From Position Change to Big Ten Honors: Maryland’s Jordyn Hollamon Becomes Field Hockey’s Breakout Star

Maryland field hockey’s postseason begins today, and the Terps wouldn't be the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and fighting for an NCAA Tournament bid without the charge of their newest star: Jordyn Hollamon.

The freshman broke onto the scene at the start of the season with an eagerness to learn a new position and a determination to make an immediate impact on her new team. 

“It’s been really fun,” Hollamon said. “It’s been really cool experiencing my first season. There have been ups and downs, but I’ve had a lot of fun playing at such a high pace every single game and in every single practice. It’s helped me grow as a player.”

She’s already making her name known. After collecting a trio of Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades (Sept. 2, Sept. 22, Oct. 13), Hollamon was named the Big Ten’s 2025 Freshman of the Year on Wednesday. 

“It means everything,” Hollamon said about the award. “I’m excited that I got this honor, but I don't think I'd be able to have it without the help of my teammates and my coaches. I wouldn't be in this position without them. They’re the ones who set me up to be successful as a freshman and I just want to thank them more than anything.”

As rewarding of a regular season as possible ends with national recognition for a star who wasn’t completely sure she’d be ready for collegiate competition.

“At first, it was definitely like ‘oh, am I going to be able to keep up with this and play as much as I want to?’,” Hollamon said. “But I think I’ve adjusted really well. The practices have helped me because they’re so high-paced and my teammates challenge me so much every day. They’ve helped me know that I’m good enough and that I deserve to be here.”

Hollamon became Maryland’s first Big Ten Freshman of the Year since Ericka Morris-Adams earned a share of the award in 2022. College Park remains a hot spot for young talent and future stars. Aside from constructing a resume, Hollamon’s been building relationships, specifically within her studded freshmen class.

“I’ve gotten some of my best friends from this team,” Hollamon said. “I’m super close with everybody in the freshmen class and I've also gotten to be really good friends with everyone else, even the older girls. I’m so glad that our team is so close and that it’s so easy for everyone to get along with each other.”

Maryland’s freshman class is made up of 10 young athletes who are laying a powerful foundation for the future of Terrapin field hockey. 

“Our class is very skillful and it’s so much fun to play with them every day,” Hollamon said. “It’s not just me. I’m not the only one producing. Feliz Kuhne, Djuna Eikelboom and Erin Callahan have been great players on our team, too. There have been a lot of us that have made our mark so far, and I think that’s really cool.”

Both Hollamon and Maia Adamson were named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team on Wednesday. Adamson, a midfielder, was a staple of the Terps’ offensive press and smothering defensive unit.

Another freshman, Annemijn Klijnhout, finished the regular season with four assists — the second-highest mark on the team and was named to the Big Ten’s First Team All-Conference team. She assisted on a Hollamon goal in Maryland’s victory over No. 16 Penn State.

“Jordyn’s a really good player,” Klijnhout said. “She’s really tough in her one-on-ones. She’s really eager to score or to get a shot on goal and we can find each other and have a connection on the field.”

Hollamon finished with the second-most goals by a freshman in the Big Ten and was among the conference’s leaders in freshman points. But perhaps the biggest surprise of Hollamon’s season was her seemingly seamless transition into the forward position. 

“It was a bit of an adjustment because pressing is a whole different thing when you’re a forward,” Hollamon said. “My teammates and coaches have helped a ton, but it’s been really fun. I like playing forward.”

The praise for her play stems from head coach Missy Meharg, who saw the potential in Hollamon’s position swap and what could happen with a roster with two Hollamons. Jordyn’s sister, Josie, has been a pillar of Maryland field hockey for several years. Meharg turned the 2025 season into a family affair with Jordyn’s acquisition.

“She comes from a family that is just all hockey,” Meharg said. “She’s such a versatile player. We’ve called upon her a lot. All through high school, she’s played in the midfield in some way. We asked her to come and play on the forward line. She’s done a good job. She’s a big piece on our attack penalty corners. She’s getting better and better at taking one-on-ones and getting the ball on her right side. Couldn’t be happier with her adaptation to a huge positional change and her willingness to break habits and be able to be a prominent part of our team attack.”

Is it easy to unite sisters on a collegiate team? Does a recruitment pitch to a younger sister hold more weight when the elder sibling is already thriving at the same institution?

“I think so,” Meharg said. “You already know the family. Sisters already know if they want to play together and be around each other all the time or not. They’ve played a lot of years together since they were little kids. It’s nice to see them playing on the same field.”

Josie’s presence on the team, along with the Hollamons’ cousin, Maci Bradford, provided Jordyn with more than just a few friendly faces. Both Josie and Bradford will represent the United States in December’s FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup.

“They’ve helped me a lot,” Hollamon said. “Maci’s another forward and she’s competed at the highest level. She’s given me a lot of advice and helped me grow as a forward, especially since I’m new to the position.”

What better role models for Hollamon to learn from than athletes who know what it takes to compete against elite competition? Add goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko — another representative of the Junior World Cup team — to Hollamon’s list of mentors, and her path to glory becomes even clearer. 

“It’s great being able to learn from Josie and Alyssa because they’re just so knowledgeable of everything going on,” Hollamon said. “They’ve gotten coached by some of the greatest coaches in the country, so it’s been really cool to be able to practice with them and learn so much from them every single day.”

Hollamon led the team with seven goals in the regular season and was second in total points with 17. She took 53 shots and landed 33 of them on goal — both numbers nearly doubling anyone else on the roster.

She got on the scoresheet early with an assist in her first-career game and a pair of goals in the Terps’ second match of the season — a 4-0 win over Villanova.

“Scoring my first goal was pretty cool,” Hollamon said. “Coming and playing as a forward, I didn’t know if I was going to score goals, so it felt really great. Getting to play with Maci and Josie every single game is also a great feeling. I always feel like I have someone in my corner.”

She scored Maryland’s game-winning goal in a road win over Michigan State and the equalizing goal in what would go on to be a 2-1 victory at No. 12 Iowa.

“The most memorable game is probably the Iowa game because we came back from behind and it was really fun to experience that and have that feeling,” Hollamon said.

Now, she and her Terps hunt the feeling of postseason success. Maryland’s Big Ten Tournament run starts today and looks to lead to an NCAA Tournament bid.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how ready our team is for Big Tens,” Hollamon said. “It’s so different from the regular season. There’s a lot of pressure. It’s win or go home, so I’m excited to see how we do.”