Maryland volleyball coach Steve Aird expected to get production from a talented group of freshmen this season. After all, PrepVolleyball ranked outside hitter Gia Milana and middle blocker Katie Myers in its list of top-100 recruits.
But he didn’t think freshman setter Taylor Smith, who entered the year as a backup, would become an integral part of his team’s offense so fast.
She started all three games in last week’s Pac-12 Challenge and orchestrated a well-rounded Terps attacking performance to help defeat Oklahoma, 3-1. Her play caught the attention her coach, who has been impressed with the impact she has made in her first season in College Park.
“[Smith] was starting maybe her fifth or sixth college match [against Oklahoma],” Aird said. “She’s young, but she’s learning at a really fast rate.”
After Maryland (8-4) lost to No. 5 Washington (10-0) on Thursday, they returned to the Galen Center to handle Oklahoma (9-4) on Friday afternoon.
Aird’s biggest takeaway from the game was the improved balance his offense showed, something he said would be important to continue as the squad enters conference play. Four players had double-digit kills in the contest, and the team bested its season average of 12.8 kills per set with a 16-kills-per-set showing.
Smith was a central figure in the effort, amassing a career-high 52 assists as she led a much-improved Terps passing performance. She now ranks first on the team with 266 assists and 8.58 assists per set.
Middle blocker Hailey Murray said the young setter has already become a leader on the court with the way she sets up potential kills.
“[Smith] is great,” Murray said. “She works really hard, and I’m comfortable around her on the court.”
A key part of the Garrett, Indiana, native’s development has been how her teammates helped her adjust to college competition.
“Everyone around the team has been able to help make me feel more comfortable,” Smith said. “The hitters have been amazing, patient and always giving great feedback.”
She added Maryland’s “awesome” passing has made her job easier. With 20 games left this season, she hopes she can build on what she’s established with teammates to make additional strides on offense.
“As we get more reps in practice, and as we get more experience in games, we can bond, and the on-court chemistry gets a lot better,” Smith said.
The Terps begin their Big Ten schedule with matches against No. 2 Minnesota and No. 3 Wisconsin next weekend. While it will be difficult to replicate their success over Oklahoma, another quality performance from their breakout freshman setter should help the team compete in those games.
“[Smith is] better than I thought she would be this early in her career,” Aird said. “She has a long way to go to be relevant in the … national picture, but she’s doing a really good job.”
