The Terps defeated the Scarlet Knights for the second time this season.
Holding a 23-17 lead in the first set, Maryland volleyball looked to avoid another late-set collapse and take a lead over Rutgers.
The Terps did exactly that, but not without some struggles. The Scarlet Knights scored three of the next four points, cutting the Terps’ lead to four.
Then, outside hitter Sam Csire wrapped it up for Maryland, hitting a ball cross court that Rutgers was unable to handle. The Terps rode their success from the opening set, collecting a straight-set victory Friday night over the Scarlet Knights.
“We did a really good job trying to stay steady,” head coach Adam Hughes said. “One of the things we wanted to do was keep the same mindset no matter who we are playing.”
Maryland entered the match on a three-game losing streak and with some road woes. But the Terps put that all in the rearview, picking up just their second Big Ten win away from College Park this season.
The Terps scored the first three points of the match off kills from pin hitter Samantha Schnitta and middle blocker Anastasia Russ. But their run came to a halt after multiple errors, helping knot the score at four apiece.
Then, Schnitta stepped behind the service line and tallied an ace, along with a kill, to help the Terps jump out to a 12-5 lead. Just three points later, Maryland recorded its third block of the match, as setter Sydney Dowler and middle blocker Eva Rohrbach stuffed Rutgers’ attack at the net.
Rutgers appeared to have seized the momentum, cutting the deficit to two, but Rohrbach had other ideas, as her powerful swing gave the Scarlet Knights’ problems. Schnitta followed it up with her second ace of the match. Maryland held off Rutgers to win the first set, 25-20.
Libero Alleigh Dutton helped the Scarlet Knights get in front, 7-4, in the second set, as she recorded a service ace. Pin hitter Katherine Scherer got Maryland back in the set with a kill, and Csire added another to cut the deficit to one.
But Rutgers held off the early push. The Scarlet Knights scored three straight points, extending its lead to four points.
The Terps had an answer, though, through the play of Schnitta. She recorded a kill and two aces to get Maryland back within one. The Terps continued this momentum, rattling off nine of the next 10 points. Three more blocks gave the Terps a set point, before Rohrbach closed it out, 25-19, with a serve that whipped past every Rutgers defender.
“I thought the body language was good, the communication stayed consistent,” Hughes said. “I didn’t think there was any panic or pressure. We had some people step up.”
In the third set, back-to-back service aces from Schnitta pushed Maryland out to a 5-3 lead. Later, Schnitta helped the Terps maintain their two-point advantage with a tip shot.
Ahead 10-8, the Terps rattled off three consecutive points off a kill and block from Scherer. Libero Lilly Gunter capped off the run with an ace, Maryland’s ninth of the match. Two kills from Csire moved the score to 18-12.
“When someone goes off like [Schnitta] did, it takes some of the pressure off some other people,” Hughes said. “I thought that kind of opened the door for us to mix and match where we were serving locations.”
But Rutgers would not go away. It cut the deficit to three points, but Scherer — who had an efficient 55% hitting percentage — helped Maryland wrap it up, 25-22.
“The key for us is that for the past 2-3 weeks, [Scherer’s] been producing and putting up huge numbers in our practices,” Hughes said. “There [are] some nerves of being a younger player, and I think some of those things are starting to wear off.”
The Terps have a quick turnaround, heading back to Xfinity Center to face No. 2 Nebraska tomorrow in their season finale.
Three things to know
1. Same team, same result. The last time these two squads met on Oct. 5, Maryland defeated Rutgers in straight sets. The Terps matched that exact same result on Friday, as they picked up the season sweep.
2. Young players shined. The Terps — who have eight players graduating from their roster — will have a lot of questions for next season. But against Rutgers, the young players gave fans a glimpse of what the future of the program will look like. Rohrbach tallied eight kills and eight blocks, while Scherer notched a game-high 12 kills.
3. Schnitta dominated on the court. The nation’s leader in service aces played well in all facets of the game. Schnitta knotted an impressive performance, recording nine kills, 10 digs and six service aces.