Maryland volleyball faced a one-point deficit in the final set of its match against Iowa, seeking to save match point in pursuit of its first Big Ten victory.
The Hawkeyes’ Michelle Urquhart rocketed a spike deep down the left sideline. Junior Ally Williams dove for the ball but couldn’t keep it in play, sealing consecutive five-set defeats for the Terps.
Maryland has struggled this season in what coach Adam Hughes defines as the “red zone,” late in a set where the score is within two points. These issues have been exacerbated as conference play has begun.
In the opening set of Saturday’s match, Rutgers avoided four set points before an Alissa Kinkela service error eventually gave Maryland the set. The Terps ultimately won in straight sets, but the Scarlet Knights saved seven set points amid an abundance of Maryland errors.
The inability to push past the “red zone” proved much more costly in a loss to Northwestern.
Graduate student Anastasia Russ, second on the team in blocks, didn’t play due to an ankle injury. The Wildcats took advantage of the middle blocker’s absence, winning each of their last five points on kills as Maryland’s defense collapsed.
[Maryland volleyball’s strong serving helped it thrive against Rutgers]
Middle blocker Eva Rohrbach faced extra pressure with Russ out. The sophomore excelled offensively with 10 kills but had four serving errors — one of which came on Maryland’s only match point in the fourth set that they ultimately lost.
“That seems to be our Achilles’ heel right now … once we find ourselves late in games, we seem to lose a little bit of our execution,” Hughes said. “Those are times where in the red zone, you have to finish, and that’s been a challenge for us.”
Maryland has played a game called “20-20” in practice to improve on closing sets. Teams start tied at 20, where if either side makes an unforced error, the score resets and they start over again. The idea is for both sides to play as consistently as possible to emulate a late-game situation where avoiding unforced errors is key.
Hughes is still navigating the balance between heavy practice and resting when the team plays twice in three days.
“It’s been challenging in ways … because of the in-between day,” Hughes said. “You don’t want to do too much, but you’re also trying to address some things you want to fix for the next day.”
Maryland faced Iowa just two days after the grueling Northwestern loss and saw a lead evaporate late as its self-inflicted errors piled up.
[Maryland volleyball earns first Big Ten win, beats Rutgers in straight sets]
Big Ten ace leader Samantha Schnitta had a chance to extend a late two-point edge when she stepped to the service line. But the pin hitter recorded her season-high seventh service error of the match.
A few points later, Schnitta tried to tap a shot short down the middle for a kill to even the score. But Iowa’s Gracie Gibson emphatically blocked her shot to the back of Maryland’s side, falling untouched. The Hawkeyes then took advantage of match points.
“We just continue to find ways not to be able to capitalize in fifth games … or we’d be on our course to having a special season right now,” Hughes said. “So as the leader of the program, I’ve got to find some solutions.”
That loss dropped the Terps to just 2-3 in five-set matches this year. They had a 4-2 mark in those contests last season.
Maryland’s win over Rutgers showed improvement in the “red zone.” It will need more consistency in difficult upcoming matches at No. 9 Wisconsin and No. 14 Minnesota.
“That is a mindset … be consistent for as long as you can to see if you can create the windows,” Hughes said. “When you’re there, be ready for it but try not to get too high or too low.”
