IOWA CITY, Iowa – Despite 17 team blocks and 20 kills from senior outside hitter Ashleigh Crutcher, the Maryland volleyball team fell, 3-2 (18-25, 25-18, 25-15, 15-25, 15-17) at Iowa Wednesday evening.
Freshman middle blocker Hailey Murray made a career-high 14 kills on .393 hitting. Crutcher hit the 20-kill mark for the fifth time this season on .333 hitting.
Errors from the Terrapins (9-21, 2-17 Big Ten) allowed the Hawkeyes (14-16, 6-13) to take an early 8-4 lead in set one. Maryland pulled within three with a block from Murray and sophomore middle blocker Chavi St. Hill before Iowa took a 17-11 lead. Crutcher and Murray each made kills and combined for a block as the Terps tried to climb back. Sophomore middle blocker Ashlyn MacGregor followed a kill with an assisted block alongside Crutcher, but a Hawkeye kill took the set, 25-18.
Maryland turned the match around in the second set, hitting .500 as a team with 15 kills and just one error. The Terps jumped out to a 4-1 lead on kills from Murray and MacGregor and block from Crutcher and MacGregor. After an Iowa timeout, the Hawkeyes recorded four straight points on their way to tying the game at 10. A kills from St. Hill and a pair of Terrapin blocks allowed Maryland slip away, before a Crutcher kill gave the visitors a 17-12 lead.
Junior outside hitter Emily Fraik slammed down a kill before service an ace to put the Terps on set point. On the third attempt, a kill from Murray allowed Maryland to tie the match, 1-1.
The Terps continued to hold the momentum into the third set, hitting .267 while holding the Hawkeyes to just .091. Murray nailed three straight kills and MacGregor was able to serve two straight aces as Maryland took a 12-4 lead. Fraik and Crutcher added kills to further the Maryland lead. MacGregor made her third service ace of the game to pull the Terps ahead, 21-14. A pair of Murray kills and one from Crutcher gave Maryland a 25-15 set win and a 2-1 match advantage.
After the intermission, the Hawkeyes broke out to a 6-1 lead with help from five straight Lauren Brobst kills. Errors plagued the Terps in the set as they were unable to find a rhythm. Murray made a solo block and Fraik tallied three kills, but Iowa tied the match at two with a 25-15 set win.
The teams continued the back and forth into the fifth set. After Maryland took a 2-0 lead on a St.Hill-Murray block, the Hawkeyes came back to tie the game. The Terps pulled away to an 8-5 lead with a service ace from sophomore setter Carlotta Oggioni, a block and a Crutcher kill. Iowa tied the set again at 10 before taking a 13-12 lead. Crutcher was able to tie the game at 13 and 14 as the Terps nullified the Hawkeyes match point attempt. With the Hawkeyes on match point again at 15-14, a kill from Fraik again tied the set. A Maryland service error and a kill gave Iowa a 17-15 set victory and a match win.
Oggioni paced the Terps with 22 assists while sophomore setter Whitney Craigo led the team with 10 digs. MacGregor led the match with nine blocks (1 BS, 8 BA). Iowa's Brobst led the match with 23 kills.
The Terps close out the season Saturday against Northwestern (16-13, 6-12) in the XFINITY Center Pavilion. The match will begin at 7 p.m., and seniors Ashleigh Crutcher, Catie Coyle, Kaitlyn King and Nicola Ribisi will be honored before first serve.
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