Entering Maryland volleyball’s final nonconference tournament of the season, the Terps were cognizant of last weekend’s letdown against Liberty.
Maryland had just played South Carolina to a tight five-set loss, its toughest test of the year, but struggled to dominate the Flames in the finale Sept. 9. So before facing New Hampshire and Temple on Friday, middle blocker Jada Gardner said she and her teammates weren’t overlooking any opponent.
Behind a clinical attack, Maryland took care of business Friday, easily winning both matches in straight sets.
In the second match Friday, the Terps played perhaps their most dominant set of the season in the first frame against the Owls. Maryland hit .571 with 22 kills on the way to a resounding 25-10 victory.
Maryland (9-2) slowed slightly in the second set, hitting just .231, but closed the frame on a 9-4 run to take a 2-0 lead.
In the third frame, the Terps raced out to a 10-5 lead and never looked back. The Owls were never able to draw closer than four points as the Terps won the set 25-17 to finish the sweep.
Maryland handled New Hampshire in the first set of play Friday, 25-17, but needed a late push to rally in set two. The Wildcats jumped out to a 12-4 lead, putting pressure on the Terps. However, after tying the score at 16, Maryland took the frame, 25-20.
The Terps downed the Wildcats through clean hitting and net supremacy, attacking at a .294 clip, making just eight errors and outblocking New Hampshire 6-0 in the match.
Those trends continued against Temple, with Maryland swinging to a lofty .396 hitting percentage, misfiring eight times compared to the Owls’ 21, while notching five more blocks than Temple.
Middle blocker Katie Myers stood out against New Hampshire, registering four blocks and five service aces. And outside hitter Erika Pritchard continued her scorching start to the season. She hit .424 and led the Terps with 14 kills against New Hampshire before posting 15 kills in the nightcap Friday.
Outside hitter Liz Twilley followed Pritchard in the second contest, chipping in 12 kills as the Terps opened the tournament with two convincing wins.
