Coach Adam Hughes and Maryland volleyball traded blows against Davidson in the first game of a weekend road trip to North Carolina — a match that saw three different players either match or surpass their season highs in kills.
Ajack Malual capped another standout performance with her 20th kill to seal a 15-12 fifth set, extending Maryland’s winning streak.
Maryland (5-2) entered on a four-game winning streak after sweeping earlier in the week during its home opener. Davidson (4-4), meanwhile, had lost two straight matches heading into the bout.
Immediately, the Terps showed no signs of slowing down when they opened the match with a 6-0 run and forced an early Davidson timeout.
Malual came into the game as the Terps’ offensive workhorse and scored three of the team’s first six points to start the match.
The Wildcats were persistent despite Maryland’s good start — forcing Hughes to call a timeout following a 4-0 run of their own. The Terps regrouped to go up 23-16 and closed out the first set, 25-20, despite a late Davidson push.
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Eva Rohrbach, who came into the match ranking in the team’s top three in both blocks and kills per set, reinforced the start to her season by contributing nine and ten, respectively, across the match.
Davidson quickly jumped out to a 6-2 lead early in the second set — which was defined by short runs for both the Wildcats and Terps, quickly followed by timeouts. Maryland cut the deficit as little as one, but Davidson still won 25-22 to tie the match.
The two teams fought to establish an edge in the match. Outside hitter Elena Garcia-Guerrios helped boost the Wildcats early in the third set, but Maryland’s best offensive weapons came together to surge to a 17-13 lead.
Davidson’s offense still regrouped and quickly scored 12 of the last 14 points to put the set away. Garcia-Guerrios had racked up 16 kills through three sets, more than she recorded in all but one full match she’s played this season. She ended with 21, tying her season high.
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The Terps came out with urgency in the fourth set and scored the first four points with its winning streak on the line. Outside hitter Olivia Ruy stepped up in the late sets and finished the match with a season-high 16 kills.
Ruy and Malual led Maryland against Garcia-Guerros and Davidson in the fourth set as the trio combined for about half the total kills logged in the match. The Terps’ offense clicked again in the clutch, forcing a decisive fifth set.
Maryland surged ahead 7-3 in the final frame behind three more Malual kills, giving her a new season high, before Davidson’s attack faded. The Terps’ resilience once again carried them past an opponent’s high-effort performance.
