CONWAY, SC - Maryland volleyball battled for five fierce sets with Coastal Carolina, but ultimately fell to the Chanticleers (25-21,15-25, 27-25, 23-25, 9-15) to open their 2025 season. As even a match as one could imagine came down to a tense fifth set, but the Terps were unable to make a final rally on the road. 

Tennessee transfer Ajack Malual made her mark on the Terps' season right away, recording nine attacks in a 25-21 first-set win. Maryland held Coastal to a .147 hit percentage in the first set of the season and benefited from six Chanticleer service errors.

Coastal Carolina largely controlled the second set, posting six blocks and nine kills as the Chanticleers evened the match with a 25-15 set win.

An extremely competitive third set forced a deuce at 25-25 after several previously-knotted marks, but back-to-back kills from Olivia Ruy and Ajack Malual saw Maryland snatch a set win that it once trailed by five in. The Terps took Set 3 27-25 to move to the brink of victory.

The Terps battled again in the fourth set, but ultimately fell 25-23 as Coastal Carolina utilized a pair of timely aces to even the match and force a decisive fifth set. In the end, the Chanticleers outlasted Maryland, winning the fifth set 15-9 to take the match. 

How it Happened:
Set 1: 

• Maryland got its first point of the season on a service error.
• After falling behind 1-0, Maryland rallied to take a 7-4 advantage. 
• A back-and-forth first set saw the squads tied at 1-1, 7-7, 11-11, 12-12, 13-13 and 14-14.
• The Terps never trailed by more than one in Set 1. 
• Malual recorded nine attacks in the first set. 
• Maryland took advantage of six Coastal Carolina service errors in Set 1. 
• The Terps hopped on a 3-0 run to go ahead 23-18 late in the set. 
• A service error closed out a 25-21 set win for Maryland.

Set 2:

• Coastal Carolina opened the second set on an 8-1 run.
• Maryland worked the score back to several five-point Coastal advantages, but eventually fell 25-15 in the second set.
• Coastal Carolina finished the set on a 4-0 scoring run. 

Set 3:

• Coastal Carolina jumped out early in the third set with a 5-0 run to open a 6-1 lead. 
• A furious Maryland rally evened the set back at 7-7.
• Back-to-back errors by Coastal saw the third set reach an 11-11 mark.
• The squads traded 3-0 runs as the score reached an 18-18 tie. 
• The Chanticleers rode a 5-0 scoring run to a 23-20 lead, but back-to-back aces from Haley Melby tied the set at 23.
• Malual and Ruy recorded consecutive kills to earn the Terps a 27-25 set win.

Set 4:

• Seven early kills from Coastal saw the Chanticleers build a 12-9 lead, but Maryland wouldn't allow them to build any sort of separation, using a 3-0 lead to tie the set.
• The two teams continued to trade blows in a fourth set that featured 27 total kills.
• Coastal closed out the set 25-23.

Set 5:

• An early 4-0 run from the Chanticleers saw them open up a 4-1 lead. 
• Maryland was unable to close the gap despite pulling within one point on several occasions, ultimately losing the final set 15-9.
• Coastal Carolina closed the match on a 5-0 run. 

New Faces, New Impact:

• Malual led the team with 40 attacks and 12 kills in her first match as a Terrapin.
• Mebly, a Kentucky transfer, recorded four aces in her first appearance for Maryland.

Up Next:

• Maryland stays in Conway, South Carolina, to take on North Carolina on Aug. 30. The match will start at 1 PM.