After being caught in an intense battle against USC, Maryland volleyball found a breakthrough. The squeak of sneakers on the hardwood floor gave way to the pulse of the brass section the moment sophomore Sarah Toth and senior Eva Rohrbach denied the Trojans with their towering wall at the net to secure a hard-earned victory.
With the upcoming 2026 Big Ten tournament placing pressure on both teams, Maryland and USC matched up in a high-stakes game at the Pavilion. Each team, coming off a major losing
slump, needed the win; the Terps managed to bring that drive to fruition, winning the match in a decisive fifth-set victory.
With a serve from Haley Melby to open the match, the Terps wanted to clearly set the tone. In the absence of Trojan head coach Brad Keller, who is currently out on personal leave, USC struggled to create any momentum, especially in the opening set. Meanwhile, with a hitting percentage of .267, Maryland managed to elevate its offensive play.
Tied at 23-23, a kill from freshman Marlee Sivak took Maryland to set point. Earning their points from four USC service errors and 13 of their own kills, the Terps finished the set with a 25-23 win.
Unbothered by their initial loss, the Trojans retained their preliminary energy and aggression in the second set. With an early 4-1 run, USC attempted to quickly define the set. That’s when star freshman Ava Brown executed a sharp kill for Maryland, leveraging her excellent precision.
In a sloppy frame defined by 11 combined errors between both teams, USC found its momentum and learned how to combat predictable Maryland in-system plays. Increasing their hitting percentage by .300 from the opening set, the Trojans took set two,25-20.
USC carried that momentum into set three as well. After 11 separate ties between the two teams, the Trojans pulled ahead, refusing to let Maryland slip through its fingers. Despite a strong front from Maryland, five successful blocks solidified USC’s 27-25 victory.
While USC carried this momentum into the beginning of set four, kicking off an initial small burst, it was powerless in the end. Following a successful Maryland challenge, the Trojans couldn’t regain their footing. Instead, Maryland disputed the chances of a fourth-set victory, harnessing the skills of senior outside hitter Sydney Bryant, who hit at a .385 clip throughout the match. At 24-19, the Terps successfully won a challenge that propelled them into the fifth set.
Triumphant once more, Maryland launched into the final frame with an immediate 4-1 scoring run. In the biggest moment of the match, the Terps found their largest runs of the night. Trailing behind with only a .043 hitting percentage, USC couldn’t match the energy. Despite facing the No. 2-ranked team in blocking in the conference, Maryland executed successfully and won this decisive set.
Three things to know
1. Service errors. Both teams relied less on kills throughout this match and advanced through service errors handed to them by the other team. Throughout the night, the Terps and Trojans each gave away 15 points solely through serves.
2. Trojans offense, or lack thereof. Despite being known for its excellence on defense, USC fell behind due to its offensive weakness. Averaging a .201 hitting percentage, the lowest in the Big Ten, coming into this game, offensive lapses spelled certain defeat against the Terps
3. Losing streak no more. In this triumphant defeat, Maryland snapped its six-match losing streak. The victory provided a larger cushion to remain in the top 15 of the conference as the regular season nears an end.
