The Terps are now 4-14 in conference play this season.
Maryland volleyball sought to complete a season sweep of Michigan State and snap its two-game losing streak. But the Terps dug themselves in a hole late in the opening set, trailing 17-14.
A powerful serve from outside hitter Sam Csire gave the Spartans all sorts of trouble, cutting Maryland’s deficit to two. Then, the Spartans landed a big blow, scoring five of the next six points. This run proved pivotal in the Terps’ straight-set loss on the road.
“I thought last time we were in control of possessions a lot better,” head coach Adam Hughes said. “Today, I felt like we were playing from behind in a lot of ways. There were a lot of scramble plays that we weren’t getting quality swings on.”
The Terps — who defeated the Spartans in four sets just 16 days prior — looked for their second Big Ten road win of the season. Instead, Maryland was outplayed from the get-go in Saturday’s match.
Csire opened the scoring with a cross-court kill, but Michigan State had an answer. The Spartans rattled off five straight points, led by two kills from outside hitter Akasha Anderson. But middle blocker Anastasia Russ responded, adding her first two kills of the match to knot the score at five apiece.
The Terps reclaimed their early lead, but Anderson gave Michigan State the lead right back with two kills, pushing the score to 16-12.
Middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig, who entered the game with the 18th-most blocks in the nation, added one more to help push the Spartans five points away from a first-set victory. Just minutes later, Kulig gave Michigan State a set point, before its fifth block of the set closed it out, 25-19.
“[Kulig] is a really good player,” Hughes said. “Last time around, we knew that she was going to be someone they were going to feature. She got off to a good start.”
Three balls Schnitta clobbered helped Maryland keep the score leveled at seven apiece in the second set. But then, once again, the Spartans rallied for five of the next six points. Two kills from outside hitter Taylor Preston helped Michigan State extend its lead to four.
The Spartans stayed in front before Kulig helped extend the lead to six with her fifth block of the match. Michigan State’s outside hitter Aliyah Moore moved the score to 22-15, but the Terps had a big response.
Csire and Russ teamed up for a block to start a run, as Maryland scored seven of the next eight points. Another block — this time from Schnitta and Russ — cut the Terps’ deficit to one. But two straight kills from the Spartans wrapped up the set, 25-22.
‘When we weren’t able to generate offense, then the next thing you know you get a lot of good opportunities coming back at you,” Hughes said.
Early in the third set, Anderson broke the deadlock with two kills, pushing Michigan State in front by two. But libero Lilly Gunter and Schnitta responded with service aces to flip the scoreboard.
A forceful swing from Moore sparked another spurt for the Spartans. Preston capped it off with a service ace to move Michigan State in front by four, 16-12. Csire and Schnitta looked to swing some momentum in favor of Maryland with a kill apiece, but the Spartans landed the last punch.
Michigan State scored four straight points to br just one point away from the finish line. On the brink of a straight-sets loss, the Terps scored back-to-back points, but Moore’s match-high 12th kill sealed the deal. Maryland fell 25-18 in the final set.
“Sometimes we hype up a game or we think about the past,” Hughes said. “It’s one of my jobs to try and deflect that as much as possible. We beat them before so therefore you try to think too much about the past and not about what you need to execute.”
Three things to know
1. Kulig dominates in a revenge game. After Maryland held one of the nation’s best blockers to eight total blocks in the first meeting, Kulig responded in Michigan State’s emphatic victory. The 6-foot-4 blocker had a game-high six blocks and two service aces, helping the Spartans outblock the Terps, 11-6.
2. Road struggles continue. The Terps entered Big Ten play with a 2-1 record away from College Park, but that success has failed to translate over. They have gone just 1-8 in conference road games, winning just five sets in such matches.
3. Season winds down. Maryland has just two games left on the schedule: a road match against Rutgers and senior night against No. 2 Nebraska. The Terps will be looking to end their losing streak with a victory in one of the remaining matches.