The Terps fall to 1-6 in conference play.
A packed crowd at the Xfinity Center Pavilion hoped to will Maryland volleyball to its second Big Ten win of the season. Ally Williams stepped behind the service line looking to get the Terps off to a quick start in front of a loud crowd.
Instead, No. 16 USC’s middle blocker Leah Ford set the tone of the match from the get-go with a kill. Three blocks from Ford gave the Trojans’ a quick 7-1 opening-set lead that they never relinquished.
Just like its previous two ranked matchups, Maryland looked immediately out of sorts. In their first match against USC since 2017, the Terps fell in its third consecutive straight-set defeat.
“We weren’t able to win the battle of possession, and playing from behind isn’t a place we would like to be in,” head coach Adam Hughes said.
Pin hitter Samantha Schnitta stopped the Trojans’ early run with her first kill of the match. But USC outside hitter Ally Batenhorst immediately eliminated any potential momentum for Maryland (10-8), recording her first of four opening-set kills.
With the score at 19-8, a service error from Ford catapulted a late Maryland run. Outside hitter Sam Csire and middle blocker Eva Rohrbach combined for a block, while Csire added another kill.
Defensive specialist Jonna Spohn capped off the run with a service ace before Batenhorst tallied a kill, ending the Terps’ five-point spurt. Middle blocker Anastasia Russ and setter Sydney Dowler teamed up for a block, but the Trojans closed out the set with three consecutive points. Maryland fell, 25-15, in the opening set.
Three early kills in the second set from Csire prevented the Terps from falling behind. Maryland found itself up one after a kill from Rohrbach, but USC (13-4) gathered some momentum. Batenhorst’s fifth kill of the match led to back-to-back service aces from setter Mia Tuaniga.
Batenhorst pushed the Trojans in front by four with a kill and service ace. A loud-block from Russ gave way to another service ace from Spohn, moving the score to 10-8. But just like in the previous set, USC responded with its own run, scoring six of the next seven points.
Maryland found itself trailing, 21-14, late in the set. Schnitta and outside hitter Sydney Bryant added a kill apiece, helping cut the deficit to four. Back-to-back blocks from Ariail and Trojans’ outside hitter Jadyn Livings finished it out, as the Terps fell, 25-17.
“They like to triple block, something a lot of teams don’t do,” Hughes said. “They are mimicking a different style that we don’t see a whole lot. You really have to be good in the serve and pass.”
Russ and Schnitta got Maryland started in the third set, each tallying a kill. With the score knotted at five apiece, consecutive kills from Livings gave USC a window of opportunity to move in front. But Bryant and Dowler shut it down with a kill and service ace, respectively.
Trailing 11-9, the Terps scored three of the next four points after two kills from Csire, while Schnitta recorded her second service ace of the match. Rohrbach and Csire kept Maryland within one, recording two kills apiece.
The home crowd, who had been waiting to explode all match, finally got its opportunity after the Terps pushed in front, 21-20. Two kills from Csire and one from Bryant gave Maryland the three-point run it desperately needed.
A kill from Schnitta put the Terps just two points away from their first set victory in three matches. The Trojans extinguished any chance of that happening, though, scoring the last three points. Livings closed it out for USC with back-to-back service aces, giving USC a 25-23 third-set victory.
“Really thankful we had a great crowd tonight,” Hughes said. “It was good to have the place packed and welcoming USC. Wish we would have started faster. We competed better in game three, but lost in serve and pass. When you do that against a really good team, that makes the challenge that much higher.”
Three things to know
1. Worst conference start since 2020. Maryland has opened Big Ten play with just one win over its first seven matches. While the Terps have faced tough competition, including four ranked opponents, they have yet to put themselves in any position to pull off an upset.
2. Schnitta remains quiet. Schnitta’s five kills in the match tied her lowest total of the season. The last time she had less than eight kills was back on Aug. 31 against New Hampshire, when she recorded five as well. Schnitta followed that up with 12 matches of double-digit kills. She’ll look to get back on track Sunday against Illinois.
3. Blocking struggles. The Terps have just six total blocks over the past three matches, despite posting 41.5 blocks during the first four Big Ten matches. In six of the seven conference matches, Maryland has allowed double-digit blocks.
“I don’t think it’s personnel based,” Hughes said. “We’ve got to do a better job putting them in places to make some plays.”