About three weeks ago, Maryland volleyball setter Taylor Smith and middle blocker Hailey Murray made an addition to their training routine.

Smith said she “needed more connectivity” with Murray, who had been struggling to get involved on offense. So they decided to meet at Xfinity Pavilion 30 minutes before each practice to perform one-on-one drills and talk strategy.

Those sessions have helped the duo improve their on-court chemistry and form Murray into more of a point scorer. She has recorded nine kills in four of the past five matches, an improvement on her season average of 6.2 kills per contest.

The Terps, who want to rebound from a straight set loss to then-No. 19 Ohio State, hope Murray can continue her prowess against Purdue on Wednesday.

“We’re starting to get our connection down,” Murray said of her relationship with Smith. “We haven’t known each other that long, so the extra work we’ve put in has been significant.”

Murray has been somewhat inconsistent this season, coach Steve Aird said, but she’s displayed improved athleticism and shot power throughout the campaign.

Whenever she earns a powerful kill, Smith said it’s an “energy booster” for the entire team.

“When things are good and she’s on, she’s a very good attacker at this level,” Aird added. “[Her ceiling] is still really high. Athletically she’s come a long way. From where she was two years ago to where she is now is spectacular.”

Murray attributed her hitting development to time spent working out in the weight room. Still, she said she has “always had a little bit of pop.”

As she has rounded into form over the past couple of weeks, she’s used a slide play to her advantage. When she sees one opposition blocker on the right side of the net, she slides over to that spot and spikes the ball on the run.

Often, the move results in a point for Maryland.

“It’s a really popular play in women’s volleyball,” Aird said. “It’s incredibly difficult to defend because as the attacker you have a huge advantage. … She’s getting more and more comfortable running it.”

Murray said the Terps have tried to implement the slide play at a greater rate in recent weeks to spread out the attack and become less predictable. Sometimes after completing the move a couple of times, Smith will fake a pass to a sliding Murray before a flipping the ball to someone else at the other side of the net.

That rhythm is something the team is still working to find on a consistent basis, though.

To be a more competitive squad, Aird said it’s important for attackers to help Smith so she “doesn’t have to be perfect” all the time.

Like former Major League Baseball star Barry Bonds, he said, not every set from Smith is going to be a “home run,” but it’s still crucial for attackers to make in-air adjustments and find ways to put imperfect balls in play to avoid errors.

“Taylor is learning and growing, and [her connection with the hitters is] a lot better now than it was in the preseason,” Aird said. “We know it’s working. It’s just going to take a little bit more time.”

When the Terps (10-14, 2-10 Big Ten) make unforced errors, the coach acknowledged, “It’s tough to win.” So he knows players must be on the same page with Smith against the “very dangerous” Boilermakers (14-9, 4-8) on Wednesday night.

“[Purdue] has high-end talent,” Aird said. “It’s a program that’s used to winning and they’re going to be playing for their tournament lives.”