Katherine Scherer remained on the court while Maryland volleyball was down a set to UCF. The freshman, who previously appeared in three sets in a match just once, notched a career-best effort to help the Terps secure their eighth straight win.
Scherer gained confidence playing in lopsided matches earlier in the season, part of Maryland’s excellent stretch following a poor 1-2 start to the season. She is one of the young players on the Terps’ roster who has played a pivotal role entering conference play.
In her second career match, Scherer struggled with a .154 hitting percentage against Delaware State. Coach Adam Hughes said the pin hitter needed to believe in herself more and make the most of her opportunities.
Scherer achieved that in the Terps’ next match against Nevada. She hit .500 in a sweep over the Wolf Pack, giving Hughes the confidence to trust her in a bigger spot the next day versus the Knights.
Scherer rewarded Hughes with a five-kill fourth set in a rare time this season the Terps have been a set away from defeat.
“It was Katie’s time,” Hughes said. “I said ‘Hey, go out there and be aggressive.’ She took some big hacks, gave the team some more confidence.”
Scherer is not the only freshman who has impressed Hughes.
[Maryland volleyball defeats UCF, 3-2, in tight five-set battle]
Like Scherer, Duru Gökçen’s second match came against Delaware State, entering with the Terps already up a set. The middle blocker made an immediate impact, giving the Terps a two-set lead on a lethal spike and finishing with a career-high four kills in the victory.
Hughes said that performance built trust for the coaching staff.
“She’s finding out how the centers are setting and she’s made huge strides,” Hughes said.
Beyond their strong freshman, the Terps have a dynamic sophomore duo in Sydney Bryant and Eva Rohrbach.
Bryant had a similar experience last season as a freshman to Scherer’s, where she only played in half of Maryland’s matches.
This year the outside hitter has been a key factor in the Terps’ large margins of victory, already surpassing her kills and digs total from last year by 25 and 13, respectively.That includes a season-high 13-kill performance in a five-set win over American in the second weekend of the season. Bryant ranks third on Maryland in kills.
“She was in and out of the lineup a little bit last year,” Hughes said. “This year she’s in a bigger role for us playing full-time. I just think she’s learning what that feels like, what it’s going to mean. I think she’s just gaining confidence.”
[Maryland volleyball extends win streak to 6 with 3-1 win over Delaware State]
Hughes has not consistently started freshmen over the past few seasons. Rohrbach was an exception to that last year.
The middle blocker instantly stepped into a crucial role in replace of Rainelle Jones, Maryland’s all-time block leader. Rohrbach led the Terps in blocks as a freshman and finished third among all NCAA freshmen.
Rohrbach has improved this season, averaging more kills and digs per set while sitting fourth on the team in kills. Hughes was even impressed with her zero-kill outing two matches ago.
“Our match against Nevada, she easily could have gotten frustrated and instead just went back to work,” Hughes said.
Rohrbach excelled against UCF with a career-high 13 kills in the Terps’ final non-conference match of the season. She’s been the most consistent of Maryland’s underclassmen.
The Terps went just 7-13 record in conference play last season. They hope their young depth is talented enough to avoid a similar Big Ten slate this year.
