When Maryland volleyball outside hitter Erika Pritchard hit a cross-court kill to win the fourth set for the Terps against Michigan State, the Xfinity Center pavilion erupted in a flurry of pink pom-poms.
After not having much to cheer for in the first two sets, the Terps fans had watched them claw their way back and force a decisive fifth set.
However, as they had in each of their previous 2-0 comebacks, the Terps fell short in the fifth set, dropping the match 3-2.
“This group continues to battle,” coach Adam Hughes said. “That’s where we’ve been all season, and if we can find some ways not to put ourselves down in tough situations, I think we’ll have some better results.”
The first set remained close, before the Spartans (15-5, 3-4 Big Ten) broke it open late, ending the set on a 9-3 run, and winning 25-16.
The Spartans, who entered the match hitting .209 as a team, hit .500 in the first set with 14 kills and just two errors. Their statline on defense was more pedestrian, with only two blocks in the frame.
Michigan State’s offensive explosion was well-distributed, with four players ending the match with double-digit kills and a hitting percentage above .300.
“They had a nice, well-balanced offense,” outside hitter Liz Twilley said. “They had high numbers from all different areas on the court which makes it harder to defend.”
The most dangerous offensive weapon for the Spartans was outside hitter Alyssa Chronowski. The sophomore ended the match with 19 kills on a ..429 hitting percentage.
“We were around the ball on her a lot,” Hughes said. “She was using her hands pretty well and sometimes you just need to be stronger in the air.”
The Terps (12-7, 3-4) went ahead 16-10 in the second frame before Michigan State rushed back, putting together a 7-0 run to take a 20-18 lead. The Spartans held on from there, ending the set on a 5-1 run to take the frame 25-20.
The run was catalyzed by the strong service of defensive specialist Samantha McLean. While McLean did not register an ace in the match, her serves kept the Terps off-balance on defense.
The third set was tight throughout, with neither team gaining a lead of more than five. But the Terps struck the final blow in the frame, ending on a 4-0 run to win the set 25-22 and stay alive in the match.
Neither team could establish a strong foothold until midway through the fourth set, when Michigan State used a 6-1 run to take a 15-9 lead. However, the Terps battled back, ending the set with four straight kills by Pritchard.
In the third and fourth sets, Pritchard put the Terps on her back, recording 13 kills between the two frames en route to a season-high with 24 kills.
“We flipped how we started,” Hughes said. “We got Erika some different looks offensively. …We want to stay balanced but if those guys are tearing it up we’re just going to keep feeding them the ball.”
The Spartans dominated the final set early, rushing out to a 8-2 lead. While the Terps closed the gap to 14-11, they were unable to complete the comeback, as the Spartans took the set 15-11. The loss drops the Terps to 1-4 in five-set matches.
