opening miscues from Rutgers gave the Terps a 4-1 lead to start the match, but the Scarlet Knights quickly made up the deficit. The two teams fought tooth and nail through the remainder of the set.

With Maryland (8-9, 1-6 Big Ten) and Rutgers (10-9, 1-6 Big Ten) entering with a combined 1-11 conference record this season, the teams were both looking to end the night with a win. It showed in the first set

Ajack Malual, the Terps’ main offensive producer, exemplified this energy on her first kill, hitting a spike so hard it ricocheted off the hands of a Scarlet Knights defender and went out of play. She totaled seven kills in the set.

The two teams battled for the set until the bitter end. Maryland got the first chance to close out the set after taking a 24-23 lead, but they couldn’t quite do it.

[No. 8 Maryland men’s soccer extends unbeaten streak to 11 with 2-0 win over No. 13 Rutgers]

Rutgers scored three consecutive points, turning Maryland’s advantage into a 1-0 match deficit in a matter of minutes. Though not quite as agonizing as its blown 14-4 lead in the first set of their last match against Rutgers, the Terps were still on the back foot.

Maryland, as it usually has this season, rode the urgency of its deficit to an early 10-5 lead in the second set. However, it wouldn’t last. Yet again, Rutgers slowly chipped away at Maryland’s lead throughout the set.

A major reason for Rutgers’ early leads was its offensive urgency. The Scarlet Knights’ Lexi Visintine came into the match with 29 service aces, and she had four by the end of the second set. Maryland could only muster two aces as a team in the same timeframe.

Holding the offensive edge and a match lead, Rutgers was sitting pretty as the second set drew to a close. Rutgers eventually built a 23-20 lead in the set. It looked like a sweep was on the cards for the Scarlet Knights’ visit to College Park.

But the Terps had other ideas.

Maryland quickly rattled off four straight kills to give itself match point. Malual and Haley Melby, the Terps’ two highest scorers in the match, combined for three kills in the rally.

Though a flustered Rutgers squad called a timeout to try and refocus, there was no stopping Maryland. Eva Rohrbach and Wagner jammed the Scarlet Knights’ final attack at the net, giving Maryland a set win in the best possible fashion.

[Maryland women’s soccer’s Big Ten-road struggles continue in 2-0 loss to Nebraska]

The third set was another volatile one. Rutgers clawed its way to an 18-12 lead, but Hughes called timeout, determined to not let his best opportunity for a conference win slip.

The Terps’ offense steadily found its rhythm throughout the game, reaching its apex in the third set. Maryland hit a collective .414 in the period and three different Terps logged 10 or more kills.

“I thought today exposed what the offense can look like.“ Hughes said. ”I think [Sydney] Bryant had 11, Haley Melby had 13, and the other two middles are both scoring. That’s a well balanced offense.”

Sydney Bryant’s performance was a microcosm of Maryland’s offensive improvement. The junior totaled a season-high 11 kills throughout the match, making it her fourth straight game with seven or more kills.

Despite Maryland’s resurgent offense, the Scarlet Knights matched the Terps every step of the way, leading to another late-set thriller with the two teams tied at 24.

Even when a kill from Tara Garvey gave Rutgers the late advantage, Maryland didn’t fold. Another kill from Bryant and a couple of Rutgers attacks that fell short of the net sealed a 27-25 win for the Terps in the third set.

“I thought everyone held the line. I was pretty aggressive with them, and they responded great.” Hughes said.

The Terps were one set away from their first conference win of the year. They didn’t pull any punches.

Though the set began close, as they all had throughout the match, what was left of Rutgers’ stamina quickly frittered away. Malual put the finishing touches on an amazing performance, tying her season high with 21 kills.

After an arduous beginning to the team’s conference schedule, the roar of the home crowd felt sweeter than ever after a kill from Duru Gökçen sealed Maryland’s 3-1 win.