The Terps look to continue their two-game win streak.
After snapping its eight-game losing streak, Maryland volleyball (12-13, 3-11 Big Ten) is now coming into the weekend riding consecutive conference wins for the first time all season, which moved the Terps into a three-way tie for 14th place in the Big Ten.
Maryland, who had won just one set in nearly four weeks entering last weekend, came out on top in four sets against both Michigan State and UCLA. The Terps hope to carry this newfound momentum into the last six matches of the season, two of which are at home.
The Terps travel to Ohio State on Friday at 7 p.m. before returning home to face No. 4 Penn State on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Both matches will be aired on Big Ten Plus.
Ohio State Buckeyes (11-13, 4-10 Big Ten)
Fourth-year head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg has struggled to match her success from her first two seasons at the helm. After making the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals in 2021 and regional finals in 2022, Ohio State went 11-18 last year, its lowest win total in almost two decades.
This season, the Buckeyes have once again struggled in Big Ten play. After going 7-3 in nonconference play — an improvement from last year — Ohio State sits in 13th place in the conference. The Buckeyes started off 1-9 in Big Ten play before picking up wins in three of their last four matches.
Players to know
Emily Londot, graduate student outside hitter, No. 22 — After breaking onto the scene as a freshman — winning the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Freshman of the Year — Londot remains one of the best players in the country. She is a two-time member of the AVCA All-American second team. This season, Londot ranks 20th in the nation with 4.4 kills per set.
Olivia Hasbrook, freshman defensive specialist, No. 6 — As a member of the AVCA High School All-American first team last season, Hasbrook has lived up to the pre-college hype. She is fifth in the Big Ten with 361 digs and 3.9 digs per set. Hasbrook had a season-high 22 digs in Ohio State’s five-set loss to Penn State earlier this season.
No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions (23-2, 13-1 Big Ten)
What happened last time
In its toughest test of the season so far, Maryland fell in four sets on the road to then-No. 3 Penn State on Oct. 3. The Terps took the first set and had opportunities to win both the second and third set, but collapsed late in those sets.
Maryland had three players with double-digit kills: pin hitter Samantha Schnitta (19), outside hitter Sydney Bryant (12) and outside hitter Sam Csire (11). Setter Sydney Dowler had a season-high 38 assists. Despite this, the Terps hit a woeful 18.8% with 21 attacking errors.
Maryland played stout defensively throughout the match, recording just four fewer digs than Penn State. Libero Lilly Gunter posted a game-high 19 digs, while Csire contributed 13 of her own.
But the Terps were outblocked, 14-10, and gave up 56 kills, 17 of which were to outside hitter Jess Mruzik.
What happened since
Since its win over the Terps, Penn State has continued to dominate teams, falling in just one match to then-No. 7 Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions have three wins against teams in the AVCA poll: No. 11 Oregon, No. 16 Minnesota and No. 23 USC.
Penn State has been one of the best offensive teams in the nation this season. It ranks fourth in both assists per set (13.5) and kills per set (14.6). The Nittany Lions also have 2.5 blocks per set, a mark that’s good for seventh in the Big Ten and 45th in the country.
Mruzik remains one of the best hitters in the country, ranking 17th in the nation with 4.5 kills per set. She finds herself on the AVCA National Player of the Year watchlist. Setter Izzy Starck has been one of the nation’s best freshmen, recording the eighth-most assists per set (10.9).
Three things to watch
1. First Big Ten road win. While Maryland has picked up three conference wins this season, it has yet to find any success on the road. The Terps have gone 2-7 away from home, with a staggering 0-6 record in the Big Ten.
2. Emergence of Katherine Scherer. Scherer, a 6-foot-2 pin hitter, has played exceptionally well after Bryant’s season-ending injury. Scherer recorded a career-high 13 kills in the match against UCLA. Now, she faces her toughest test in No. 4 Penn State.
3. Revenge game for Adam Hughes. After spending nine years on Penn State’s staff, Hughes has yet to pick up a win against his former team. He is 0-9 against the Nittany Lions in his seven years at Maryland, including a four-set loss earlier this year. The Terps will be looking for their first signature win of the season.
“I thought we were pretty good defensively in that match,” Hughes said. “We’re trying to be in the mindset of what got us there. We played really hard. I think we’ve taken steps in the last couple weeks, played a little bit better, but that doesn’t guarantee a success.”