BATON ROUGE, LA – Maryland volleyball opened its 2024 campaign with a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-17, 25-21) against Troy at the LSU Tournament on Aug. 30.
After trailing 18-14 in the third set, Maryland scored 11 of the final 14 points to sweep the match. Maryland (1-0) has now won its last four season-openers. The Terps are also 12-1 in their last 13 season-openers.
Pin hitter Samantha Schnitta led the Terps with 10 kills. The graduate also recorded eight block assists in an all-around effort. Outside hitter
Sam Csire added seven kills and three blocks. Csire also moved to second all time in career attacks during the match.
Sophomore middle blocker Eva Rohrbach posted a team-high 11 blocks. Setter
Sydney Dowler contributed 22 assists. She also eclipsed 300 career blocks with seven in the match and claimed the ninth all-time spot for career service aces.
Lilly Gunter topped the team with 12 digs. Graduate middle blocker
Anastasia Russ posted seven blocks and four kills.
Sydney Bryant and Ally Williams also played pivotal roles in the season-opener victory, as each played in all three sets.
Breaking Down The Action
Set 1: Maryland 25 - Troy 22
- Samantha Schnitta recorded the season-opening kill off a feed from Sydney Dowler.
- The pair collaborated once more to take a 2-1 lead early.
- After being tied at 4-4, Maryland went on a 7-2 scoring run with kills by Eva Rohrbach, Sam Csire, Anastasia Russ and Dowler and two service aces by Dowler, leading to a Troy timeout.
- Out of the timeout, Maryland continued to hold its lead. However, Troy cut the lead to three points at 17-14 after a service ace.
- Troy tied it up at 19 apiece with a kill by Tori Hester, spearheading a 4-0 run.
- Maryland held on, winning the first set after Troy made two attack errors.
Set 2: Maryland 25 - Troy 17
- Maryland took the early lead 10-6 with several attack errors and a few kills from Csire and Sydney Bryant.
- After a media timeout, the Terps led 15-11 and forced 11 attack errors.
- Troy called its second timeout of the afternoon as Maryland extended its lead to 22-15. In the set, the Terps had forced double-digit attack errors and boasted nine blocks.
- The Terps closed out the set with a win after a kill by Csire and a Troy attack error.
Set 3: Maryland 25 - Troy 21
- Despite going on an early 4-0 run, Troy responded with one of its own to lead 6-4.
- Maryland called a timeout after going down 11-6. Troy was on a 9-2 run.
- Out of the timeout, the Terps scored three consecutive points to cut the lead to three with two attack errors and a kill by Dowler.
- Maryland tied it at 14-14 after an attack error by Troy.
- Troy scored the next four points to lead 18-14 before the Terps scored the next five points to take a 19-18 lead.
- Maryland closed out the set, winning 25-21.
Season-Opener Success
- Maryland won its last four season-openers.
- The Terps are also 12-1 in their last 13 season-openers.
Numbers To Know
- 1: Maryland played its first match against Troy in program history.
- 2: Sam Csire moved to second all time in career attacks.
- 4: Maryland won its last four season openers.
- 5: Five Terps recorded four or more kills in the match.
- 9: Sydney Dowler moved into ninth place all-time in career service aces
- 12: The Terps are 12-1 in their last 13 season openers.
- 192: Csire has 192 career blocks, inching closer to the the milestone of 200.
- 300: Dowler eclipsed 300 career blocks.
Up Next
- The Terps are back in action at 8 p.m. EST for its second game at the LSU Tournament. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
