A top-15 team, headed by an Olympic gold medalist, visited College Park for Maryland gymnastics’ first home meet of the year.

The Terps fared well overall. But their season-low score on beam proved too much to overcome.

On a record attendance night, No. 23 Maryland fell to No. 11 UCLA on Saturday, 197.550-194.850.

The Terps (2-3, 0-1 Big Ten) started on vault in their home opener, the event with the most turnover from last season. Their lineup in their first meet of the year featured three new starters — graduate student Alexa Rothenbuescher, and sophomores Logan Buckmon and Layla Hammer.

After a relatively sluggish start to their seasons last weekend, the trio looked especially more comfortable on Saturday. Buckmon and Hammer both tallied 9.750, and Rothenbuescher scored 9.775.

Maryland, who totaled 48.5500 on vault last time out, scored a much-improved 48.975. Sophomore Natalie Martin, a potential successor to Rothenbuescher as the squad’s all-arounder, tallied a 9.875 to pace the team.

[Maryland gymnastics opens season with third place finish in San Antonio Collegiate Invite]

But the Terps trailed after the first rotation as UCLA (4-2, 1-0 Big Ten) excelled on the bars. Junior Jordan Chiles, returning from a year-long break to train and compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics, rounded out the team’s rotation. The three-time Olympic medalist was spectacular.

As soon as the Houston native perfectly stuck her dismount, the crowd erupted, then silently waited in anticipation. The jumbotron flashed a 10.000, the junior’s first of the year.

Every Bruin scored more than a 9.700 in rotation one as they narrowly led early, 49.325-48.950.

The schools swapped events in the second rotation. Maryland moved to bars, where it ranked No. 22 in the country entering the meet.

Much like vault, bars saw lineup-wide improvement from the Terps’ first meet. Bars specialist Sierra Kondo nailed her routine and scored a 9.950, the highest score in her four years with the program and a season-high for the team, narrowly edging

Rothenbuescher’s 9.900 on floor in San Antonio. The senior powered the Terps to a 49.250 in the second rotation, another team-high for the season.

[Recruiting roundup: Maryland gymnastics strikes lightning with Kylee McQueen]

Maryland moved to beam after cutting into its deficit. It faced its first struggles of the night.

Hammer opened the third rotation with a 9.475 — the Terps’ lowest score of the night to that point. While sophomore Lauren Brendlinger responded with a strong 9.800 and Rothenbuescher followed with a 9.600, two costly falls ensued.

Victoria Gatzendorfer, who posted a 9.800 in San Antonio, slipped off the beam during her routine. As she collected herself, her teammates, the crowd and UCLA all supported her as she climbed back on the apparatus and finished her routine. With other mistakes, the senior scored an 8.725, a season-low for any event.

Martin, who’s worst event was beam last year, also stumbled off the beam. She was penalized more than a full point, scoring an 8.950. Maryland totaled 47.675, its first event total below 48 this season.

The Terps finished the night on floor — their best event on the season — but still couldn’t trim their deficit. Brendlinger started with a 9.650, slightly below her 9.800 last week. The biggest blow was Rothenbuescher. She pulled up and walked off the floor in the middle of her routine, unable to finish.

Even with a seemingly mistake-riddled beam rotation and Rothenbuescher unable to finish on floor, the Terps’ performances on vault and bars buoyed their score. Maryland still finished slightly below its first meet score of 195.400 and dropped under .500 early on the season.