Friday, August 28
Washington, DC
6 PM
Maryland
at
Howard
Maryland Volleyball Opens 2026 Season at Howard Friday
8/26/2026 10:57:00 AM | Volleyball
Maryland (0-0) at Howard (0-0)
August 28, 2026
Burr Gymnasium
6:00 p.m.
MEAC Network
First serve is slated for 6 p.m. ET, with the matchup against the Bison streaming live on the MEAC Network.
2026 Preview
- Head coach Adam Hughes enters his ninth season at the helm of the Maryland volleyball program. Hughes added two coaches to his staff in April.
- Assistant coach Fran Bollentino joins Maryland following a successful stint as head coach at IMG Academy, where he led the 18U team to the program's first-ever USA Volleyball national qualification and a top-five finish in the Florida high school rankings.
- Assistant coach Michael Ma joins the Terps after successful stints at Long Beach State, Saint Joseph High School, Seal Beach Volleyball Club and Westcliff University. A 2016 graduate of Long Beach State, Ma brings a résumé that includes multiple league titles, national club medals and a strong track record in player development and recruiting.
- Hughes added one transfer during the offseason in Sara Toth, a setter from Georgia Tech, while also welcoming six freshmen to College Park.
- With a blend of returning talent, transfer additions and a highly touted freshman class, Maryland will look to build on its foundation and raise the program's standards in 2026.
2026 Maryland Volleyball Team Photo
returning strength
- Maryland returns Duru Gökçen, who led the Terps with 127 blocks in 2025 and was a key contributor to the team's defensive effort.
- Middle blocker Eva Rohrbach returns for her senior season after ranking second on the team with 119 blocks in 2025, helping anchor the Terps' defense.
- Haley Melby returns for her graduate season after leading Maryland offensively with 207 kills in 2025.
- Sydney Bryant returns for her senior season after recording 140 kills and averaging 1.92 kills per set in 2025, providing another experienced offensive option for the Terps.
Duru Gökçen led the Terps with 127 blocks in 2025.
freshmen ready to make an impact
- Six incoming freshmen, Brooklynne Brass, Marlee Sivak, Ioanna Dimitriou, Elayna Davidson, Ava Brown and Raina Chwialkowski make up the No. 16-ranked freshman class in the nation, according to Prep Dig.
- The class is Maryland's second-highest-ranked incoming group in program history and the highest-ranked class of the Hughes era.
- Chwialkowski was named the 2024-25 Gatorade North Dakota Volleyball Player of the Year, becoming the award's recipient for the second consecutive year.
2026 Maryland Volleyball Freshmen Class.
Series history
- Maryland leads the all-time series, 18-0.
- Hughes is 3-0 against Howard as Maryland's head coach.
- Maryland has won 18 consecutive meetings with Howard, dating to 1976.
Maryland hosted Georgetown for an exhibition match on August 22.
scouting report
- Howard finished the 2025 season with an 18-11 overall record and a 10-4 mark in MEAC play.
- Senior middle blockers Zenai Jethroe and Kaitlynn Robinson, along with sophomore Alexys James, were named to the 2026 Preseason All-MEAC Team.
- Jethroe earned All-MEAC First Team honors in 2025 after leading the conference in hitting percentage (.347) and blocks per set (1.02).
- Robinson ranked second in the conference with 0.98 blocks per set, trailing only Jethroe.
- James earned All-MEAC Second Team honors last season after being named MEAC Rookie of the Week three times.
Haley Melby led the Terps in kills last season with 207.
Players Mentioned
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