Ohio State libero Hannah Gruensfelder took two steps to her right, following Maryland volleyball setter Samantha Snyder’s eyeline as Snyder prepared to strike her serve, before lunging back to her left.

Gruensfelder’s dive came up empty while Snyder and her teammates thrusted their arms in the air, celebrating Snyder’s second ace of the decisive fifth set on Saturday. Snyder’s quick start to the frame helped the Terps see out the final set to block the Buckeyes’ late comeback attempt.

Snyder’s final ace Saturday showed the progress the junior has made under coach Adam Hughes from the endline as she adds additional service techniques to her game. And Maryland’s season-high 14 aces in the contest spurred the team to its second Big Ten win this year.

“Adam is helping me with a lookaway serve,” Snyder said. “A lot of people are passing with just two people, and they try to read our eyes. So if I look one way and serve the other, there might be more open court.”

[Read more: Rainelle Jones helped Maryland volleyball block Ohio State’s comeback attempt]

Heading into a tough road weekend against No. 9 Penn State on Friday and Rutgers on Saturday, the Terps will need to stay hot from the endline.

Hughes has seen his young team struggle with consistency from the endline, but overall, he said his team is moving in the right direction.

“Each week, people are getting more confidence, hitting serves with better range,” Hughes said.

[Read more: Maryland volleyball staves off Ohio State comeback in 5-set win]

Snyder had her best serving match of the season against Ohio State, chipping in four aces while mishitting just one serve.

While Snyder was dangerous from the endline last season, with 26 aces, she said she is working with Hughes to diversify her repertoire, as shown on her second serve of the fifth set. As she looked off the Buckeyes’ libero, Snyder found a hole in their defense.

The serve has been an undeniable weapon for Maryland this season, but there’s risk that goes along with the reward. While the Terps have yet to be held without a service ace in a match, they have also had more aces than errors only six times this season.

The Terps’ service game has been led by middle blocker Katie Myers, who paces the Big Ten and is eighth in the country with .55 aces per set. While she is third on the team in kills and leads in blocks, Myers said serving is her calling card.

“I’m just staying aggressive from the endline,” Myers said. “Ever since I started playing volleyball, I’ve known my serve is something that can separate me from the pack.”

Friday will be one of the Terps’ toughest matchups in terms of serving. The Nittany Lions allow .80 aces per set and have held opponents to three or fewer aces in 11 of 14 matches. The Terps are 1-3 when they have had three or fewer aces.

The Terps should have an easier time Saturday against the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers is the Big Ten’s only sub-.500 team and is the worst squad in the conference at defending the serve, allowing 1.6 aces per set. When the Terps squared off with the Scarlet Knights in College Park earlier this season, they registered seven aces.

While the Terps have been solid from the endline, Hughes still expects his team’s serving to improve.

“We’ve still got a long way to go,” Hughes said. “But I’m happy with the progress we’re making.”