Coming off a straight-set victory at home against Seton Hall that extended its winning streak to two games, Maryland volleyball hits the road for the start of conference play.
Maryland heads to Iowa to face
off against the 9-3 Hawkeyes Thursday, looking to avenge its home loss to them last season. Then they will continue their road trip against one of the country’s premier volleyball programs: No. 1 Nebraska.
Thursday’s contest against the Hawkeyes will start at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s contest against the Cornhuskers will start at 4 p.m. Both games will be available to watch on Big Ten Plus.
Iowa Hawkeyes (9-3, 0-0 Big Ten)
2024 Record: 10-22, 4-16 Big Ten
Led by fourth-year head coach Brian Yale, the Hawkeyes opened the season on a six-game winning streak against UNLV, Utah Tech, CSU Bakersfield, Butler, Illinois State and Loyola Chicago — a streak that included five straight-set victories. Most recently, Iowa swept Lindenwood on Sunday to wrap up their non-conference play.
The Hawkeyes’ nonconference slate was a much-needed bounceback after finishing 6-6 in it last season.
Players to watch
Chard’e Vanzandt, graduate offensive hitter, No.7 — Vanzandt leads the Hawkeyes with 112 kills this season. The Chattanooga transfer was first-team All-Southern Conference and third in the conference in kills (390) in 2024.
Milana Moisio, senior libero, No.2 — Moisio leads the team with 166 digs this season. The Miami transfer has revitalized Iowa’s defense, with double-digit digs in 10 of 12 games this season.
Strength:
Above-the-net defense. Iowa doesn’t stand out too much in any one category, but their net defense has been among the Big Ten’s best so far this season. The Hawkeyes average 2.66 blocks per set, good for fifth in the conference.
Weakness:
Attempts. Attempts have been the key issue. The Hawkeyes have allowed more attacking opportunities by opponents than they have put up themselves. If the trend continues, Maryland will have more offensive opportunities. The Terps’ chances to win hinge on them taking advantage of those.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-0)
2024 Record: 33-3, 19-1 Big Ten Conference
Nebraska hired head coach Dani Busboom Kelly in 2025 after legendary head coach John Cook announced his retirement. Cook led the Cornhuskers to nine Big Ten championships and four national titles in his 25 seasons.
Kelly spent eight years as head coach of Louisville and built it into a national powerhouse. The Cardinals made the NCAA Tournament each of her years there and captured four ACC titles.
The Cornhuskers are the top-ranked team in the country with an unblemished 10-0 record. They have defeated the likes of No. 3 Pitt, No. 6 Stanford and No. 7 Kentucky, continuing their dominance over the national volleyball landscape.
Players to watch
Harper Murray, junior offensive hitter, No. 27 — Murray currently leads the team with 120 kills this season. The 2023 Big Ten Freshmen of the Year had 391 kills in her first season and continues to deliver for the Cornhuskers.
Andi Jackson, junior middle blocker, No. 15 — Jackson was named to the AVCA All-American first team and All-Big Ten first team last season. She averaged 2.62 kills per set with a .439 hitting percentage, sixth-best in the nation.
Strength
Offense. The Cornhuskers have accounted for more kills, a better hitting percentage and kills per set than their opponents. They will undoubtedly assert their size and power throughout the match.
Weakness
Defensive errors. Nebraska does almost everything at an elite level. After all, it’s the No. 1 team in the nation for a reason. But the Cornhuskers have committed more errors on receptions (40) than its opponents (32) on the season. Whether Maryland can attack this particular facet of the game Saturday remains to be seen.
Three things to watch
1. Revenge game. Iowa ended Maryland’s four-game winning streak against it after an upset victory last season. The Terps will look to prevent that same result from happening this season.
2. Can Maryland shock the world? Maryland will travel to Nebraska to face off against No. 1 Nebraska on Saturday. Maryland hasn’t beaten Nebraska since 1975 in a neutral site contest. The Terps will need their best performance of the season if they want to have a chance.
3. Conference play opener. This weekend marks the official start of conference play. It will be important for Maryland to try and kickstart some momentum this weekend if it envisions making a push at the Big Ten Tournament; at the same time, Maryland could hardly have asked for a harder start.
