Maryland volleyball’s difficult 2017 schedule includes three matches on Xfinity main court

The Maryland volleyball team announced its 2017 schedule Wednesday, featuring 15 matches against teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament last season.

The Terps open their season against UMBC, Temple and Northeastern in the Maryland Invite tournament before playing Liberty, Elon and Furman in Lynchburg, Virginia, in the Liberty Invitational.

Along with six Big Ten foes featured in the final 2016 top-25 rankings, the Terps face a test in the Maryland Challenge tournament in September. Coach Steve Aird’s squad will take on Washington, a team that reached the Elite Eight last year, as well as Southern California and Oklahoma on the Xfinity Center’s main court September 14 and 15.

“This is an amazing opportunity for volleyball fans in the DMV to see some of the best teams in the country,” Aird said in a release. “All three of these programs are exceptional, and the atmosphere in the Xfinity Center will be electric. You come to Maryland because you want to play the nation’s best, and hosting this event is a great example.”

In Big Ten play, the Terps will face all three of the final 2016 top-ranked AVCA Coaches Poll teams in Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Maryland has home and away matches against Nebraska, a reigning Final Four program, and Wisconsin, which reached the Elite Eight last year.

The Terps begin their conference slate on the road against Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State in late September. Last season, the Terps swept the Hoosiers and knocked off then-No. 19 Ohio State, the second upset over the Buckeyes in consecutive seasons.

The Terps dropped each match against Michigan State and Michigan last year, including a 3-2 defeat at home against the Wolverines, in which the Terps were tied late in the fifth set before two attacking errors secured the win for Michigan.

Maryland finishes its season on a four-game homestand, with matches against Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio State and Northwestern.

“Our entire program is thrilled about the 2017 season,” Aird said in a release. “Our schedule will be very challenging, but we are excited about the product we will put on the floor. I am really proud of the work the program, players and staff have done over the last few seasons to put us in this position.”