After a strong showing in a loss to Duke, the Terrapin volleyball team lost its fifth consecutive match Sunday.
The Terps (11-16, 4-14 ACC) struggled to pass and to create offense against Wake Forest (14-13, 10-8) and dropped the match 3-1 (20-30, 25-30, 32-30, 27-30).
The biggest issue for the Terps in the match was passing. They were unable to balance their attack effectively as they struggled with getting the ball to the setters.
“We weren’t passing well enough to be able to get our middles running,” Terp coach Janice Kruger said.
Regular libero sophomore Maggie Schmelzle was playing the outside hitter position for the first time in well over a month. She had been moved to libero due to an off-season arm injury, but contributed eight kills and nine digs from her natural outside hitter position. After the match, Schmelzle said her arm felt fine.
Jade Brown (15 kills and 10 digs) and Beth Gillming (11 kills and 12 digs) both posted double-doubles. The game marks Brown’s 12th and Gillming’s sixth double-double of the season.
However, the Terps’ offense was not efficient, with a .108 attack percentage on the match. Wake Forest had 16 blocks in the match as the Terps could not contain Wake’s three main middle blockers, Jackie Lucas, Natalie Mullikin and Ashley Homitz. The trio combined for 32 kills and 12.5 blocks.
The loss to Wake Forest ensures that 2006 will be the Terps’ first losing season since 2001, when they went 12-14. The injury-filled season only has two more weeks.
“We’ve had to not only face our opponents, but also ourselves,” Kruger said. “And that can be tough when you’ve got a lot of inexperience.”
Contact reporter Adi Joseph at ajosephdbk@gmail.com.
