Welcome to The Diamondback Sports Digest. Every week, we send you a rundown of the latest Maryland athletics news.

Hope everyone enjoyed the heart attack Maryland football delivered to start Saturday’s game. We’ll dive into that, new Maryland softball coach Lauren Karn’s introduction, Maryland volleyball’s unique coaching perspectives and more in this week’s newsletter.

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Roman Hemby, Terps explode in second half

There was little celebration for Mike Locksley and his team after the Terps’ 38-20 win over Charlotte. Maryland football “didn’t meet the standard,” their coach said. Locksley lamented his team’s slow start and subpar finish. 

But Hemby’s 40-yard scamper to start the second half set up Maryland’s first touchdown and kicked off an explosive night. Football reporter Brandon Schwartzberg has more on Hemby’s performance and the Terps’ comeback.

Maryland didn’t panic when it went down, Locksley said postgame. Instead, the Terps showed a resolve their coach hopes will help them in the future. 

“To me, it’s a testament to the locker room and the type of culture we have,” he said.

For more on how Maryland staved off disaster, read football reporter Taylor Lyons’ sidebar. This week, Taylor also covered Taulia Tagovailoa’s improved deep ball. The quarterback showed off his arm strength on a 40-yard bomb to Kaden Prather during Saturday’s comeback.

Maryland softball begins new era under Lauren Karn

New Maryland softball coach Lauren Karn spoke to reporters Tuesday for the first time since she was hired as Maryland softball’s new head coach. Karn takes the helm of a program in flux. Former coach Mark Montgomery unexpectedly resigned in July, and Maryland lost a key contributor when catcher and utility infielder Amelia Lech transferred to Auburn in June. The Terps have not made the NCAA tournament since 2012. 

“The production might look a little bit different, I don’t think anyone can directly replace a player when they leave a program,” Karn said. “But I think the people on our team who had success last year are going to just have more success this year.”

Karn is hoping to replace her success with Oakland University in Michigan. The Golden Grizzlies won consecutive Horizon League regular season titles under her guidance and qualified for the 2022 NCAA tournament.

The Big Ten offers a new challenge, one Karn seems poised to attack. Softball reporter Sam Jane has more on her outlook for the program.

Maryland volleyball’s Hughes finds perspective in staff

As Terps coach Adam Hughes searches for success, he’s looking all around for help. 

Assistant coaches Becca Acevedo and Ryan Ammerman, along with volleyball operations director Kyle Thompson, each bring different skills to Maryland volleyball.

Acevedo, a former American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American, can relate to the team’s players and worked with the National Team Development Program, a key recruiting pipeline.

Thompson’s experience with USA Volleyball has helped the program’s administration, with Hughes calling him “elite” and a great “sounding board.”

Ammerman came over from the men’s games and often questions Hughes about his processes — challenges the head coach welcomes. Volleyball reporter Tanner Malinowski has more on the Terps’ coaching dynamics.

The Terps swept Princeton and Howard in their last two matchups.

Best Bits

  • Patricie Mackova, a Czech native, came to Maryland women’s golf in 2020. Since then, she’s evolved into one of the Big Ten’s best and created a home for herself in College Park.
  • Hope Rose notched her first career hat trick in field hockey’s win over Miami Friday. The veteran pairs with a group of freshmen who are already making an impact.
  • Maryland men’s lacrosse nabs a five-star goalie, football builds offensive line depth and more in this week’s recruiting roundup.
  • Maryland field hockey and women’s soccer each emerged victorious in their Sunday outings.

Quote of the week

Mike Locksley benched Antwain Littleton II on Saturday after the running back committed an unnecessary roughness penalty.

“To me that’s how we’re gonna play this thing. If guys don’t play to our standard, [if they’re] gonna have dumb penalties, you’re gonna be on the bench,” Locksley said after the game.

Stat of the week

Jeshaun Jones passed 100 career receptions as Maryland won its 10th straight nonconference game. He’s the 17th Terp to accomplish that feat.

Game of the week

No. 4 Maryland field hockey tests itself at home against No. 15 Princeton on Thursday at 4 p.m. The teams last faced off in September 2022, with the Tigers winning 4-3 in double overtime.