Eight players participated in their final match for Maryland volleyball on Saturday, looking to lead a momentous upset against No. 2 Nebraska.

For one set, Maryland competed with a top program in the country. It was obliterated in the others. The Cornhuskers recovered from their first conference loss to No. 4 Penn State Friday and beat Maryland in four sets on Saturday.

It was the Terps’ first match in the main gym at Xfinity Center, featuring a crowd of 13,071 — over six times as large as the previous high this season.

Nebraska’s defense, ranked third and sixth in the Big Ten in digs and blocks, respectively, was a key difference. It had 50 digs and anticipated better as the match progressed. The Cornhuskers’ front row dominated the net, recording five times the blocks of Maryland (14-17, 5-15 Big Ten) and repeatedly sealing points to extend large runs — especially after the initial set.

[Maryland volleyball sweeps Rutgers for second time this season]

Maryland and Nebraska (29-2, 19-1 Big Ten) entered first and 16th in aces per set. The Cornhuskers hit three more aces and controlled points with their serving. Graduate student Samantha Schnitta, the conference leader in that stat, hit just one in her final collegiate match. She finished with the most aces in a single-season by a Terp with 88.

“They do a good job from the end line, mixing and matching and changing speeds,” coach Adam Hughes said. “If you’re playing a high out-of-system game against Nebraska, it’s gonna be pretty challenging to score.”

Both offenses came out aggressive. Eight points in a row ended on kills, with rallies finishing rapidly. Nebraska middle blocker Andi Jackson drilled multiple kills from the front row, putting instantaneous pressure on Maryland’s defense to anticipate well. The Cornhuskers’ shots came in at tight angles and with fast pace.

Maryland’s offense used both spikes deep in the court and shallow dinks to keep Nebraska’s top defense off-balance. Five different players notched kills in the opener to help keep the set close despite the Terps’ defensive woes.

“I thought we got a couple of good plays in the first maybe 15 points that gave us a little bit of confidence,” Hughes said. “They gave us a couple of errors… kind of opened up the window for us to try to take advantage of.”

Middle blocker Eva Rohrbach and freshman Katie Scherer combined for a forceful block to halt Nebraska’s offensive dominance and tie the score at 23. The Cornhuskers saved a few set points before back-to-back errors gave the Terps a back-and-forth first set, 27-25.

[No. 4 Penn State demolishes Maryland football in season finale, 44-7]

Nebraska’s attackers continued to crush shots at and around defenders, keeping huge strain on the Terps’ back row to lengthen points. Outside hitter Merritt Beason constantly demolished unreturned shots at defenders. She finished with a match-high 19 kills.

The Cornhuskers’ defense drastically improved. It recorded five blocks in the set and put increased pressure on the Terps’ hitters to avoid high-hands with their spikes. Maryland hit just -.135 in a set which it lost handily, 25-14.

“In game two and three, I thought they made some really good defensive plays… we kind of lost composure,” Hughes said. “When you win game one that increases the pressure. There’s a window of opportunity… we weren’t able to stand tall.”

Nebraska’s supremacy continued into the third as it took a quick five-point lead off multiple Olivia Mauch aces. Its defense continued to improve, seemingly reading attackers’ shot placement with ease as the set progressed.

The Terps’ defense collapsed, recording zero blocks in the set and failing to extend rallies. Nebraska took it easily, 25-8, as Maryland had no answers on either side of the ball.

The Cornhuskers’ ferocious early-set runs continued into the fourth.

They raced out to a seven-point lead on a Bergen Reilly block. Maryland continued to be forced out-of-system and showed little ability to recover, finishing the match with 23 fewer kills. It lost the set, 25-12, and finished the season with its worst mark in Big Ten play since 2020.

“Three successful seasons in a row, we’re a little bit down this year, but I love that that is a down year for us,” Hughes said. “Now the youngsters have to take the torch, and I’m pretty excited about the future.”