Maryland volleyball’s Sydney Dowler and Zoe Huang were a dynamic setter duo for the Terps’ opening weekend of play.
Though the fifth-year and senior were key in the season’s first three matches, which included a victorious season-opener, their roles extend beyond the court.
Coach Adam Hughes called Dowler the team’s go-to leader. He feels the same about Huang.
“The three rotations she’s off, she’s celebrating, she’s almost on the court jumping on people,” Hughes said. “That matters, that’s a great way to be a good teammate and try to help the team find ways to win.
The pair combined for 49 assists and 16 digs in Maryland’s five-set loss to New Hampshire on Saturday. Huang even surprised herself — she secured a career-high 29 assists and 12 digs, marking her first career double-double.
Huang recorded just nine digs in her junior season, but Hughes’ belief in her remains steady.
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“She’s always been a really good setter,” Hughes said. “She’s gained a lot of confidence in her time here.”
Dowler’s 69 assists in three games place her in the Big Ten’s top 15. She led the Terps for three straight years and maintained her edge on Saturday with 20 assists.
The Terps have experimented with different formations early in the season. They started with just one setter in the season-opener last weekend and placed a setter in the back and front for the latter two LSU Tournament bouts.
Dowler has handled the experimentation “with the utmost class,” Hughes said.
“In game two and game three, we went with a hybrid model where [Dowler] set from the front row and Zoe came off the bench and set in the back row,” Hughes said. “That allows some differences, and Syd was blocking incredibly well.”
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The Terps are seventh-best in the Big Ten for assists so far this season. The two-setter approach could lose continuity, but with the right balance, Hughes believes the strategy can be successful.
The Terps have adopted “closing the loop” as their new mantra. They learn new skills, apply them in drills and practices, and follow through in matches.
Huang and Dowler are key to achieving this goal as setters. Their value extends past matches and practices, as they set the tone for the team’s chemistry.
Huang believes part of her role is to provide her teammates with support when they need it. She calls herself the team’s glue, which Hughes attests to.
“She’s one of the athletes that I will remember for my career, not just the volleyball stuff but off the court as well,” Hughes said.
