Last year, the Maryland volleyball team improved its win total by five games from 2014. Though the squad endured a 12-game losing streak in the middle of the season, it regrouped to beat then-No. 12 Ohio State and finish the season with two wins.
The Terps finished 15-19 last season, their best record since 2012, and gained talented newcomers in the offseason who have coach Steve Aird optimistic his program can take another step in 2016.
Aird acknowledged the team’s “unbelievably difficult” schedule, which features 13 games against teams currently ranked in the top 25 will make it difficult to build on last year’s win total. But the third-year coach believes his inexperienced, yet talented roster will serve as the foundation for future success in the Big Ten.
“There’s going to be some pain,” Aird said. “We’ve got a really young team that’s learning a lot of stuff.”
“Last year we were still flying under the radar a little,” he added. “I don’t think that will happen anymore.”
Aird has approached this season with a realistic outlook. He understands the Terps, who have 10 underclassmen on the roster, might continue to struggle against the best teams in the conference, but he wants them to stay competitive in those situations.
He added that Maryland wants to “push teams” and avoid blowouts as inexperienced players find their footing.
Some of those newcomers arrived this offseason in College Park as the nation’s 16th-ranked recruiting class, according to PrepVolleyball. That core, led by outside hitter Gia Milana and middle blocker Katie Myers, has given Aird confidence.
Though Myers has been sidelined with a knee injury, Milana, who is the highest-ranked recruit in program history, started last weekend in the Maryland Invite. She led the team with 34 kills in straight set wins over Eastern Michigan, Delaware State and Sacred Heart.
Sophomore outside hitter Liz Twilley and sophomore opposite hitter Angel Gaskin also impressed in the tournament, recording more than 2.5 kills per set . Freshman setter Taylor Smith , meanwhile, led the Terps with 54 assists.
In the back row, sophomore libero Kelsey Wicinski was the Maryland Invite’s MVP after making 40 digs.
Aird said that young firepower would ensure a bright future for the program, though he admitted Maryland is unlikely to finish near the top of the challenging Big Ten this campaign.
“They’re talented, they’re fun, they play hard and we started [the season] the right way,” Aird said. “When you play us you have to worry about us now. Two years ago that wasn’t the case.”
To help the underclassmen develop into consistent performers, the coach will look to a pair of veteran middle blockers to lead the way. He called senior middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor and junior middle blocker Hailey Murray the “heart and soul of the team up the middle.”
MacGregor earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors this past weekend, while Murray dominated at the net with an impressive .471 hit percentage. The two are expected to set an example for the team’s inexperienced players this season.
“[MacGregor and Murray] work really hard, and they’re dependable,” Aird said. “It’s a great model for the younger players to see how hard these guys go after it.”
Murray, who has been a starter since her freshman year , believes the character of the team’s newcomers will help the squad become more competitive.
“We trust each other,” Murray said. “The new incoming kids are not just great athletes but great humans. … I enjoy being around them every single day.”
