COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland volleyball team will face the nation's best in 2016, including 17 matches against NCAA Tournament programs, in the Terrapins' most difficult schedule in program history, head coach Steve Aird announced Thursday.
 
“We have made a lot of progress over the last 24 months and we are really excited about this season and beyond,” Aird said. “We will have a young group and the schedule will test us a great deal. But for me, this schedule is the next part of the process to hopefully build a program that can have sustained success.” 
 
The Terps will face three of the 2015 Final Four programs, including national champion Nebraska, Minnesota and Kansas. Maryland will see five Elite Eight squads including Pac-12 powerhouses Washington and USC. Nine of the Terrapins' opponents reached the Sweet 16 in 2015.

Eleven of Mayland's opponents finished last season ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll, including seven top-10 teams. The Terps will face a tough road in the nation's best volleyball conference. Big Ten programs have won the last three NCAA titles and eight of the last 10 national championships.
 
“We have great buy in from the current team, some good young players coming in and we will prepare the right way,” Aird added. “We are going in the right direction and I think it is going to be fun to be part of this program over the next few years. The future is bright here, and it's going to be bright for a long time.”
 
Under Aird, the Terps have created an electric atmosphere, averaging more than 1,200 fans per match in each of the last two seasons. Under the current coaching staff, Maryland has set five of the program's top-10 attendance records in College Park.
 
The Terps open the season with the annual Maryland Invite, hosting Delaware State, Sacred Heart and Eastern Michigan on Aug. 26 and 27. Maryland travels to national semifinalist Kansas for the Kansas Invitational on Sept. 2 and 3, where the Terrapins will face the Jayhawks, Arkansas and Chicago State.
 
The Terps stay local for the Georgetown Classic, where Maryland will take on the Hoyas, Towson and Princeton on Sept. 9 and 10.
 
Maryland closes the nonconference schedule in Los Angeles against Oklahoma and Elite Eight teams Washington and USC on Sept. 15 and 16. The teams are in the third year of a four-year tournament and will compete in College Park in 2017.
 
The Terps kick off conference play on the road at reigning Big Ten champion Minnesota and Wisconsin on Sept. 23 and 24. After facing Iowa on Sept. 28, Maryland opens the home conference schedule against Illinois on Oct. 2.
 
The Terrapins travel to Michigan and Michigan State on Oct. 7 and 8. Maryland hosts Iowa and Nebraska on Oct. 14 and 16. and Michigan at home Oct. 19 before traveling to Rutgers on Oct 22.
 
Maryland competes in a home-and-home with travel partner Ohio State on Oct. 26 and 28. The Terps travel to Purdue on Nov. 2.
 
The team hosts Minnesota, Penn State and Rutgers in a three-match home stand. In the Terps' final road weekend, Maryland travels to Illinois to face the Fighting Illini and Northwestern on Nov. 18 and 19. The Terps close the regular season at home against Purdue on Nov. 23 and Indiana on Nov. 25.
 
Season and single-match tickets will go on sale in July through the Maryland Ticket Office and umterps.com.