COLLEGE PARK, Md.  – Three Terps posted double-digit kills as the Maryland volleyball team opened the season with a 3-0 win over Eastern Michigan on Friday evening in the XFINITY Center Pavilion. The Terrapins won by set scores of 25-18, 25-20, 25-19.
 
“I'm always happy with a win,” head coach Steve Aird said. “I thought it was a good performance from a young team. Eastern Michigan was well coached and played hard. It's good to get our match under our belts and win at home in front of a good crowd.”
 
Freshman outside hitter Gia Milana led the match with 16 kills while sophomores Angel Gaskin and Liz Twilley posted 10 each. In her first career match, freshman setter Taylor Smith made 35 assists. Sophomore libero Kelsey Wicinski made 18 digs against the Eagles.
 
Gaskin hit five kills on a .625 clip to lead the Terps in set one. Eastern Michigan began to pull away, 10-7, before kills from Gaskin, Twilley and Ashlyn MacGregor hit kills to tie the set, 12-12. Wicinski served an ace to push the Terps ahead, 18-16 and a kill from Twilley forced an EMU timeout at 20-16. Maryland finished the set on a 4-0 run with kills from Twilley, Milana and a pair from Gaskin.
 
The Eagles once again pushed ahead in set one and the Terps called timeout trailing 11-6. A service ace from Samantha Higginbothem and a block from Milana and MacGregor helped Maryland come back to tie the set, 13-13. Eastern Michigan again took the lead, but six straight points from the Terps, led by solid serving from MacGregor, helped the home team push ahead, 19-16. Maryland capitalized on EMU errors, and a kill from Twilley gave the Terps a 25-20 set two win.
 
Freshmen Milana and Smith each showed more confidence in the third set as Milana posted seven kills on a .462 clip and Smith dished out 15 assists. Maryland once again overcame an early setback and aces from sophomore Abigail Bentz and Higginbothem helped the Terps to a 19-12 lead. Milana and Gaskin each posted a pair of kills to put Maryland at 23-13. With the Terrapins at match point, the Eagles managed to rattle off five straight points before a kill from Milana sealed the 25-19 set win.
 
Freshmen Megan McTigue and Aylin Saran also saw their first action as Terps.
 
Maryland posted 46 kills to Eastern Michigan's 28, but the Eagles out-blocked the Terps, 8.0-3.0. The Terrapins held a 41-26 advantage in assists and a 42-39 advantage in digs.
 
The Terps return to the Pavilion for the second day of the Maryland Invite on Saturday. Maryland faces Delaware State at 10 a.m. and Sacred Heart at 7 p.m.

– Maryland –