When Maryland volleyball takes the court against Michigan State on Friday, the Terps know their hitters will face an imposing front line.
Thus far in 2018, Maryland hasn’t found great success while facing dominant blocking teams. In the Terps’ 12 wins, they have been blocked an average of 3.83 times per match. That number jumped to 10.16 rejections on average in each of their six losses.
So when the Spartans — who are averaging more than 10 blocks per match thanks to five players at 6-foot-3 or taller — travel to College Park, Maryland will need to find a remedy it hasn’t been able to employ in the past while playing against a squad.
“They’re extremely physical,” coach Adam Hughes said. “It’s trying to make sure we can keep some offensive balance and not be too predictable.”
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A key part of Hughes’ offense has been ball movement. Midway through the season, six players are averaging more than 1.5 kills per set. That distribution has helped Maryland become the second-hardest team to block in the Big Ten, tied with No. 5 Nebraska at 1.67 blocked shots per set.
The majority of that variety in attack has been facilitated by setter Nicole Alford, who leads the team with 627 assists. Despite the challenge posed by the Spartans’ defense, Alford said the Terps are focusing more on themselves than their opponent.
“It’s about focusing on our side and making sure that we are balanced,” Alford said. “We want to make sure that everyone’s distributing and keeping them on their toes more so they can’t predict what we are doing.”
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Outside hitter Emma Schriner, whose first four starts came during the conference slate, has been working to improve her connection with Alford. That connection has been growing steadily. Schriner notched 34 kills over her last four matches, including a team-leading nine kills at No. 9 Penn State.
“It’s been developing everyday,” Schriner said. “It was a little bit of a struggle in the beginning … but we are starting to get the pieces all together.”
While Michigan State’s defense is formidable, the team’s offensive production is less impressive. The Spartans rank second-to-last in the Big Ten with a .209 hitting percentage and last in the conference with 12.16 kills per set.
The Friday match opens a challenging stretch for the Terps. They’ll host No. 13 Michigan on Sunday before three consecutive road matches, two of which are against ranked opponents.
To start that run on the right foot, Maryland will need to find a solution for Michigan State’s blocking game.
“We all just need to come together,” Schriner said. “We’ve been working in the locker room trying to get our energy up and I think having home advantage is good.”
