After falling in straight sets against No. 18 Indiana, Maryland volleyball returns home to face off against No. 20 Minnesota Friday. It will then travel north to take on Penn State Sunday. However, it’s going to be a difficult challenge for the Terps to snap their losing streak and end their conference woes.
Friday’s contest against No. 20 Minnesota will start at 7 p.m. and Sunday’s contest against Penn State will start at 2 p.m. Both matchups will stream on Big Ten Plus.
No. 20 Minnesota Gophers (19-8, 9-7 Big Ten)
2024 Record: 21-11, 13-7 Big
Ten
Led by third-year head coach Keegan Cook, the Gophers got off to a strong start in their nonconference slate, winning 10 out of their 11 games.
While Big Ten play has been a rocky battle, with victories against then-No. 23 Indiana and No. 24 Penn State, the Gophers are amidst a two-game winning streak after surviving a late comeback in a five-set battle against Iowa.
Players to watch
Stella Swanson, redshirt freshman, No. 1 — Swanson currently leads the Gophers with 947 assists, good for sixth-best in the conference. Swanson will be critical in setting the Gophers up for attacking opportunities.
Julia Hanson, senior outside hitter, No. 22 — Swanson’s setups will often be keyed for Hanson, whose 383 kills lead the Gophers offense and are good for fourth-best in the conference.
Strength
Blocks. The Gophers have accounted for 253 blocks this season, the second-best mark in the conference. Expect Friday’s matchup to be a defensive battle.
Weakness
Assists. Despite having Big Ten’s sixth-best setter in Swanson, the rest of the team has struggled in setting up attacking opportunities. The Terps will look for strong swing plays and to find open space in the court.
Penn State Nittany Lions (15-11, 9-7 Big Ten)
2024 Record: 35-2, 19-1 Big Ten
Led by third-year head coach Katie Schumaker-Cawley, the Nittany Lions had a satisfactory start to the 2025 campaign, winning six out of their first 10 games and beating the likes of then No. 12 Creighton and No. 14 Kansas.
But the reigning national champions have, relatively, struggled mightily down the stretch — their only ranked Big Ten victories against then-No. 17 USC and then-No. 7 Wisconsin. They also defeated Maryland at Xfinity Center last month in a five-set battle. They most recently captured a win against Ohio State.
Players to watch
Kennedy Martin, junior right-side hitter, No. 18 — After receiving first team All-American honors with Florida, Martin has been the Big Ten’s huntress this season, leading the conference with 532 kills — 5.48 kills per set. The Nittany Lions will look for her to continue her dominant season.
Gillian Grimes, senior defensive specialist, No. 3 — After winning the national championship with Penn State last year, Grimes returned for her senior season. She leads the team with 354 digs, good for fifth-best in the conference.
Strength
Kills. While having Martin is a serious benefit for the Nittany Lions, the team itself has also followed suit, producing the fourth-most kills (1,374) in the conference. The Terps’ defense will need to step up in a big way to shut down Penn State.
Weakness
Blocks. Penn State’s kills may be its strongest weapon this season, but defending the net has been the opposite story. It has only 207 blocks on the season, fifth-fewest in the conference. Maryland will look for open windows with its big swings.
Three things to know
1. Breaking the curse. Historically, Maryland has struggled against these two programs. Maryland is 1-16 against Minnesota — its only win came at home in a five-set battle in 2023, and the Terps are hoping to repeat that result. Meanwhile, the Terps are 6-35 against Penn State, searching for their first win against the Nittany Lions since 1983.
2. Time running out for any type of turnaround. Friday and Sunday’s matchups are the Terps’ third- and fourth-to-last of the season, with just one more weekend slate on the docket. In a year marred by disappointment, head coach Adam Hughes has few chances left to create positives from the campaign.
3. Will we see another five-set battle against Penn State? Last time the programs met, the Terps clawed back from a two-set deficit to force a fifth set, but fell short in the comeback. Maryland is hoping to be on the victorious side this time around.
