Box Score FORT MYERS, FL — Senior outside hitter Sam Csire recorded her 1,000th career kill as the University of Maryland volleyball team (10-2) closed out non-conference play with its sixth consecutive victory, knocking off host Florida Gulf Coast, 3-2 (25-20, 25-16, 15-25, 17-25, 15-12), in a five-set thriller to win the Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Classic Saturday evening at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, FL.
 
In the third set, Csire capitalized on a feed from freshman defensive specialist Jonna Spohn, swinging into a gap in the Eagles defense for her fourth kill of the contest and her 1,000th career finish. The Strongsville, OH, product became the 15th player in Maryland volleyball history to reach the 1,000-kill milestone and the first since Erika Pritchard eclipsed the mark in 2019. She concluded the contest with six kills, eight digs and three blocks.
 
The Terps received additional contributions from freshman middle blocker Eva Rohrbach, who finished off a career-high 12 kills with a .632 hitting percentage. Three other Maryland players — sophomore outside hitter Laila Ivey, senior right side hitter Laila Ricks and redshirt senior middle blocker Anastasia Russ — each recorded six or more kills to supplement Csire and Rohrbach.

Maryland jumped out to a 2-0 set lead, holding the Eagles' hitting percentage under .100 in each of the first two sets. On offense, the Terps hit over .300 in each of the opening sets to propel Maryland to two dominant set victories. 

Florida Gulf Coast never quit despite having its back against the wall. The Eagles fired off an early 7-0 run in the third set and would not allow Maryland to cut the deficit to under five points. In the subsequent frame, Florida Gulf Coast jumped out to a 12-6 advantage, and once the Terps evened the score at 16 apiece, the Eagles compiled a 9-1 run to send the match to a fifth set.

Despite a tight score line throughout, Maryland never budged in the fifth set, opening with a pair of kills from Ivey and never allowing the Eagles to tie or take the lead for the frame's entirety. The Terps opened up an advantage with two 3-1 runs early in the set and opened up an 11-7 lead with a 3-0 run helped by a successful challenge from head coach Adam Hughes. Florida Gulf Coast responded with a run to make it a one-point set, but Maryland sealed the match with a 5-2 run as Russ took the match-winning swing.
 
In addition to winning the Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Classic, senior setter Sydney Dowler earned Tournament MVP while Russ and Ivey secured All-Tournament Team honors.
 
How It Happened
 
Set 1: Maryland 25 - Florida Gulf Coast 20

• After the Eagles took a 3-1 lead, a kill and block assist from Eva Rohrbach came as part of a 3-0 run to take an early 4-3 advantage.
• Erin Engel recorded a service ace to put Maryland up 7-5, then both teams traded blows with eight ties into the middle part of the set.
• After a successful challenge by Adam Hughes, Laila Ricks notched back-to-back kills as the Terps opened up a 5-1 run to take a 20-16 set lead.
• Laila Ivey closed the set with a kill off the hands of a set of FGCU hands, marking Maryland's 14th consecutive set victory.
• Five different Terps recorded multiple kills in the opening set, led by Ricks, Rohrbach and Laila Ivey with three apiece.
• On the defensive end, the Terps permitted a .069 hitting percentage from the Eagles.

 
Set 2: Maryland 25 - Florida Gulf Coast 16

• The Eagles opened the second set on a torrid 5-1 run capped by a service ace from Alexandra Zatuckney.
• Maryland responded with a 5-0 run of its own, knotting the frame at 5-5 with an emphatic block from Sydney Dowler and Eva Rohrbach before taking the lead on an FGCU attack error.
• The Eagles claimed a 12-10 edge, but a 9-1 run from the Terps featuring three block assists gave Maryland a 19-13 advantage.
• To close the set, Maryland went on a 15-4 run, concluding with a Sydney Dowler dump kill.
• Defensively, Maryland stifled the Eagles, who hit -.054 in the frame with 12 errors.
• The Terps collected six blocks in the set.

 
Set 3: Florida Gulf Coast 25, Maryland 15

• Sam Csire notched her 1,000th career kill early in the third set off a feed from Jonna Spohn, tying the set at 2-2.
• Florida Gulf Coast jumped out to a big 9-3 lead courtesy of a trio of kills and a block assist as part of a 7-0 run.
• FGCU continued to apply the pressure, not allowing the Terps closer than five points to take the lead.
• The Eagles ran away with the set late with an 8-2 run to increase their advantage to 23-11.

 
Set 4: Florida Gulf Coast 25, Maryland 17

• The two squads battled back and forth early in the frame, with Maryland grabbing a pair of two-point leads before a 5-0 FGCU run put the Eagles up 9-6 leading to a Terps timeout.
• Florida Gulf Coast continued its run out of the timeout, as the run reached its apex 8-0 before Maryland used its second timeout of the frame. The Eagles finished the run up 12-6.
• Skylar English recorded a trio of service on the Eagles' early run.
• Maryland responded with a 4-1 scoring run featuring a kill and a block assist from Eva Rohrbach to bring the set to 14-11.
• A successful challenge from Adam Hughes on an FGCU kill and a subsequent attack error tied the set at 16 all.
• After the Terps tied the set, FGCU rattled off a 9-1 run with three consecutive aces from English to close out the set.
• Lilly Gunter worked tirelessly to halt the Eagles' offense in the fourth set, accumulating 10 digs in the frame alone.

 
Set 5: Maryland 15, Florida Gulf Coast 12

• Laila Ivey opened the set with a pair of kills.
• Maryland recorded kills on five of its first six points recorded, opening up a 5-2 advantage.
• The Terps created separation with a 3-0 run, powered by a crucial kill from freshman outside hitter Sydney Bryant and a block assist from Sydney Dowler and Eva Rohrbach to go up 11-7.
• FGCU answered with a 3-0 swing of its own, utilizing two kills and a block assist from Skylar English to pull to 11-10.
• Maryland remained disciplined, forcing a pair of Eagle attack errors to go up 13-11.
• Senior pin hitter Samantha Schnitta and Anastasia Russ rose to the occasion, notching an emphatic block assist to put Maryland at match point.
• Russ slammed the door on the match with a huge kill, clinching the set, 15-12.

 
Numbers to Know

• 2: By prevailing in five sets, Maryland clinched its second five-set win in 2023. The total exceeds last season's five-set win mark.
• 10: Maryland won its 10th non-conference match of the season, the second-most in Adam Hughes' tenure behind 2021's perfect 12-0 non-conference mark.
• 12: Eva Rohrbach set a career high with 12 kills in the contest.
• 14: The Terps held FGCU in check with 14 total blocks, the most from the team this season.
• 20: Lilly Gunter picked up 20 digs for her most in a Maryland uniform.
• 1,000: Sam Csire became the 15th player in Maryland volleyball history to record 1,000 career kills in the third set off an assist from Jonna Spohn. With six kills in the contest, she now has 1,002 finishes.

 
Up Next

• The Terps return to College Park to begin Big Ten play next weekend, opening with a contest against No. 16 Purdue Friday at the XFINITY Center Pavilion. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the contest will be streamed on B1G+.
• The first 100 students at the match will receive a Terps After Dark t-shirt and ice cream.