COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Taking the court for the first time this season, Maryland handily defeated Rhode Island 3-0 on the first day of the Maryland Invite, winning 25-11, 25-17, 25-13.
The Terps won the first set 25-11 thanks to seven kills from Laila Ivey and five apiece from Rainelle Jones and Sam Csire. It was a back-and-forth affair initially with the set tied at four until Maryland went on a run. Rhode Island never got closer than two points after that.
The second set was much tighter with Maryland holding a slim 18-16 lead heading into a Rhode Island timeout. Key kills by Csire and Anastasia Russ propelled the Terps to a 25-16 set win.
Maryland jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third set and never looked back after that, putting the Rams away 25-13 in dominant fashion.
Major Milestones
- With the Terps holding a slim 15-14 lead in the second set, Csire sent a hard spike to the middle of the court for her 10th kill of the game and the 500th of her career. The junior finished the game with 15 total kills.
Block Party
- Picking off where they left off as one of the premier blocking teams in the nation, the Terps recorded 15 total blocks to Rhode Island's four.
Fresh Faces Fitting In
- Freshman Laila Ivey, a 2021 AVCA High School All-American, tallied 13 total kills, making an immediate impact in her first-ever college game.
- Anastasia Russ, a transfer from Pitt who was part of the Panthers' Final Four run last season, started and recorded eight kills.
- Freshman Ally Williams also saw game action in the third set where she recorded an ace and a dig.
Home Cooking
- This is the second consecutive year the Terps have opened their season hosting the Maryland Invite. They have now won four straight in the invitational.
Up Next
- The Terps battle Navy tonight at 7 pm followed by FGCU tomorrow at 6 pm, completing the Maryland Invite.
