Maryland (12-8, 3-5 B1G) vs No.13 Penn State (15-4, 4-4 B1G)
October 21, 2022
XFINITY Center Pavilion
8:00 pm EDT
Maryland (12-8, 3-5 B1G) vs Northwestern (13-7, 2-6 B1G)
October 22, 2022
XFINITY Center Pavilion
8:00 pm EDT
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -Â Â The University of Maryland volleyball team returns home to XFINITY Center Pavilion for a pair of matches against No.13 Penn State and Northwestern. The Terps are coming off a historic sweep of No.9 Purdue, the program's first Top-Ten road win in the conference, and are riding a three-match winning streak. All three matches have come via sweep on the road.Â
Fans can donate to the SideOut Foundation for Breast Cancer research
HERE.Â
Both matches will be streamed live on
B1G+.
 THIS WEEK'S STORYLINES
B1g Time
- Maryland returns home for a pair of matches in the friendly confines of XFINITY Center Pavilion as it hosts No.13 Penn State on Friday and Northwestern on Saturday.
- The Terps have swept three consecutive Big Ten matches, with victories over Rutgers, Northwestern, and No.9 Purdue.The squad's last three-match winning streak came from Sept. 16-17 during the final non-conference weekend in Charlottesville, VA.
- Maryland's victory over No.9 Purdue at Holloway Gymnasium marked the program's first-ever win over a Top-Ten program on the road since joining the conference in 2014.
Blocking Blitz
- Maryland continues to lead 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 3.4 blocks per set, more than double their opponents' 1.5 average. With 253.5 total blocks so far this season, Maryland has 145 more blocks than its opponents. Only 11 teams have more than 200 blocks this season with Mcneese State the next closest team at 215, still 38.5 behind Maryland.
- 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 1.74 blocks per set and 125 total blocks.
- Four of the top-twelve athletes in the Big Ten in total blocks are Terrapins. Jones leads the way with 125 while Anastasia Russ (107) and Laila Ricks (87) both sit comfortably in the Top-Five while Sydney Dowler (71) is 12th.
- When Rainelle Jones notched her 650th career block on Friday October 7, she passed Rachele Wagener and became the program's all-time leader in total blocks. Now with 670, Jones continues to build her record.
Top tier defense
- Not only has the Terrapin block shone bright this season, so has the team's overall defense.
- Individually, Milan Gomillion is fifth in the Big Ten with 268 total digs while the Terps are sixth as a team with 902.
- Opponents are hitting only .160 against Maryland's defense. That rates third in the Big Ten and 15th 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 Top-Twenty Five of the conference in blocks per set.
- Maryland has taken home three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors this season as Rainelle Jones took home the honor on August 29 and September 19 before Anastasia Russ took the award this past week on October 17.
Checking in on the newcomers
- Maryland has had several newcomers make their presence felt this season. In total, the four newcomers have totaled 46 digs, 145 blocks, and 304 kills.
- Among the freshmen, Laila Ivey leads the duo with 191 kills this season, good for second on the squad. She's also added 26 digs and 37 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 100 blocks this season, far surpassing her previous season-highs before College Park. She's currently second in the Big Ten with 107 blocks. Grimshaw has 11 kills, three aces, and a block in limited action due to injury.
Scouting the Foes
- Penn State began the season 12-0 before dropping consecutive matches to Michigan and Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions have alternated wins and losses since that loss to the Badgers, most recently falling to Nebraska and defeating Iowa.
- 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.
