Maryland (15-11, 5-9 B1G)
vs.
No. 2 Wisconsin (22-1, 13-1 B1G)
November 10, 2023
XFINITY Center Pavilion
7:00 p.m.
B1G+
Watch Live Stats
Maryland (15-11, 5-9 B1G)
vs.
Ohio State (9-14, 6-8 B1G)
November 12, 2023
XFINITY Center Pavilion
1:00 p.m.
B1G+
Watch Live StatsBuy Tickets
COLLEGE PARK, MD — The University of Maryland volleyball team (15-11, 5-9 B1G) returns to the XFINITY Center Pavilion after a two-week road trip, as the Terps host No. 2 Wisconsin (22-1, 13-1 B1G) in a Friday-night clash and Ohio State (9-14, 6-8 B1G) in a Sunday-afternoon matinee at the XFINITY Center Pavilion.
Friday night's match against the second-ranked Badgers was announced as a sell out Monday morning. Fans are encouraged to Whiteout The Pav and wear white. The first 100 fans at the match will receive a white pompom to cheer on the Terps. Additionally, spectators can participate in Testudo's Scavenger Hunt, where fans can look out for turtles hidden throughotu the XFINITY Center Pavilion. Fans can bring these to the marketing table to claim a special prize.
Sunday's contest against the Buckeyes is the ALZtogether Match. Fans are encouraged to wear purple as Maryland Volleyball hosts a match to raise awareness around Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Proceeds from an online fundraiser will benefit The Longest Day Alzheimer's Association. Spectators are also encouraged to stick around after the match for an autograph session with the team. 100 fans will receive the 2023 Maryland volleyball autograph card.
First serve for Friday is slated for 7 p.m., while Sunday's match will have a 1 p.m. start time. Both contests will be streamed on B1G+.
Sold Out Status
- On Monday, Nov. 6, the Maryland athletic department announced that Friday's match against the second-ranked Badgers is sold out, meaning the contest will be ranked among the most-attended matches in Maryland volleyball history.
- The highest recorded attendance at the XFINITY Center Pavilion stands at 2,225 spectators against No. 5 Nebraska on Oct. 19, 2019.
- Matches from 2022 take second and third place on the Maryland attendance charts, as a contest against the No. 3 Huskers on Oct. 2, 2022 drew 2,113 fans and a showdown against No. 13 Penn State on Oct. 21, 2022 yielded 2,056 attendees.
- Six of the 20 best-attended Maryland volleyball matches have come within the last three seasons, with the Terps' victory over No. 16 Minnesota on Oct. 6, 2023 bringing in 1,676 supporters to rank 12th in attendance at the XFINITY Center Pavilion and 20th on the all-time attendance list.
The XFINITY Center Pavilion has sold out for the first time this season for Friday night's match against Wisconsin, and attendance figures are expected to be among the highest in the history of the venue.
Can Lightning Strike Twice?
- With Wisconsin and Ohio State coming to College Park, the Terrapins are looking to repeat the two most historic wins in program history from the last time each team visited the XFINITY Center Pavilion.
- Maryland handed No. 2 Wisconsin its first loss of the 2021 season the last time the Badgers came to town on Sept. 24, 2021. Sam Csire and Sydney Dowler each produced double-doubles while Rainelle Jones swatted 11 total blocks as the Terps won their first match over an AVCA Top 5 team in program history.
- In the Terps' most recent home encounter against Ohio State, the Buckeyes entered as the No. 5 team in the country, and Maryland sent them packing with a four-set victory, snapping the team's 14-match winning streak. After dropping the first set, Maryland roared back to take the next three sets decisively. Csire scored 22 kills, Dowler put forth a 42-assist, 21-dig double-double and Anastasia Russ roofed a career-best 12 blocks to guide Maryland to its second-ever AVCA Top 5 triumph.
In the last time Maryland and Wisconsin clashed at the XFINITY Center Pavilion, the Terps picked up their biggest victory in program history, knocking off the No. 2 Badgers in five sets on Sept. 24, 2021.
Double-Double Dowler
- Since Big Ten play started, senior setter Sydney Dowler has been on a double-double tear, accumulating six double-doubles in 14 conference matches.
- The Oconomowoc, WI native notched her sixth double-double of the campaign Friday night against Michigan State, where she compiled 21 assists and 10 digs.
- Dowler recorded back-to-back double-doubles against Illinois and Iowa on Oct. 20 and 21, picking up 40 assists and 11 digs against the Fighting Illini and 34 assists and 11 digs against the Hawkeyes.
- Along with her double-double success, Dowler moved into 10th place in Maryland's career service ace ranks, dropping in her 100th career service ace to pass Maggie Schmelzle (2005-08) on the leaderboard Sunday against Michigan.
Sydney Dowler produced her sixth double-double of 2023 Friday against Michigan State, dishing out 21 assists while tallying 10 digs.
Schnitta The Hitta
- As Big Ten play has pressed on, senior pin hitter Samantha Schnitta has had a successful string of matches these past three weeks, notching four double-digit kill matches in Maryland's last six contests.
- On Oct. 28 against Iowa, Schnitta caught fire by recording kills on her first six swings. She finished the contest with 10 kills and no errors on 13 attempts, good for a .769 hitting percentage.
- Her performance marked the first time a Terp hit over .700 with at least five kills in conference play and the first time a Maryland player hit that well since Eva Rohrbach hit .800 with eight kills on Sept. 10 against Howard.
- On the road trip to Michigan State and Michigan, the Overland Park, KS product led the team in kills in both outings, recording her 10th double-digit kill outing of the season with 10 kills against the Wolverines.
- With three weekends remaining in the season, Schnitta is recording a career-best 2.61 kills per set with 167 kills, two away from setting her personal best for most kills in a season.
Samantha Schnitta has accumulated 167 kills this year and is two kills away from setting a personal record for most kills in a collegiate season.
Going On With Gunter
- Senior libero Lilly Gunter has been a major asset for Maryland in her first season with the program after transferring from Mississippi State in the offseason.
- After entering her first season with the Terrapins with 1,190 career digs after three seasons at Mississippi State, the Oviedo, FL native collected her 1,500th career dig on Oct. 27 against Nebraska.
- Gunter serves as one of the most experienced liberos in the country, as her 1,527 career digs rank as the second-most career digs among active players in the Big Ten and the 50th-most among active players in the country.
- Gunter has recorded 3.76 digs per set in conference play while recording double-digit digs in 17 matches. In six of those outings, Gunter has notched 15 or more digs, and in three matches, Gunter has collected 20 or more digs.
Lilly Gunter picked up 10 digs in both of Maryland's matches last weekend against Michigan State and Michigan, marking her 16th and 17th outings of double-digit digs this season.
A-Russ Does It All
- Redshirt senior middle blocker Anastasia Russ has shone as one of the most efficient hitters in the country and one of the most potent blockers in the conference past the halfway point of the season.
- The redshirt senior leads Maryland and ranks sixth in the Big Ten and 76th in the country with a hitting percentage of .360.
- In addition to her hitting prowess, Russ ranks among the top 100 players in the country with 1.12 blocks per set.
- In her second season with Maryland, the Pittsburgh, PA product currently owns a .340 hitting percentage with the team, the second-highest clip in program history.
Anastasia Russ leads Maryland and ranks sixth in the Big Ten and 76th in the country with a hitting percentage of .360.
New Kid On The Rohr-Block
- Eva Rohrbach has starred as one of the top freshmen in the country this season, as her offensive and defensive numbers stack up with the best among first-year players.
- The middle blocker has been one of the most efficient hitters in the nation, as her .333 hitting clip ranks sixth among all freshmen. Additionally, she has recorded double-digit kills in four matches this season.
- On the defensive side, Rohrbach leads the Terps and ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 1.16 blocks per set, the seventh-highest freshman rate in the country. The San Diego, CA star has recorded five or more blocks in nine matches this season.
Eva Rohrbach ranks among the top 10 freshmen in the country in hitting percentage (sixth) and blocks per set (seventh), as the first-year Terp has started every match so far this season.
Undefeated on BTN
- With the Terps' Oct. 28 victory over Iowa on Big Ten Network, Maryland closes out its national TV schedule with an undefeated 3-0 record in matches on the network.
- Maryland opened up its Big Ten Network slate on Sept. 27 against Rutgers, where the Terps hit .333 with Sam Csire, Laila Ivey and Samantha Schnitta each recorded double-digit kills and Sydney Dowler produced a double-double in a four-set victory.
- In the Terps' lone home BTN outing, they upset No. 16 Minnesota in a five-set thriller for the program's first-ever win against the Golden Gophers. Csire produced a season-high 20 kills while the Terps defense was led by Anastasia Russ swatting a season-best nine blocks to hold Minnesota to a .124 hitting percentage.
Maryland's upset of No. 16 Minnesota on Oct. 6 came as one of Maryland's three wins on Big Ten Network alongside a four-set victory over Rutgers on Sept. 27 and a sweep at Iowa on Oct. 28.
A Balanced Bunch
- Maryland's offensive efficiency has not been powered by one dominant force, but rather the contributions of a balanced offensive unit.
- Six different Terps have multiple matches with double-digit kills, led by senior outside hitter Sam Csire, who has 11 such matches on the campaign.
- Any offensive player on the Maryland roster can step up and lead the offense, as shown by the seven different players who have led the team in kills in a match this year.
- The Terps have had at least two players reach double-digit kills in 12 matches and at least three double-digit killers in five.
- Additionally, for the first time in Adam Hughes' stint as head coach, Maryland had a match with four different Terps with double-digit kills against Utah Valley on Sept. 2 and a match with five different players who reached 10 kills against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 8.
With the facilitation of
Sydney Dowler (right), the Maryland offense has been humming with
Eva Rohrbach (left) and
Laila Ricks (center) among the six Terps who have recorded a double-digit kill outing in 2023.
Scouting The Badgers
- Once again, the Wisconsin Badgers are a national title contender, entering the weekend ranked second in the AVCA/Taraflex Top 25 with a 22-1 record.
- After an undefeated non-conference slate, the Badgers began Big Ten competition on a nine-match winning streak while winning every contest in straight sets. In this string of contests, Wisconsin faced off against Maryland, defeating the Terps in straight sets in Madison.
- Wisconsin's lone blemish came against No. 2 Nebraska, as the Huskers knocked off the No. 1 team in the country in five sets.
- Since the loss, Wisconsin has bounced back for consecutive undefeated weekends, and Kelly Sheffield's squad the weekend on a four-match winning stretch.
- Middle blocker Carter Booth ranks among the top five players in the country in blocks per set (second, 1.55) and hitting percentage (fifth, .443). Outside hitter Sarah Franklin has been a force on the outside, notching 4.04 kills per set to rank fifth in the Big Ten.
Scouting The Buckeyes
- Ohio State enters this weekend's contest in a different state than it entered last year's showdown in College Park, as the Buckeyes are 9-14 with a 6-8 Big Ten mark.
- Jen Flynn Oldenburg's squad has endured one of the most difficult schedules in the country this season, as 13 of their 14 defeats have been at the hands of teams who were ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA/Taraflex Top 25 poll.
- Despite losing several key pieces to the transfer portal, the Buckeyes bring back opposite hitter Emily Londot, whose 4.86 kills per set ranks first in the Big Ten and fifth in the country.
- Freshman setter Mia Tuman has stepped up as a big asset for Ohio State, ranking fifth in the conference with 9.59 assists per set.
2022 In Review
- Maryland finished the 2022 season with a 16-16 record, along with a 7-13 mark against the Big Ten.
- For the first time in head coach Adam Hughes' tenure, the Terps won seven games in the Big Ten in back-to-back seasons.
- One of the key turning points came when Maryland secured sweeps in three consecutive Big Ten road matches for the first time since joining the conference.
- Maryland's sweep streak was capped off with a dominant win at No. 9 Purdue on Oct. 16, marking the Terps first-ever top-10 road victory.
- The Terps scored their second upset win of 2022 at the XFINITY Center Pavilion on Nov. 18, with a 3-1 victory over No. 5 Ohio State, ending the Buckeyes' 14-match win streak.
