Maryland (10-8, 1-5 B1G) at Northwestern (13-5, 2-4 B1G)
October 14, 2022
Welsh-Ryan Arena
8:00 pm EDT
Maryland (10-8, 1-5 B1G) at No.9 Purdue (14-2, 5-1 B1G)
October 16, 2022
Holloway Gymnasium
1:00 pm EDT
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland volleyball team has a B1G weekend on the road with a match against Northwestern on Friday night before a meeting with No.9 Purdue on Sunday afternoon.
Both matches will be streamed live on
B1G+.
THIS WEEK'S STORYLINES
B1g Time
- Maryland heads to the Midwest for a pair of road matches against Northwestern on October 14 before facing No.9 Purdue on October 16.
- The Terps won their first Big Ten match of the season this past Sunday on the road with a sweep of Rutgers at Jersey Mike's Arena.
- Maryland has not spent a full weekend on the road since the final weekend of non-conference play in Charlottesville, Virginia from September 16-17.
Blocking Blitz
- Maryland continues to pace the nation as America's best blocking team. After leading the country with 3.1 blocks per set and 348.5 total blocks last season the Terps are continuing that trend.
- As a team, the Terps average 3.3 blocks per set, more than double their opponents' 1.4 average. Overall, Maryland has 131 more blocks than its opponents. Only one other team, Lehigh, has at least 200 blocks this season and the Terps still own 26.5 more than them.
- Just like her team, Rainelle Jones continues to shine as the nation's best blocker. Already the active career leader in block assists and total blocks, Jones leads the nation with 1.76 blocks per set and 116 total blocks.
- Four of the top-eleven athletes in the Big Ten in total blocks are Terrapins. Jones leads the way with 116 while Anastasia Russ (92) and Laila Ricks (77) both sit comfortably in the Top-Five while Sydney Dowler (64) is 11th.
Top tier defense
- Not only has the Terrapin block shone bright this season, so has the team's overall defense.
- Individually, Milan Gomillion is fourth in the Big Ten with 239 total digs while the Terps are fifth as a team with 813.
- Opponents are hitting only .162 against Maryland's defense. That rates third in the Big Ten and 21st in the NCAA.
- The Terps boast four individuals in the top-eleven of total blocks in the Big Ten. Rainelle Jones, Anastasia Russ, and Laila Ricks are three of the top four in the conference while Sydney Dowler sits in seventh. That same quartet can all be found within the top-twenty of the conference in blocks per set.
Checking in on the newcomers
- Maryland has had several newcomers make their presence felt this season. In total, the four newcomers have totaled 41 digs, 124 blocks, and 282 kills.
- Among the freshmen, Laila Ivey leads the duo with 171 kills this season, good for second on the squad. She's also added 24 digs and 31 blocks defensively. Ally Williams has also made an impact from the service line, most recently on match point of the second set against Rutgers with a fantastic serve.
- The transfers feature Anastasia Russ and Gem Grimshaw. Russ has over 100 kills and 90 blocks this season, far surpassing her previous season-highs before College Park. She's currently second in the Big Ten with 92 blocks. Grimshaw has 11 kills, three aces, and a block in limited action due to injury.
Scouting the Foes
- Northwestern came out hot this season with an 11-1 start. The Wildcats have already defeated two Top-25 teams in Pepperdine and Minnesota, both away from home. Within the conference, Northwestern currently sits Top-Five in assists per set, digs per set, hitting percentage, total assists, attacks per set, total digs, total kills, total attacks, and total blocks.
- Purdue has proven to be among the nation's best this season with only two losses to Louisville and Wisconsin, both Final Four teams last season. A well-rounded team, the Boilermakers sit Top-Five in the Big Ten in assists per set, hitting percentage, attacks per set, total digs, and total kills.
