Maryland volleyball played neck-and-neck with a premiere program for one set. It wasn’t anywhere close during the other three.

The Terps fell to No. 4 Penn State in four sets at Xfinity Center on Sunday. The loss dropped coach Adam Hughes to 0-10 against a program he was apart of for nine years.

Maryland (13-14) and Penn State (25-2) entered first and 12th, respectively, in aces in the Big Ten. But the Nittany Lions notched four more aces as the Terps didn’t find the serving advantage that they did during their three-match win streak.

The Nittany Lions came out aggressive with kills on their first five points won.

Penn State, which leads the Big Ten in kills, crushed shots at tight angles all around the court. It consistently hit spikes faster and placed them better than Maryland’s three most recent opponents. Four different Nittany Lions had double-digit kills.

Middle blocker Anastasia Russ emphatically blocked a Penn State spike attempt midway through the initial set. It sent the crowd into a frenzy and cut the deficit to three in front of an announced crowd of 1,938, the highest total at the Xfinity Center Pavilion this season.

[No. 11 Maryland women’s basketball continues hot start with 98-63 rout of Towson]

But the Nittany Lions stormed back with a commanding run to easily take the set, 25-13. They hit .483 and had over double the digs of Maryland. The opening set looked like a matchup between a team competing for a national championship and one hovering around .500.

“In Game 1, we felt we were scrapping pretty well,” Hughes said. “I just didn’t feel like we’re finishing our hands enough and blocking some balls. I thought that was a huge change in Game 2, and then in Game 3 and 4 still couldn’t get back to it.”

The Terps completely turned things around in the second set.

Pin hitter Samantha Schnitta, off an 18-kill effort, crushed shots all over the court to lead a rejuvenated offensive effort. Setter Sydney Dowler didn’t start, but entered and made an impact with multiple kills from the front row. The veteran duo combined for 17 kills.

Libero Lilly Gunter led on defense with multiple diving saves to help tighten the dig disparity. Penn State — which played nearly flawless in the first — hit just .167 in the second as the Terps’ defense was able to consistently extend rallies.

Russ tied the set late with a huge block to end a rally which defensive specialist Jonna Spohn extended via a diving save. Freshman Katie Scherer notched her fourth kill a few points later to seal the set, 25-22.

[Maryland football falls 31-17 to Rutgers behind struggles from Billy Edwards Jr.]

But the Nittany Lions responded with a 6-0 run at the outset of the third.

Outside hitters Hannah Camryn and Jess Mruzik put immense pressure on the Terps’ defense with a combined 32 kills. Izzy Starck’s consistent setting was vital for the duo’s domination — she finished with a match-high 49 assists.

“Their two outsides just hit them out of trouble … it’s just a tough place if we’re not getting stops in those situations,” Hughes said. “It’s almost the equivalent of football. You get third downs and you can’t execute … they just give a drive away.”

Defensive specialist Quinn Menger crushed a serve which ricocheted off Schnitta well out-of-play, ending a lopsided third set. She notched another one midway through the fourth to extend the Penn State lead to 10-7 and prompt a Maryland timeout.

The Terps’ defense, which ran all over the court throughout, looked fatigued late. Its front row also struggled to anticipate balls in the closing set, failing to record any blocks. Mruzik sealed a dominant set, 25-15, with her 15th kill. Penn State hit .565 in the final set.

“They did some things tonight that we just didn’t really have answers for,” Hughes said. “Less about pressure situations and more about just consistency of habits.”