Maryland

Maryland volleyball downed in straight sets again to No. 11 Oregon

Published

1 year ago

October 26, 2024

Maryland volleyball downed in straight sets again to No. 11 Oregon

Trailing No. 11 Oregon 2-1 early in the opening set, Maryland volleyball looked to stay within striking distance and give itself an opportunity to come out with its first set victory in five matches. And the Terps got the run it desperately needed, scoring six consecutive points.

However, Maryland failed to close out the set.

After falling in four consecutive straight-set matches, the Terps were in dire need of a win in their first Big Ten West Coast road trip. But Maryland was unable to leave Eugene, Oregon, with any sort of progress, losing 3-0.

With the Terps up 6-2, defensive specialist Lilly Gunter recorded a service ace, the first of the match. Oregon, however, responded with two points of its own, cutting the Maryland lead to three.

But outside hitter Sam Csire and a couple errors from Oregon helped extend the Terps’ lead to five, 15-10.

“[Csire’s] been doing a really good job in practices, just dedicated to her shot selections,” Hughes said. “She’s not rushing a lot of decisions. I think she’s doing a good job of mixing and matching.”

Middle blocker Onye Ofoegbu sparked some momentum for the Ducks with a kill, followed by three more points from her team moving the score to 15-14. Oregon got a short glimpse of a lead after another four-point run, but middle blocker Eva Rohrbach knotted the score at 19 with a service ace.

Aligning with Maryland’s recent struggles in terms of closing sets, the Ducks went on a late run to push ahead, scoring six of the last eight points as the Terps fell, 25-21.

Unlike the first, Maryland found itself down 5-3 in the second set. But a kill from outside hitter Sydney Bryant was followed up by a service ace from defensive specialist Ally Williams, leveling the score at five. Oregon pushed ahead, 11-7, after a three-point run from Ohwobete, who tallied two kills and a service ace.

The Terps responded to any blows from the Ducks, not letting them get the knockout punch. Csire and Schnitta kept Maryland afloat late in the set, tallying two kills apiece, while the nation’s leader in service aces, Schnitta, added another ace.

Down 21-18, the Terps rattled off five consecutive points, including a service ace from setter Sydney Dowler and joint-block from middle blocker Anastasia Russ and Schnitta. But Oregon closed out the set with five of the last six points. Ducks outside hitter Mimi Colyer added her match-high 13th during the run. Maryland fell, 26-24, in the second set.

“I thought we missed too many serves at really unfortunate times,” Hughes said. “We missed a serve at 23-22 and another one at 24-23. We were still offensively scoring and keeping us in it. But, you just run out of time against a really good team.”

Maryland opened the third set with three players teaming up for a block, while Russ and Bryant each added a kill. Williams tallied her second service ace of the match, helping push the Terps in front, 4-1. Oregon landed a punch early, though, scoring nine consecutive points.

Colyer continued her domination with three kills, pushing her total to 16 for the match.

Maryland scored two points off service errors from the Ducks, but redshirt freshman sensation setter Cristin Cline responded, pushing Oregon in front, 13-6. Rohrbach hoped to fire up the Terps with a kill and service ace. But Cline stopped any potential Maryland momentum with a service ace.

The Terps found themselves trailing 23-14 late in the third set. Two kills from Schnitta and one from Csire only served as consolation points, as Maryland lost, 25-17.

The Terps were stout defensively, tracking down all kinds of shots. Maryland had 48 total digs, led by double-digit performances from Gunter and Williams, who each had 12.

“I thought Ally played one of her best matches,” Hughes said. “She had a couple serving aces, and she was making some great saves. We changed the lineup a little bit to try and get her on the floor more often than she currently is.”

Three things to know

1. Late set struggles continue. Maryland had an opportunity to win both the first and second set. The Terps found themselves tied at 19 in the opening set and up 23-21 in the second set. But Maryland was unable to pull one out, pushing the set drought to five matches.

2. Serving issues on the road. In the Terps’ last three road matches against ranked teams, they have combined for 13 service aces and 27 service errors. For a team that is ranked seventh in the nation in aces per set, Maryland has been unable to use that to its advantage against good teams.

3. 1-8 in Big Ten play. The Terps find themselves tied for 15th in the Big Ten so far this season, only ahead of winless Rutgers. After going 7-13 in conference play for three straight seasons, Maryland hopes to pick up some wins and avoid its worst season since 2020, when it won five conference matches.

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Maryland

Maryland’s Final Five Games Should Reveal Plenty About Terps’ Psyche and Future

Published

1 hour ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

Maryland’s Final Five Games Should Reveal Plenty About Terps’ Psyche and Future

Maryland’s football program is coming off its bye week after three dreadful and preventable losses. Now what? Turtle up, so to speak? Fight?

The answer to those questions will determine how the Terps finish the season but also take a glimpse into the future. The remaining five games will provide a good read on the program, the players and coach Mike Locksley, who has a 37-44 career record in his ninth year at Maryland.

The Terps are 4-3 and on a three-game losing streak. In all three losses, the Terps led in the fourth quarter. Such losses can be devastating, and not just in the win-loss column. Such losses can take their toll and they probably should.

If teams learn lessons from such hardship and trauma, the Terps are on the dean’s list.

There definitely is a good news/bad news vibe in the Terps’ season.

Good news: The Terps were good enough to win the first four games of the season, even though only one was a Big Ten game — 27-10 at Wisconsin.

Bad news: It’s probably difficult to lose three games after leading in the fourth quarter, especially three consecutive ones.

Good news: The Terps likely have their franchise quarterback in Malik Washington. He has provided stability to the current team and for the next two years. Down the road, he could help recruit his successor.

Bad news: Freshman quarterbacks can be inconsistent. That includes Washington, too.

Good news: The Terps’ rush defense (44th in the country going into the weekend) and scoring defense (20th in the country). Several players have been outstanding — freshman defensive lineman Sidney Steward and sophomore defensive back La’khi Roland.

Bad news: During the three-game losing streak, Maryland has scored 7 points in the fourth quarter while giving up 44 points.

Back at Big Ten Media Days in July, with the Terps coming off a 4-8 season, Locksley made this startling confession:

“I’ll tell you, a year ago Coach Locks lost his locker room.

“For me to stand in front of a group of media and tell you that I lost my locker room, and it wasn’t because I wasn’t a good coach, it wasn’t because they weren’t good players because we were better than a four-win team.

“What we had to do was we had haves and have-nots for the first time in our locker room, and the landscape of college football taught me a valuable lesson.

“That valuable lesson is it’s important for me, even in the midst of this change, to continue to educate our players on the importance of what playing for something bigger than yourself is all about, and I can tell you that if I’ve got to put my desk in the locker room this year, I will.

“I expect our team to show up, play hard, and probably one of the most exciting things is if you ask me what kind of team we have, I don’t know yet. That’s a good thing. That’s a good thing because as a coach, sometimes we feel like we have to have that answer.”

Locksley challenged his team back in July and he challenged himself. The Terps have played hard and have been competitive in every game.

Locksley knows what didn’t work and he knows what has to improve. College football’s landscape changed dramatically during Locksley’s tenure at Maryland and it’s up to him to adjust and thrive.

New rules and norms dictate life in the sport. Coaches learn as they go, and adjust to a new world.

NIL money rules. Kids transfer and transfer again, making it difficult for team cohesion. Kids have long careers now, given the extra year granted for the Covid year.

“Last year was tough on me as a coach because for the first time those really strong relationships were questioned because I had to decide whether to pay a freshman coming in or take care of a veteran player that helped me go to three bowl games and have success and do something that hadn’t been done in 130 years in the history of Maryland football,” Locksley said at B1G Media Days.

“It was hard to do both, and so what I’ve decided now is if you come to Maryland and you look outside of our locker room, there’s a sign. That sign reads, ‘You can leave your Louis belts, your car keys, and your financial statements outside of this locker room,’ because when you enter those doors, we’ll all pay the same price for success or failure.

“That’s really important for me. That’s what last year was about for me, but that’s also why I’m excited about this year because I don’t know what kind of team I have just yet, but I know that they’re really talented.

“It’s a matter of them playing for something bigger than themselves, which we’re in the process of developing that type of culture.”

Developing culture and making adjustments are what Locksley has emphasized. It’s also something to monitor as the Terps’ season continues. Has Locksley lost the locker room? Is that noticeable in players’ interviews, especially after games? Will anyone in the program say it? Doubtful.

Two of Maryland’s remaining games are against ranked teams, starting Saturday at home against No. 2-ranked Indiana. Also on the docket is No. 21 Michigan on Nov. 22 at home.

The other three games are at Rutgers on Nov. 8, at Illinois on Nov. 15, and the season finale at Michigan State on Nov. 29.

Maryland needs two wins for bowl eligibility. When the Terps were sitting at 4-0, bowl eligibility might have been an afterthought. Reaching six wins was a given, right?

Obviously, the Indiana game will be tough sledding for the Terps. The road game against Illinois might be a tough one to win.

Maryland should do well against Rutgers and Michigan State. Michigan, in College Park, could be close to a tossup.

A tossup. That’s not a bad way to describe the Terps’ season so far.

Stay up to date with the Terrapins by bookmarking Maryland On SI.

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Maryland volleyball falls to No. 25 UCLA in straight sets

Published

20 hours ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

Maryland volleyball falls to No. 25 UCLA in straight sets

Maryland volleyball looked to bounce back in its first-ever game at Pauley Pavilion after being swept by USC on Thursday. Despite improved play, Maryland looked outmatched, losing in straight sets to UCLA.

UCLA opened with a 6-0 run powered by the presence of Marianna Singletary at the net and behind the service line — she continued to plague Maryland the rest of the night.

Out of a timeout, Ajack Malual’s strong cross-court swing sparked a 3-point run. Despite UCLA’s scrappy defense, Malual continued to terminate early en route to a .417 mark and six kills in the opening frame. Maryland seemed to find a rhythm, but remained outmatched by UCLA’s two-way play.

Maryland called its second timeout after gritty blocking coverage by Ally Williams was not enough, and the Bruins’ right side Anastasija Ivkovic converted for the 14-8 lead.

Eva Rohrbach’s single kill was the only offense outside of Malual in the first set, leaving the Terps in a difficult position. Maryland’s combination of coverage and blocking kept it close, but service errors damaged the momentum.

UCLA’s balanced offensive attack stayed the course, with Maggie Li outmaneuvering the Terps, before Ivkovic ended the opening set, 25–15.

Maryland opened the second set well, scoring off a stuff block by Duru Gökçen. But quickly, a booming kill by Cheridyn Leverette and a block by Li and Singletary gave the Bruins the lead.

A tight pass by Malual, forcing a tough set, led to Haley Melby being blocked on the left side of the net. Melby responded, but that ended up being her only kill of the night. Maryland trailed 6–3, with the Kentucky transfer’s struggles continuing — she hit negative in both LA games.

In the second set, Maryland head coach Adam Hughes changed to the two libero system, having Ally Williams in for defence and Alex McGillivray in for serve receive.

A stuff by Olivia Ruy against Brooklyn Briscoe left Maryland trailing by two. The Maryland wall proved pointless against Leverette, who exploded for a sharp cross-court swing, ended up in the seats.

Leverette’s swing powered 3 straight kills by the Bruins before Ruy was able to provide some much-needed offense. Back-to-back kills by Ruy pulled Maryland within 4, trailing 11–7.

Service errors by UCLA kept Maryland in the set. Leverette’s miss midway through the set would ignite a quick 5-1 run by the Terps, who suddenly trailed by only two. Ruy continued her strong play in California, not recording an error in the first two sets; her fourth kill of the second set kept Maryland close.

After a Hughes challenge, replay showed Malual did catch the fingers of Leverette with a powerful shot that ended up touching out of bounds, pulling Maryland within two. Maryland’s 4-1 run tied the set at 22, forcing a UCLA timeout.

Out of the timeout, Singletary met Malual one-on-one, with the Bruin sending her out-of-system swing straight to the floor and ending the comeback effort emphatically at 25–22.

Rohrbach opened the scoring for Maryland in the third set with a quick slide attack. After the play, Maryland’s block was finally able to catch Leverette, pulling the Terps even at two.

Ruy’s clever shot over the arms of Singletary sparked a 3-point run by the Terps. Maryland’s service pressure continued to trouble the Bruins, as it recorded two aces in the final set.

Desperate for outside offense, Hughes subbed Sydney Bryant in. Soon after, her off-speed shot hit hardwood. The Maryland lead was pushed to two before the Terps’ backline allowed UCLA to fire back.

A quick 4–1 run by the Bruins forced Hughes to call a timeout. Rohrbach responded with a quick slide play for a kill out of the timeout, her fourth of the night. Leverette and Duffey’s smooth connection in transition offered a quick response. Leverette ended the game with 15 kills, hitting .520, a career best. UCLA led 14–10.

A swing by Ruy was originally awarded to Maryland, but replay showed it caught hair — which does not count as a touch — on its way out, pushing the Bruin lead to five. After the play, UCLA’s block continued to limit Malual and added to the lead.

The Ruy and Malual tandem continued to produce in the final set; however, they were met by Li and Ivkovic along the way. Kills by the Bruins’ pin hitters put the Bruins up eight.

Maryland responded with back-to-back blocks by Gökçen, Ruy and Malual on the pins. Bruin middle blocker Brooklyn Briscoe saw an improved connection with her setter, and her third kill of the set put the Bruins up seven.

Malual’s service pressure powered a quick three-point run by the Terps.

Singletary’s eighth kill proved too much to handle, giving UCLA the match point. A missed serve by Leverette extended the third set only momentarily before Singletary sealed the game with her match-leading eighth block of the night, and UCLA took set three, 25–20.

1. Ruy’s roadtrip. Maryland’s search for production on the left side of the net continues deep into conference play. Ruy’s performance in the first two sets and against USC, the second leading scorer in both games, could earn her a spot in the lineup moving forward.

2. Consistently inconsistent. Maryland’s rollercoaster road trip saw a close fight against one of the better Big Ten teams in Michigan State before a season-low outing against USC. Against the Bruins, Maryland looked better than they did Thursday, but they lost in every major stat, including blocking, recording six compared to UCLA’s 10.

3. Middle production. Duru Gökçen struggles on the offensive side of the ball continue. She looked outmatched against the two-way threat of Singletary, hitting -.500 on six swings Saturday.

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Maryland

Star Spangled Stories: How a small Maryland town was used to provide drinking water in Baltimore

Published

3 days ago

October 24, 2025

Press Room

Star Spangled Stories: How a small Maryland town was used to provide drinking water in Baltimore

In the early 20th century, the town of Warren, Maryland, had nearly 1,000 residents. However, the growing city of Baltimore needed drinking water. A deal was made to flood the town, submerge buildings, and create a reservoir. Now, the town is known as Loch Raven.

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