BOONE, N.C. – The Maryland volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season in a five-set back-and-forth match to Radford Friday evening to start the Black & Gold Challenge.

The Highlanders (7-2) jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set before the Terps (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten) came back to tie the set at 11. Radford took the lead again and won the set, 26-24. Maryland rallied quickly and tied the match by taking the second set, 25-21.

The teams were neck and neck in the third set, but the Highlanders pulled away at the end to win, 25-23. The Terps continued to push the game and forced a fifth set with a 25-22 win in the fourth. Radford took the deciding game, 15-10, to hand the Terps their first loss under head coach Steve Aird.

Senior middle blocker Adreené Elliott led the Terps with 20 kills in the match and is now just eight kills from reaching the 1,000 career kills mark. Senior outside hitter Ashleigh Crutcher reached the 1,000 kills plateau earlier in the season.

Sophomore setter Carlotta Oggioni finished with a match-high 50 assists while junior libero Amy Dion recorded a match-high 25 digs.

Maryland recorded a .323 hitting percentage in the third set and a .320 percentage in the fifth while keeping the Highlanders to .282 or less the entire match.

The Terps finish the Black & Gold Challenge tomorrow with a 10 a.m. match against Georgia State and a 7 p.m. match against host Appalachian State.