When the Maryland volleyball team faced then-No. 24 Illinois at Xfinity Pavilion on Oct. 2, freshman setter Taylor Smith had to combat an unexpected obstacle.
Coach Steve Aird said after the match the temperature in the building was too hot, which made the ball sweaty and difficult to pass. Nonetheless, Smith notched 47 assists in the 3-2 loss.
That effort impressed outside hitter Gia Milana, the Terps’ other rookie starter. The two players have developed a close connection this year, which has helped them push through the ups and downs of their first college season.
“I cannot even imagine how hard it is to come in and be a setter,” Milana said. “Setting in general is difficult, and when we passed the ball [against Illinois] there was sweat on the ball when she was going to set, so it was really hard to keep that ball clean. I think she did a really good job of working with the environment and coming up with sets when we needed them.”
Smith and Milana developed a bond living together in the Leonardtown community during the summer. Smith said spending time with Milana, who she called “very laid back” but also “very fun,” set the foundation for their friendship.
Their chemistry has helped them handle on-court adversity this season. After practices and matches, the first-year players talk through what went well and areas for improvement.
Whenever one struggles, Milana said, the other is there for support.
“I’ll look at her and she’ll look at me when we make a mistake, and we’re both like, ‘OK, just chill out for second,'” Milana said. “We both know that we’re new at this and we’re going through it together, so it’s nice to have someone else who is in the same boat on the court.”
Smith and Milana have each endured rough patches in their first campaign in College Park. In the Terps’ opening weekend of conference play against then-No. 2 Minnesota and then-No. 3 Wisconsin, Smith was benched for inconsistent ball handling, and Milana recorded more attacking errors than kills.
Both have bounced back in recent weeks, though. Smith regained her place in the starting lineup against Illinois, while Milana posted double-doubles in kills and digs at then-No. 23 Michigan and then-No. 21 Michigan State this past weekend.
That resiliency has made an impression on Aird, who views them as important pieces to the future of the program. Smith leads Big Ten freshmen in assists per set this season, and Milana leads conference newcomers in kills per set.
Even so, the coach said they must continue to work hard to maintain their starting roles when talented recruits arrive in coming seasons. He believes next year’s recruiting class could end up ranked top-10 in the country.
“[Smith and Milana] are having a pretty good start to their careers,” Aird said. “I think they’ve got bright futures. But we’ve got a truckload of talent coming in over the next few years … so they’ve got to keep improving.”
