When Maryland volleyball outside hitter Jada Gardner suffered an ankle injury just before the start of Big Ten play in mid-September, the Terps were left with a significant hole in their starting lineup.
Coach Adam Hughes decided to fill that spot with Emma Schriner, a freshman who had appeared in just two college matches. Beginning conference play with games against three ranked opponents in her first five starts, Schriner has needed to learn on the go.
While the Terps split their weekend road trip against No. 9 Penn State and Rutgers, Schriner has displayed improvement early in her Maryland career. In the Terps’ loss to the Nittany Lions, Schriner posted nine kills, and notched a .583 hitting percentage and four blocks in a win over the Scarlet Knights.
“She continues to get better every day,” Hughes said. “She’s starting to learn to see what’s in front of her offensively.”
Schriner credited her offensive form to setter Nicole Alford, and the increasing cohesion between members of a young team.
“I was a little nervous at the beginning, but I’m starting to get the hang of it now,” Schriner said. “Everyone’s getting a little more comfortable playing together as the season goes on.”
Schriner was held without a block at Penn State, but found her defensive groove against Rutgers, equaling a career-high with her four rejections.
“After you get one block,” Schriner said, “you realize what you need to do and just watch the hitter.”
Lined up against Scarlet Knights outside hitter Sahbria McLetchie on Saturday — who leads her squad with 180 kills this season — Schriner was charged with slowing down the senior’s production. McLetchie jumped out with eight kills through the opening frame but Schriner helped limit her influence in the final two.
The Williamsburg, Virginia, native recorded two blocks against McLetchie in the last two sets. And while Schriner’s on-court performance has been key for the Terps early in the conference slate, Hughes said she also offers an emotional boost to her teammates.
“Emma did a good job adjusting, making sure she was a little bit more aggressive and the numbers came back down to earth,” Hughes said. “When she plays well it frees up the team and they feed off her a little bit.”
Schriner, a former first-team Under Armour All-American, was originally committed to Tennessee, but transferred to Maryland over the summer. While Schriner has not been in College Park long, Hughes said she has become an important part of the squad.
“She’s got a really good temperament and the girls respect her,” Hughes said.
Since joining the starting lineup, Schriner is third on the team in both kills and blocks. Her 1.90 kills per set in conference play lags slightly behind Gardner’s pace, but her 0.71 blocks per set as a starter is a higher mark than Gardner recorded.
“She’s stepped up a lot,” outside hitter Erika Pritchard said. “It’s a big role and she really brings a lot to the table.”
