Box Score COLLEGE PARK, MD – The University of Maryland volleyball team pulled off a monumental upset against No. 16 Minnesota in five sets to claim its first win over the Golden Gophers in program history and the first ranked win since Nov. 18, 2022 when they topped No. 5 Ohio State. In front of a packed house at the XFINITY Center Pavilion of 1,676 fans and a national Big Ten Network television audience, the Terps took the opening set in emphatic fashion and then came back from a 2-1 deficit to secure the upset.
The Terps were poised and resilient all night, coming back from multiple deficits to secure another ranked win under head coach
Adam Hughes.
Senior outside hitter Sam Csire led the charge for the Terps, registering a game-high and season-high 20 kills, including seven in the first frame alone. Sophomore outside hitter Laila Ivey also put up double-figure kills, adding a season-best 13. The Terps hit better than the Golden Gophers, registering a .144 hit percentage and 57 total kills to their .124 and 52.
On defense, redshirt senior middle blocker Anastasia Russ was huge at the net, notching nine blocks on the evening to tie a season high. As a team, the Terps outblocked Minnesota 17-11, as the Terps 17 total blocks set a season-best mark. Three Terps recorded double-digit digs, with senior libero Lilly Gunter leading the charge with 19, while freshman defensive specialist Jonna Spohn added a career-best 15 and senior setter Sydney Dowler pitched in 14. In total, Maryland racked up 72 digs, the most by the team this season.
The Terps are off to their best Big Ten start since 2018 and now stand at 13-4 overall and 3-2 in conference play. Minnesota drops to 6-7 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten.
How It Happened
Set 1: Maryland 25 - Minnesota 18
- The Terps scored the first four points of the night and eventually opened an 8-2 lead thanks to a quarter of Csire kills.
- The Golden Gophers got as close as 14-12, but the Terps held strong and continued to create more separation as Lilly Gunter came up with a clutch dig to stop the momentum.
- Maryland forced the Golden Gophers into a timeout leading 19-14 as Laila Ivey recorded another putaway.
- Maryland ended the set on a 5-1, closing the frame out with an exclamation point in the form of another Csire kill.
Set 2: Minnesota 25 - Maryland 22
- Minnesota jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead, but Maryland took advantage of a couple of Golden Gopher eros to knot it at 6-6.
- The teams were tied at 12-12, 13-13, 14-14, and, then eventually 17-17, 18-18, 19-19, 20-20 and 21-21, until Minnesota scored five of the final six points to claim the set.
Set 3: Minnesota 26 - Maryland 24
- Laila Ivey notched two kills in the first three Maryland points of the frame.
- The two sides battled back and forth early until a 6-0 run put Minnesota up 18-10.
- As they did all night, the Terps responded to the adversity, rattling off six of the next seven points.
- In three straight plays, Russ notched two blocks and a kill.
- With Minnesota holding a 23-18 advantage, Maryland scored the next five points, highlighted by a pair of kills from Csire and one from Laila Ricks.
- The two teams battled to a 23-23 score thanks to two Ricks kills and then to 24-24, but Minnesota scored the final two points of the frame.
Set 4: Maryland 25 - Minnesota 21
- Russ set the tone early in the fourth frame as Russ led the set off with a big block.
- The fourth frame got off to a close start once again, and the two sides stood knotted at 6-6.
- Erin Engel's second service ace of the frame made it a 7-6 Maryland lead and jumpstated a 6-2 run.
- The Terps opened up leads of 17-11 and 20-14, but the Golden Gophers came back to cut it a slim 21-19 lead late in the frame.
- Maryland demonstrated its poise, and scored three of the frame's final four points, highlighted by another two kills by Csire.
Set 5: Maryland 15 - Minnesota 10
- After going down 2-0, a kill and solo block from Laila Ricks knotted it at 2-2.
- Three consecutive Golden Gopher errors made it a 5-4 Maryland advantage.
- Kills by Csire and Sydney Dowler and another service ace by Engel put the Terps in prime position with a 9-7 lead.
- Behind two aces and two late blocks, the Terps took the final frame with ease.
Numbers to Know
- 2: Sydney Dowler notched her second double-double of the season, racking up 38 assists along with a season-high 14 digs.
- 3: Three Terps registered double-digit digs: Lilly Gunter (19), Jonna Spohn (15) and Sydney Dowler (14).
- 3: Maryland picked up its third five-set win of the season, as the Terps are undefeated in all three contests that have gone the distance.
- 13: Laila Ivey's 13 kills set a season best. This was her seventh double-digit kill outing.
- 15: Jonna Spohn excelled on defense, tallying a career-high 15 digs.
- 18: The Terps had lost the first 18 matches against Minnesota until tonight.
- 20: Sam Csire dominated all night, registering an outstanding season-high 20 kills. This was the senior's fourth career 20-kill effort.
- 57: Maryland recorded 57 kills overall, five more than Minnesota's 52.
- 72: The Terps accumulated 72 digs, far and away the most the team has recorded this year.
- 1,676: The XFINITY Center Pavilion was packed to the brim with 1,676 spectators for the Terps' five-set victory. The mark cracks the top-20 most attended matches in Maryland volleyball history at No. 20, and it is the 12th-most attended match held in the XFINITY Center Pavilion.
- 2,892: Sydney Dowler inched closer to reaching 3,000 career assists, dishing out 38 to put her total at 2,892.
Up Next
- The Terps are back at it tomorrow night when they host Indiana at 7 p.m. on B1G+.
