COLLEGE PARK, Md. – For the fourth straight match, the Terps took a set off a ranked opponent as the Maryland volleyball team fell to No. 8 Nebraska in four sets Saturday in the XFINITY Center Pavilion. The Terps (13-17, 3-13 B1G) fell to the Huskers (22-4, 13-3) by set scores of 21-25, 25-23, 21-25, 18-25.
“I think we played well is stretches, but to beat a top-10 team, you have to play well from first whistle to last whistle,” head coach Steve Aird said. “I thought our kids played well and our young players competed hard at a high level.”
Freshman outside hitter Liz Twilley led the Terps and tied for the match lead with 15 kills while hitting .286. Senior outside hitter Adreené Elliott notched 12 kills, putting her in double digits for the 22nd time this season. Senior defensive specialist Amy Dion and freshman libero Kelsey Wicinski each notched 12 digs.
The Terps, who were swept by the Huskers just two weeks ago, showed a higher level of competition early Saturday evening. The first set featured 13 ties as the teams battled from the start. A block from Angel Gaskin and Hailey Murray and a service ace from Wicinski helped the Terps take a 5-2 lead early. The Huskers came back to tie the set multiple times before taking the lead at 18-17. Twilley and Gaskin notched late kills, but Nebraska was able to close the set, 25-21.
A Twilley kill and an Elliott ace put the Terps ahead, 3-0, in set two. The Terps capitalized on Husker errors and pulled ahead with an Ashlyn MacGregor-Whitney Craigo block at 15-11. Murray posted a kill and Twilley notched a solo block as Nebraska took a timeout with Maryland leading, 22-19. The Huskers extended the game with the Terps at set point three times before a touched Twilley kill sealed the set win for the Terps, 25-23.
The Huskers quickly took a 3-0 lead in set three but the Terps came back to tie, 9-9. Maryland continued to stay within a point of Nebraska before the Huskers took a 19-16 lead. Murray and Gaskin tallied late kills before Nebraska took the set, 25-21.
A pair of blocks helped the Huskers take a 10-5 advantage in set four. Craigo and MacGregor notched another block as the Terps pulled within one, 12-11. Nebraska pulled away again, 20-15, and despite a pair of kills from Elliott, the Huskers took a 22-18 lead. Three straight Nebraska points ended the set, 25-18.
Maryland, which leads the Big Ten in service aces, received one each from Dion, Elliott and Wicinski. The Terps held the Huskers, who came into the meeting averaging 1.12 aces per set, to just one in the match. Nebraska committed 18 service errors in the contest.
The Terps received solo blocks from Elliott and Twilley against the Huskers. Elliott is one away from tying Maryland's career solo block record of 97, held by Sherry Smith (1992-95).
Maryland closed a four-match home stretch vs. the Huskers. The Terps have one remaining home match this season, against Iowa on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
The Terps are back in action Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minn., at No. 4 Minnesota. The match will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. The Gophers will be the sixth-straight ranked opponent for Maryland and 13th overall this season. Seven Big Ten teams are currently ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
-Maryland-
