Maryland volleyball falls to Northwestern in five sets

Maryland volleyball entered Big Ten play on an eight-game winning streak, its longest since 2021 when it went unbeaten in nonconference play. However, the Terps lost momentum, falling to the Northwestern Wildcats in five sets.

“The physicality, obviously, changes, that’s the one thing you notice,” head coach Adam Hughes said of conference play. “Some of the balls we usually scored early in the season get through seams that are not there anymore because blockers are more physical.”

Middle blocker Eva Rohrbach got the start after an injury to middle blocker Anastasia Russ last match. Rohrbach proved pivotal, tallying 10 kills and five blocks.

In a much-needed quick start, Maryland (9-3) got out to an early 4-0 lead. Pin hitter Samantha Schnitta recorded the opening point with a kill, before scoring back-to-back service aces. However, Northwestern (3-6) responded right back with a service ace from setter Lauren Carter and a kill from setter Alexa Rousseau.

Setter Sydney Dowler recorded a kill, breaking a 4-4 tie, before the Wildcats scored two consecutive points. With the Terps down, 7-6, middle blocker Ellie Watson sparked a run with a kill, helping Maryland score four of the next five.

A kill from Schnitta helped spark five more consecutive points for Maryland. During the run, Dowler recorded a block and Schnitta tallied another service ace, while Rohrbach and outside hitter Sydney Bryant each added a kill.

Northwestern cut the lead to five with a block before a kill from Watson gave the Terps a set point. Schnitta closed out a 25-22 set win with her fourth kill of the set, tying her with Rousseau for a set-high.

Outside hitter Sam Csire recorded three early kills, including one deep in the back right corner to help Maryland jump out to a quick 6-3 lead in the second set. Then, Northwestern’s Hazan cut the lead to one before Watson and Csire teamed up for a block.

With the Wildcats tying the score at eight, Schnitta recorded a powerful kill, putting her at five for the match. Rohrbach tallied back-to-back kills for the Terps to keep the score knotted. A kill from Bryant helped spark a late three-point run, putting Maryland in front, 20-18. After a Northwestern timeout, the Wildcats scored the next five points.

Rohrbach stopped the bleeding with a kill, but that wasn’t enough, as two late kills from Hazan gave Northwestern a 25-22 set victory.

“They did a pretty good job responding,” Hughes said. “We try to emphasize the fact that when we have a lead, we can capitalize on it. We didn’t do that, but I thought we bounced back pretty fast.”

In the next set, Rohrbach recorded a kill and block, helping Maryland get out to a 3-1 lead. Rousseau dwindled the lead to one before a Csire kill extended the lead back to four. Kills from Hazan provided a spark for Northwestern as they cut the score to two. Rohrbach capped off a three-point Terps run with a kill.

A service ace from setter Zoe Huang trickled off the net, restoring a five-point advantage for Maryland. Northwestern responded with three points of its own, forcing the Terps to call a timeout. Two kills from Schnitta extended the lead back to three.

Rohrbach tipped the ball over the net for her eighth kill, putting the score at 22-17. A big service ace from Schnitta gave Maryland a set point, before a Northwestern serve sailed long. The Terps took the third set, 25-18.

Rousseau helped spark the Wildcats’ early in the fourth set with a kill and service ace en route to an 8-3 Northwestern lead. Trailing 10-4, Maryland scored four consecutive points and forced a Wildcats’ timeout. Csire helped spark the run with a kill before later adding a service ace.

Back-to-back kills from Csire knotted the score at 13 before Watson gave the Terps their first lead of the set. A huge joint-block from Schnitta and Watson forced another Northwestern timeout.

The Wildcats marched back to level the score at 22 before Rohrbach added her 10th kill of the match. Consecutive kills from Northwestern’s Hazan forced a fifth set, as Maryland fell, 27-25.

Down 5-2 in the fifth set, Schnitta tallied a service ace and kill to knot the score at seven. The Wildcats responded right back with four points of their own before Csire recorded a much-needed kill. Schnitta pulled the Terps back within two points, but they ultimately fell in the end, 15-11.

“You can be upset about [the loss] for tonight, but then we step into practice tomorrow and it’s about Iowa,” Schnitta said. “To just move on and make sure we recover well so that we are able to give everything back to the team.”

Three things to know

1. First home loss. Coming into the match, the Terps had won five games in a row at the Xfinity Center Pavilion, dropping only one set. The streak came to an end at the hands of a tough Northwestern team. Maryland will be looking to bounce back on Saturday against Iowa.

2. Heavy dosage from Schnitta and Csire. The Terps relied heavily on their two best players, garnering 94 total attacks between Schnitta and Csire. They combined for more than half of the team’s kills (31 of 59). Whenever the team needed a point, the ball was either in the hands of Schnitta or Csire.

3. Big Ten struggle continues. Maryland has stumbled in Big Ten play recently, with three consecutive conference records of 7-13. The Terps have yet to finish with a winning record since they joined the conference in 2014. While the Big Ten is recognized as the best volleyball conference in the country, Maryland will be hoping to get over the hump soon.