Maryland volleyball coach Steve Aird pulled middle blocker Hailey Murray aside before Friday’s match against Oklahoma to tell her starting middle blocker Katie Myers would miss the contest with an injury.
The Terps relied on Murray and freshman middle blocker Jada Gardner to step up in place of Myers, who entered play with a team-high 43 blocks, in their Friday doubleheader against Oklahoma and No. 7 Washington.
Murray was a steadying presence on the court, helping Gardner excel in her first-ever start against the Sooners. Maryland beat Oklahoma in straight sets before suffering its first loss of the season to Washington.
“For us, it’s all about the team,” Murray said. “Individual people play roles, but at the end of the day, it’s about how we work together.”
Without Myers, Murray posted Maryland’s best hitting percentages in both Friday matches. Murray posted a combined 16 kills with 11 blocks, while Gardner added eight kills and seven rejections.
Aird expected a solid showing from Gardner, as she displayed her athleticism by playing each frontcourt position in high school.
The Terps outblocked the Sooners, 13-3, with six different players notching rejections. Outside hitter Gia Milana combined with Gardner for a block in the second set, and Milana celebrated with her usual energy, raising both arms in the air as she yelled.
But Gardner just smiled as she made her way to the huddle.
“I pulled [Gardner] over before the match and I was like, ‘It’s your time to shine, it’s time to go,'” Murray said. “She’s great. She would never show you that she was nervous or anything.”
Murray often sits by freshmen on the team bus, explaining parts of the college game the group may not have grasped yet, such as speed of play and balancing their course load with training.
Her connection with Gardner is especially close.
“Having a freshman middle, she’s someone that I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with and kind of talk to and kind of figure things out with,” Murray said. “So I was happy to see her get her first start.”
Without Myers in the lineup, Murray needed to serve in Friday’s matches. Generally, the D.C. native leaves the floor before having to step behind the end line. She picked up her first ace of the year against the Huskies.
Murray also took care of the ball, hitting above .650 in each Friday contest. Her experience in big matches in past seasons helped her stay even-keeled in the Terps’ first matchup against a top-10 team this year.
“I hope I calm the people on the court with me down a little bit,” Murray said. “I always try when the freshman come in … to get them little words of encouragement to keep going.”
