The first time Maryland volleyball took on No. 17 Purdue this season, coach Adam Hughes’ game plan revolved around slowing down star outside hitter Sherridan Atkinson.
The Terps contained the redshirt senior at the outset of their last matchup, holding her to just one kill and no blocks in the first set. While Atkinson performed better in the next three sets, she still finished with 11 kills in the four-set match, well below her season average.
But with Atkinson held in check, Purdue’s secondary hitters did the most damage against the Terps. Led by middle blocker Grace Cleveland’s 15 kills, the team totaled 50 kills in the four-set win.
So while Maryland slowed Atkinson’s production, the team will need to spread its focus in its second meeting with Purdue on Friday.
“When you put so much attention towards one player, you’ve got to make sure you don’t forget about everybody else,” Hughes said. “We have to look at that and see what kind of balance we want to get.”
[Read more: Maryland volleyball’s in-game adjustments will be key down the stretch in Big Ten play]
As the Terps travel to West Lafayette, Atkinson — who ranks sixth in the Big Ten with 3.92 kills per set — will still be a focal point of their defensive efforts.
“We know she’s going to get some kills,” Hughes said. “We’re trying to make sure we can contain her and make her have to work.”
A large share of the burden for slowing down Atkinson will fall on the Terps’ top two middle blockers, Rainelle Jones and Katie Myers. The pair combined for 56 blocks in Big Ten play, and each had four rejections in the first meeting with Purdue.
[Read more: After a strong first set, Maryland volleyball falls to No. 13 Michigan, 3-1]
Jones, a freshman, has been a defensive force for the Terps since the start of the season. However, after seven blocks in the team’s second matchup with Rutgers, Jones had just two rejections against No. 13 Michigan and went without a block for the first time against Michigan State.
Jones has been forced to learn on the fly, starting every match so far in her first college season. While she has shown her talent on both sides of the ball, she admits she still has a lot to learn.
“I definitely need to focus a little bit more on blocking and understanding the other side of the court and their tendencies,” Jones said.
The Boilermakers’ imposing front line will also pose a huge challenge for Maryland’s offense. In their last match, the Terps hit .212 and were blocked 12 times.
Setter Nicole Alford will be charged with distributing the ball evenly to avoid Purdue’s blockers, as well as Atkinson.
“It comes from not being too predictable,” Alford said. “It’s about getting everyone involved and not trying to do too much on our side to try to avoid somebody but rather just putting everyone in the best possible situations.”
