Box Score COLLEGE PARK, MD – The University of Maryland volleyball team (5-2) took their home opener in dramatic fashion, besting Coastal Carolina (3-5) in five sets (25-16, 25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 15-13) to open the Maryland Tournament Friday night at the XFINITY Center Pavilion in College Park.

The Terps grabbed the first set handily, fought off multiple Coastal Carolina comeback attempts in the second, dropped the next two sets, and won a close one in the fifth, demonstrating the team's resilience, to take the match. 

Sam Csire, who notched her 950th career kill on the day, led the way with a double-double on 13 kills and 16 digs. Four other Terps notched at least six kills (Laila Ricks (13), Anastasia Russ (11), Laila Ivey (11) and Eva Rohrbach (10)). Sydney Dowler was excellent again, finishing with a season-high 57 assists, while Lilly Gunter added 16 digs. Maryland finished with nine blocks. 

How It Happened

Set 1: Maryland 25 - Coastal Carolina 16

• The Terps grabbed an early 11-6 lead behind a balanced offensive attack as five different Terps registered kills.
• Maryland continued to extend its lead, going ahead 17-9 as Csire claimed her 950th career kill. 
• Csire and Laila Ivey each notched two more kills in the set to give the Terps the decisive victory.
• Anastasia Russ and Laila Ricks combined for a block to close out the set. 
• Maryland finished the set with 15 kills on 25 swings, good for a .480 hitting percentage.

Set 2: Maryland 25 - Coastal Carolina 23

• The two sides traded points early, with the set tied at every number from 2-2 to 9-9.
• The Terps then exploded for a 7-2 run to pull ahead 16-11, led by two kills and an ace from Csire. 
• Ivey posted back-to-back kills to make it 18-12.
• Coastal Carolina went on a 4-0 run to get back in it.
• The Chanticleers cut the deficit even further to make it 20-19, but the Terps responded with a 4-1 to go up 24-20. 
• Again, Coastal battled back to get within two points, but the Terps stood strong, securing the set on an Eva Rohrbach kill. 
• Csire, Ricks and Rohrbach each netted four kills in the set.
• The Terps' defense held strong in the back row, accumulating 17 digs in the frame, while Lilly Gunter recorded seven of her own..

Set 3: Coastal Carolina 25 - Maryland 21

• Coastal Carolina grabbed an early 7-4 lead in the third set, but two kills apiece from Russ and Laila Ricks helped get Maryland right back in it as the Terps made it an 11-10 game.
• However, the Terps were unable to get closer than within two points the rest of the way as the Chanticleers took the set.

Set 4: Maryland 25 - Coastal Carolina 23

• After trading points early, Coastal Carolina broke an 8-8 tie with a 5-1 run to take control of the set.
• The Terps made it 17-16 at one point thanks to a 4-0 run of their own.
• The Chanticleers took a 19-16 lead, but the Terps roared back to tie it thanks to service and attack errors from the other side.
• Russ and Sydney Bryant made huge kills down the stretch for the Terps to make it a 23-23 game.
• After ties at 24 and 25 apiece, Coastal Carolina took the final two points to force a decisive final set.

Set 5: Maryland 15 - Coastal Carolina 13

• A back-to-back kill and service ace from Ricks put the Terps up 3-1 early. 
• The two sides were tied at four and five apiece until Maryland went up by two thanks to a Coastal attack error and an Ivey kill. 
• More attack errors stretched the Maryland lead to nine, but Coastal scored three in a row to tie it up. 
• Kills by Ricks and Csire put the Terps in a prime position up 13-10. 
• The Chanticleers got within one two more times, but Sydney Dowler made the final kill to secure the 15-13 win. 
• Lilly Gunter's defense proved to be a massive help in the deciding set, as she notched seven digs in the set.

Numbers to Know

• 1: Sam Csire became the first Terp to record a double-double in 2023, posting 13 kills and 16 digs.
• 5: For the first time since at least 2018, five Terps notched 10 kills or more. Csire (13), Laila Ricks (13), Laila Ivey (11), Anastasia Russ (11) and Eva Rohrbach (10) all got in on the attack action, as at least four Maryland players have recorded double-digit kills in the same match twice this season. 
• 13: Ricks posted a career-high 13 kills, marking the second time she's set a career high in that department this season.
• 16: Csire's 16 digs tied a career high set against Purdue on November 23, 2022.
• 57: Dowler was spectacular all evening, finishing with a season-high 57 assists. It is the first time a Maryland player has reached that mark since Dowler set her career high with 59 helpers against Temple on September 3, 2021.
• 65: Bolstered by a balanced offense, the Terps produced 65 kills, their most since accomplishing that feat against Temple on September 3, 2021.
• 959: Sam Csire's journey to 1,000 career kills continues, as her collegiate total now sits at 959 . 

Up Next

• The Terps continue play in the Maryland Tournament tomorrow against Princeton at 2:30 p.m. at the XFINITY Center Pavilion. The match will stream on B1G+. 
• Tomorrow's promotion is Double Terp Time, where who show their ticket to the Maryland versus Charlotte football game can purchase a $4 ticket to the match.