Maryland volleyball sought to win back-to-back conference matches for the first time this season. Samantha Schnitta looked to be the one to seal it.

The pin hitter clobbered a spike across the court which a UCLA defender barely hit back up. A Bruins point would’ve tied the fourth set — instead, a miscommunication as they went for the next hit gave the Terps a victory.

The Terps (12-13, 3-11 Big Ten) defeated the Bruins, 3-1 at Xfinity Center on Saturday. Their consecutive wins came after eight straight losses and was their first time winning back-to-back games since September.

Maryland and UCLA entered with the most and least aces in the Big Ten, respectively. The Terps hit just one more ace than the Bruins, but their consistency was key. They had five less service errors than UCLA and avoided errors in late-set spots.

“We knew their middles were going to be problematic… that’s why the service pressure was key,” coach Adam Hughes said. “We needed to limit those guys getting opportunities.”

The Terps’ offense excelled, as they hit above .300 for the first time since Sep. 18. They had seven more kills than UCLA, constantly hitting all around the court. Three Terps finished with double-digit kills.

Schnitta came out aggressive for the Terps.

The graduate student crushed multiple kills early to give Maryland a lead. She finished with 22 kills, building off a strong performance against Michigan State on Thursday.

[Maryland volleyball snaps eight-game losing streak with 3-1 win over Michigan State]

Middle blocker Anastsia Russ emphatically blocked a UCLA spike attempt midway through the first set to win a seemingly endless point, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The Terps recorded 12 blocks as their front row defensive improvements continued.

Schnitta, Sam Csire and Katie Scherer each notched at least three kills in the first set, using a variety of shots to put pressure on the Bruins’ defense. Libero Lilly Gunter led the way defensively, including a remarkable diving save to help the Terps take a five-point lead.

Bruins graduate student Leilani Dodson hit a serve into the net, giving Maryland the first set. But UCLA won the first six points of the second. The Terps called timeout as they looked completely out of rhythm, hitting spikes into the net and suddenly blocking poorly.

Then they responded with a run of their own.

Junior Ally Williams made a remarkable diving save to extend a rally before Scherer crushed a spike off a defender to seal the point. The freshman continued her ascension with a career-high 13 kills, stepping up in the absence of Sydney Bryant.

“I thought she had one good outing and then a not-so-good outing last week, and I think she learned from that,” Hughes said. “She came back and had a great practice on Monday. It was a really good response, just knowing that she was going to get back to business.”

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Csire drilled a spike that ricocheted off a defender and hit the floor, cutting the deficit to one. But a few points later, Cheridyn Leverette crushed a spike across the court to seal the set for the Bruins, 25-23. The rallies went much faster in the second as both offenses killed at a rate above .380.

In the third, the Terps continued their offensive outburst.

Csire and Schnitta shined, constantly finding angles around defenders. They combined for back-to-back kills to give Maryland a one-point edge midway through. Scherer sealed the set, 25-19, with a spike down the right sideline which ricocheted out-of-play off a Bruin.

Schnitta, the Big Ten leader in aces, recorded back-to-back to cut into an early UCLA lead in the fourth. Maryland’s serving consistently put the Bruins out of rotation. It also didn’t record many errors, an issue that plagued the Terps during their eight-game skid.

Csire crushed a spike off a defender which hit the ceiling and fell to the floor, extending a late Terps lead, that would eventually turn into a win.

“As a coach, it just feels really good because they had a really good week of practice,” Hughes said. “They had a team meeting after our last loss, and to see them get a reward for the results… for the effort they put in, means a lot.”