Maryland volleyball recap: Season ends at .500 for the Terps

Maryland volleyball had the opportunity to send the older players out with a win in the final few games of the season. Even though the last game at home wasn’t a great showing, the Terps managed to give the season a good send off to wrap up 2022 play.

The Terps went 1-1 last week, with results at home and away that supported their record in both types of venues this season. First, Maryland played its last home game the Wednesday before Thanksgiving against No. 19 Purdue and managed to take the first set before losing the next three, ultimately dropping the match, 3-1. Then, for the season finale, the Terps traveled to Bloomington to take on Indiana, who they beat in a five-set thriller, 3-2.

Maryland finished the season with a .500 record at 16-16 with a Big Ten conference record of 7-13. The team was better away from the Pav than in it, with a home record of 4-9 compared to an away record of 8-5.

Match one: No. 19 Purdue

The first set was one of runs, but whenever one team went up, the other team immediately responded. Maryland went on a 2-0 run, then Purdue went on a 2-0 run, Maryland went on a 3-0 run, then Purdue went on a 3-0 run. After a string of runs, the set was tied up at 22, and the Terps went on a final 3-0 run finished by a kill from graduate student middle blocker Rainelle Jones to win the set, 25-22. Junior outside hitter Sam Csire had five kills in the set to lead Maryland in its first set victory.

To start the next set, the Boilermakers immediately responded to set the tempo, going up 11-5 early. While Maryland tried to stay in it, three service aces in the set by the away team and 13 Maryland attack errors made it practically impossible for the Terps to make any type of run. Purdue took the set 25-15, and Maryland had a -0.186 hitting percentage in the second as the match was tied at one set apiece.

Purdue remained in front for the majority of the beginning of the third set, but Maryland made sure to stay within striking distance, and a 4-0 run got the Terps a 19-18 lead late. But, to the dismay of the home crowd, a late surge by the Boilermakers won them the set, 25-22. Even though the Terps out-killed their opponent 8-7 in the set, Purdue did enough to earn a one-set advantage heading into the fourth.

In the last set at the XFINITY Center Pavilion this season, both teams competed to the bitter end. Purdue got its first lead at 16-15, which was responded to by a 4-0 Maryland run. However both teams couldn’t finish in regulation, and the set was forced to go into extras. The set continued to drag on as neither squad finished the other off when up one, but eventually a kill and a service ace from sophomore middle blocker Raven Colvin sealed the Maryland loss.

Unable to upset Purdue like they did earlier this season, the Terps still had some impressive performances. Csire had 18 kills, 16 digs and three blocks, while Jones recorded her 700th block and had 11 kills and eight blocks. Purdue’s star performer made a big impact, as Colvin had a massive day with 10 kills, four service aces, and a whopping 16 blocks to help carry Purdue.

Match two: Indiana

The beginning of the game was extremely back and forth in Bloomington, with neither squad getting an inch of space in the first set. This was until a 3-0 Maryland run gave them a 4-0 lead, so when the back and forth scoring continued, the Terps maintained the lead and won the set, 25-21. Jones had a dominant performance in set one, starting her final game at Maryland off with five kills and three blocks in the first set.

The second set by Indiana was possibly the most dominant offensive performance that any team has had against Maryland this season. The Hooisers had a hitting percentage of .7, with 15 kills and just one error in the set, absolutely dominating Maryland who dropped the set, 25-10. Freshman outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles had five kills in the set as Indiana tied the game early.

Indiana went up early in the third set, and never relinquished the lead despite all of Maryland’s efforts. The Terps managed to get within two down 19-17, but that was as close as they would get, eventually losing 25-20. Indiana went up a set in the season finale, which seemed to set a fire under coach Adam Hughes’ squad.

Early runs by Maryland seemed to make a big impact at the beginning of the fourth set. The Terps went from down one to up 12-9 on a run made entirely by Hoosier errors and a block from redshirt junior middle blocker Anastasia Russ. Indiana got close, but Maryland maintained that lead for the rest of the set, closing the fourth out with a 3-1 run featuring two Csire kills. Csire and Russ had three kills each, as Maryland won the set 25-20 and forced a fifth set.

The final set of the season started off with a defiant 4-0 run from Maryland, and the team did not relent from that point on. The Hoosiers had nine errors in the set and had a -.12 hitting percentage in the final set, as Maryland stormed the Hoosiers 15-8 in the fifth to end the season off on a high note. Csire and Jones each had 10 kills while junior setter Sydney Dowler had 32 assists and 13 digs to close out the 2022 season for Maryland volleyball.