Maryland volleyball’s Halloween game matched it up with the monster of Indiana’s offense. The Terps fell to Indiana for their third straight sweep Friday at the Pavillion.
A bustling Friday night family
atmosphere in College Park was kept quiet as Indiana, despite a slow start, continued its dominant season. Indiana hit .344 in a match where the Terps looked more and more outmatched the longer it drew on.
Big Ten Setter of the Year contender Teodora Kričković led a fast paced attack that kept Maryland off balance all night. As a team, Indiana had 45 kills compared to Maryland’s 24.
Ajack Malual opened first-set scoring with a deep tip to the right side of the court.
Catching Indiana by surprise, Maryland rattled six straight points to start the first set. Ajack Malual contributed to the run with two kills and a block. Additionally, Eva Rohrbach’s dependable offense and Ally Williams’ coverage contributed to the run.
Senior Avery Tatum responded out of the timeout, but Maryland continued to apply pressure with scrappy defense, pushing the lead to 9-3.
The Hoosiers woke up quickly, and Maryland returned to form, opening a stunning 12-0 Indiana run to take the lead and then some. Outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles troubled the Maryland block — she was the only Hoosier to record a kill in the stretch, but she logged six. Suddenly, Maryland trailed 15-9.
Head coach Adam Hughes desperately subbed Jonna Spohn into the backcourt, and Indiana gave the Terps mercy. A serve by Jessica Smith failed to clear the net and Maryland finally sided out.
Maryland matched Indiana’s scoring over the next 10 points, but the deficit was too much. Olivia Ruy’s strong cross-court swing prolonged set one, but Indiana continued to find areas where white jerseys weren’t. Opposite hitter Victoria Gray terminated to give the Hoosiers set point.
A stuff ended a tough opening set. Maryland’s block failed to slow down Indiana, recording just one in the period compared to Indiana’s four. Alonso-Corcelles provided the engine for one of the faster attacks in the Big Ten, hitting .583 with eight kills in set one.
The second set opened with Ruy serving hard into the top of the tape. Teodora Kričković tortured the Terps from the back line, recording two aces and hitting the top tape multiple times in an early 4-0 run.
Tough serving from Alonso-Corcelles forced Maryland into consecutive overpasses, which Indiana hitters took full advantage of. Hughes called timeout down 11-7, hoping his team could catch a breath.
Out of the timeout, Gray blocked Sydney Bryant and Malual on the outside pin, pushing the run to eight points. Indiana led, 16-7.
Maryland saw one of the conference’s best offenses in full force. Kills by Jager and Alonso-Corcelles pushed the lead to 20-9. Indiana surrendered the ball to the Terps two points away from a set victory.
Maryland, desperate for a kill, went to Eva Rohrbach on the slide, prolonging the second set. But it ultimately lost, 25-15.
Indiana had three players hit above .400 in set two. Gray, Alonso-Corcelles and Jager led its offense to a .367 clip compared to Maryland’s .111.
Tatum opened the third set looking to continue her team’s offensive performance, terminating near the 10-foot line. Melby appeared to have responded, but after review, a swing to the right side of the court was called out. Indiana followed the play with a kill by Tatum ricocheting off Malual’s arms into the stands, taking hold of the set, 5-2.
A block by Rohrbach and Lily Wagner couldn’t halt momentum. Maryland’s season-long difficulties in serve reception continued to plague it. Jessica Smith recorded back-to-back aces to put Indiana up by five.
Soon after, Indiana’s ninth ace of the contest against Melby forced another Maryland timeout, trailing 10-4.
Malual provided final signs of life, her sixth kill echoing throughout the Pavilion. But Indiana’s offense did not slow, responding with back-to-back kills by the deadly duo, Gray and Jager.
Maryland challenged the out call on a swing by Ruy. After review, the referee saw no touch, and Maryland trailed 14-6. It was Ruy’s fourth error of the match —- she was hitting -.250 at that point.
A Malual cut shot rebounded off the blockers and down, powering a quick 4-0 run that helped pull Maryland within four.
But Alonso-Corcelles continued to dominate. Her stuff — and third block of the game — against Rohrbach ended any comeback effort.
On the offense, Alonso-Corcelles continued to overpower Maryland, forcing one through the hands of two blockers to find the floor to lead, 22-12.
After three straight Hoosier kills, Indiana took set three, 25-12. Maryland hit an even .000 in the final set.
“Indiana has got an exceptional setter who allows them to play really fast, and we couldn’t get enough offense to keep them from being in system,” Hughes said.
Three things to know
1. Service struggles. Indiana recorded 10 aces in Friday’s match, adding to Maryland’s Big Ten-leading 137 receiving errors — 15 more than the next highest team.
2. Offensive questions on the outside. Maryland is still searching for another offensive producer more than halfway through the season. Malual led the team with eight kills Friday, while Melby, Ruy and Bryant recorded eight combined. Of those three, Melby was the only one to hit positive.
3. Blocking against competition. Indiana doubled Maryland’s blocking total tonight with eight. Maryland was also out-blocked significantly against UCLA and USC. What has been Maryland’s season strength continues to be a no-show against stronger opponents.
