Through 16 matches of Big Ten play, Maryland women’s volleyball’s attacking errors in tight sets have been the primary hurdle they’ve been unable to overcome versus conference competition.
Against Rutgers on Friday night, that proved to be true once again. Despite out-killing the Scarlet Knights, 72-64, behind 65 assists from Sara Toth, Maryland lost 31 points on attack errors in a heartbreaking 3-2 road loss.
Coming off a clean sweep defeat against Penn State on Wednesday, Maryland went into this
match ready to defend its position in the Big Ten tournament. Maryland entered the game in 15th place, the last seed in the tournament, while the Scarlet Knights stood at 16th The teams knew it was an important night for them both, having come into this match struggling at 3-12 in the conference.
The Terps established momentum by drawing the first blood of the night with a kill from star freshman Brooklynne Brass. Maryland continued to protect its lead in short, sporadic bursts as the set went on. Even as the set remained close, the Terps emerged with a .184 hitting percentage and took home the opening frame of the night, 26-24.
Despite dropping the opening set, the Scarlet Knights restored their momentum just in time for the second set. In another thrilling set, both defenses went toe-to-toe, as seen by the close hitting percentages in this set. Even after Maryland built a 15-10 lead at the media timeout, three Terps service errors and a late 4-0 Scarlet Knights run allowed Rutgers to seal the frame, 25-22.
In the third set, Rutgers won by the exact same score. It took a lead at 7-6 and didn’t trail after that, with the Terps putting up a meager .140 hitting percentage.
The fourth set continued the neck-in-neck battle. After taking two consecutive sets, Rutgers wanted to carry its momentum into another successive set, but Maryland stayed relentless in its attempts to hang on.
With a total of six ties, the set proved to be yet another close matchup for both teams. The Terps managed their way through a significant 5-1 run mid-set, a stretch that would remain consequential for their inevitable win. As hard as they tried, Rutgers couldn’t overcome that deficit — allowing Maryland to take their second set at 25-20.
That victory propelled both teams into the ultimate five-set thriller. Unfazed by their most recent set loss, the Scarlet Knights sparked an immediate 4-1 burst..
But another kill from Brass took the Terps to their first lead of the fifth set. Yet, that hope was short-lived. With a kill from outside hitter Karis Willow, who spent the match executing at .333 clearance, Rutgers took home a final close set at 15-13 and won the match.
Three things to know
1. Every point matters. In close matches like this, every point truly does matter. With both teams combining for 16 service errors on the night, seven from Maryland and nine from Rutgers, neither side could afford to give away free points with such small margins.
2. Some wins, some loses. Star freshman outside hitter Brown executed 20 kills this match, a career-high for this headliner. After taking 18 against Iowa, Brown continues to show growth, even late in the season. Brown served as the Terps’ offensive spark all night, keeping Maryland competitive in every set.
3. Position for Big Ten tournament. With only one regular season match left — Tuesday at Ohio State — the loss keeps Maryland winless on the road in Big Ten play and deals a major blow to its Big Ten tournament hopes. Now sitting in 16th place, the match in Ohio will make or break the Terps’ chances at extending their season.
