“We Know We Can Play With Anybody At Any Time.”

Coming off a 2022 campaign that saw them spring a pair of top-ten upsets and secure seven Big Ten wins for the second consecutive season, the Maryland volleyball program is ready for more in its attempt to continue to climb the ranks in the ultra-competitive Big Ten conference. 

That energy and belief in this particular group was palpable at the 2023 Big Ten Volleyball Media Days in Chicago, IL as head coach Adam Hughes, senior setter Sydney Dowler and senior outside hitter Sam Csire all spoke of their excitement about the team’s potential and growth.

“I think we've spent three years already rebuilding this program, and so each year that I've been here, we’ve had one more upset,” Csire said. “I think that just gives us a lot of confidence going into this next season. We know we can play with anybody at any time.”

For the Terrapins, who secured sweeps in three consecutive Big Ten road matches for the first time since joining the conference last season capped off by the Terps first-ever top-10 road victory at Purdue, the next step is getting the big wins on a more consistent basis.  

“These big, landmark upsets are super exciting to be a part of, but although they show us that we can do it, I think it's also more about the losses to know we still have to get consistent in doing that,” Dowler said. “Consistency is really the next big leap for us to make. And I think it's more about our losses that show us the little things we have to change to get there.”

A key part of helping the Terps reach that next level? The difficult and wide-ranging non-conference schedule that Hughes and his staff assembled this season to challenge the group early.

“Whatever you can do in the non-conference basically dictates how much damage you've got to do in the Big Ten,” Hughes said. “We realize that we've got to put a huge emphasis on starting the season well.”

Similarly to what they did last year, the team will host one four-team weekend tournament and travel the three other weekends before Big Ten play starts on September 22. The Terps will face several high-caliber teams including a 2022 NCAA Tournament teams in Miami and Florida Gulf Coast. They will travel to Florida twice (Miami and Fort Myers) and play a local tournament in Annapolis in addition to the home one in College Park.

Hughes hopes that the toll of 12 non-conference games in four short weeks will be offset by the number of key players he envisions his team having, something he sees as a main strength of the team all season.

“I think the one thing this group has probably more than I've probably ever been at Maryland is depth,” Hughes said. “So we have put that into consideration. I think we have some positions where we've got people that can contribute in different ways. I'm excited to be able to use that a little bit in the preseason (before conference play).”

The 2023 team features several key returners including Csire (the 2022 team leader in kills (401), attempts (1295) and points (460.5)), Dowler (two straight seasons with at least 1,000 assists), Anastasia Russ (third in the country in total blocks in 2022 with 182) and Laila Ivey (finished second on the team in kills as a true freshman with 285). 

Additionally, Maryland welcomed four freshmen into the fold this year to go along with two SEC transfers in Lilly Gunter (Mississippi State) and Samantha Schnitta (Ole Miss). Gunter, a defensive specialist/libero, ranked third in the SEC last year in digs per set (4.29) while Schnitta has 432 career kills to her name.

As a team, Maryland paced the country in blocks per set (3.33) and total team blocks (396.5) last year, marking the second consecutive season in which the Terps finished among the top five in the NCAA in those categories. They will look to continue their blocking prowess again this season.

“I give a lot of credit to the staff,” Dowler said of the team’s knack for coming up with big blocks. “I think they do a great job individually with each person fixing the little tweaks that we all need to get better on. We have a lot of huge block returners coming back, and I'll be excited to see what we do again this year.”

The Terps also welcomed a new face on the sidelines in assistant coach Ryan Ammerman, who joined the staff in May 2023. A former NCAA Men's Volleyball National Champion and NCAA Most Outstanding Player, Ammerman comes to College Park after spending the last season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, UC Irvine, coaching the men's team to the Big West Tournament title game.

At Big Ten Media Day, Hughes raved about Ammerman’s quick assimilation to the staff and noted how his unique perspective coming from the men’s game has benefited the team.

“It's been great to have him look at what we've been doing and how he kind of views the game,” Hughes said. “He's worked both from the club side. He's done youth development. He's coached players that have gone on to play on the national team. It's really nice to have just a new perspective.”

“Once he got here, I kind of let him and Becca (Acevedo), our other assistant coach, really run our training to get ready for Europe,” he added. “And it was cool to see those guys just look at the different opinions and styles. And practice was very, very different, and I think I learned a lot from it.”

The team’s 10-day foreign tour across Europe was also a point of discussion in Chicago, with the players raving about what the experience meant to them both individually and as a team.

“First of all, I think it was awesome just sightseeing and seeing everything -- it was my first time to Europe in general, so it was quite the experience,” Csire said. “Then, just seeing the way that they play volleyball over there, it's a lot different. They have a higher IQ it seems like. So I was able to bring a lot of their game into my game.”

“I think the team bonding is probably the biggest thing that will stick with me,” Dowler added. “Having the freshmen there, doing these huge experiences like cliff-jumping together or riding down the Alpine Swiss slide, I think those are some bonding moments that really knit you close together. I'm excited to see how that meshes us on the court, too.”

Throughout the entire day in Chicago, one thing was clear: the 2023 Maryland volleyball squad expects big things out of themselves—and they can hardly wait to get back on the court to showcase it. 

Dowler summed up the sentiment perfectly and succinctly. 

“I’m trying to win every game.”