Maryland volleyball’s veterans returned this season hoping to achieve something special. The results haven’t shown.
The Terps have just one win in 12 conference matches, their worst mark in that span since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Maryland’s issues have exacerbated as of late, with straight-set losses in seven of its past eight matches.
“I think the team is really disappointed about where they find themselves,” coach Adam Hughes said.
Injuries — some of which came before the season — have been a major factor in the team’s struggles.
Outside hitter Skylar Gerhardt, Villanova’s third-leading killer in 2023, has yet to make her Maryland debut, and fellow hitter Laila Ivey hasn’t played due to injury. Ivey, a junior, was Maryland’s third-leading killer last season. Both were expected to play major roles offensively.
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Sophomore Sydney Bryant stepped up in the pair’s absence, recording double-digit kills in five conference matches. But she was ruled out for the season after an injury ahead of the team’s matchup against Purdue, adding to the Terps’ injury woes.
The program’s veterans have shifted some of their focus as a deep run becomes more unrealistic.
Graduate student Samantha Schnitta and fifth-year Sam Csire have been composed voices amid a challenging season. The team’s leading killers are focused on passing down what they’ve built to the younger crop of players.
Underclassmen have gotten valuable match experience in what has become a retooling season.
Sophomore middle blocker Eva Rohrbach is averaging more kills and aces per set than she did as a freshman. Her blocking has dropped this season — an area the Terps have struggled in all year. But her mindset has impressed Hughes.
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“She even talked a lot in the beginning of the season about how she felt like she needed to be an impact player for us and for us to be at our best,” Hughes said. “We love the idea that, ‘Hey, I can change the complexion of the match.”’
Pin hitter Katie Scherer received a major opportunity with Bryant sidelined. She excelled against Purdue but struggled against Indiana, recording seven and zero kills, respectively. The freshman, who’s slated for a larger role next season, has gained invaluable experience in the season’s latter stages.
Maryland could finish under .500 for the first time since 2020. It’s a tough sendoff for its veterans who invested years into the program, but the younger players have shown a willingness to learn and take on bigger roles.
“I’ve got a young group that really is learning fast,” Hughes said. “I think we’re starting to get a lot of those voices that are much louder in the locker room.”
