Maryland volleyball was almost back in the win column. A dominant 25-11 fourth-set win against Ohio State forced a fifth tiebreak set on Saturday.

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.”