EVANSTON, IL -- The Maryland volleyball team snapped its four match losing streak, taking down Northwestern in five sets, 3-2. The Terps (19-10, 7-10 Big Ten) won the first two sets and had to fend off a furious rally the Wildcats (11-17, 6-11 Big Ten), but Maryland managed to hang on to win the five-set nail-biter.

Paula Neciporuka finished the night with a double-double of 14 kills and 11 digs, with her kills being a team-high. 

Sydney Dowler had a strong all-around performances, finishing with a stat line of five kills, 41 assists, and 19 digs, three service aces, and two blocks.  

Milan Gomillion and Hannah Thompson led strong defensive efforts, with Gomillion finishing with a team-high 24 digs and Thompson finishing with a team-high six blocks.  

Rainelle Jones and Sam Csire finished with a combined 25 kills. 

Breaking Down The Action

• Dowler started the Terps' night off with three consecutive aces at the beginning of the first set. She would finish the first stanza with nine assists, three aces, three digs, and two kills. The set came to a close at 25-23 with a thunderous kill from Neciporuka.
• The second set was another tight affair with both teams vying for the crucial win. It was the Terps who managed to hang on as Neciporuka once again ended the set with a kill, her sixth of the night. 
• Much like the first two sets, the Terps and Wildcats battled with neither team able to gain much separation. The Terps rallied from 23-20 to force an overtime session, but ultimately lost the set 28-26.  
• The Wildcats kept the momentum going in the third set, jumping out to a 13-5 lead before taking the set 25-21. 
• The fifth and final set was another back and forth battle that saw the Terps go down 9-8. A quick 3-0 run gave the Terps the lead and the momentum, with Csire's block ending the match at 15-12 in favor of Maryland.

Block Party

• Jones finished the night with four blocks, and coming into the game was averaging 1.72 blocks per set this season which not only leads the Big Ten, but also leads the entire country.

Up Next

• Maryland will stay on the road and take on the Illinois Fighting Illini on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 1 p.m.