Maryland volleyball was defeated 3-0 by No. 11 Oregon for its fifth straight loss

Oregon’s Noemie Glover soared over the net to drill a spike across the field and seal an ultra-light set. The sophomore put Maryland volleyball behind by two sets.

In the final set, the Ducks cruised past the Terps. No. No. 11 Oregon defeated Maryland 3-0 in straight sets at Matthew Knight Arena on Friday. The result marked the Terps’ fifth straight match in which they failed to secure a set.

Both offenses started aggressively.

The first four points each ended with kills. Pin hitter Samantha Schnitta got off to a fast start with three kills in the first eight points. Maryland’s (10-10,1-8 Big Ten) leading killer drilled spikes all over the field, immediately putting pressure on the Ducks.

Libero Lilly Gunter hit a serve that glimpsed the net and was not returned, giving the Terps a 7-2 lead right after an Oregon (15-3, 7-2 Big Ten) timeout. Outside hitter Mimi Colyer’s third kill of the opening set cut that deficit to three. The Ducks leading killer finished with a match-high 20 kills.

Maryland looked comfortable early in a hostile environment and took advantage of Oregon’s mistakes. In the first set, six different players scored a kill. But an Oregon four-nil run tightened the set as Maryland suddenly struggled to gain points. Coach Adam Hughes called a timeout.

(Duru Gökçen, a volleyball player from Maryland, found a sense of family more than 5,000 miles from home)

Oregon defeated Hughes in a national semifinal in 2012 while he was on the Penn State coaching staff. He won three national championships with the Nittany Lions.

Middle blocker Eva Rohrbach drilled a serve past Oregon defenders who were barely staying in, tying the score at 19. But the Ducks took six of the next eight points to seal the set.

Maryland got off to a fast start offensively in the second set. Junior Ally Williams crushed a serve that an Oregon defender couldn’t control, erasing an early Oregon lead.

The Ducks offense also shined early. Michelle Ohwobete led the way on that effort, recording back-to-back kills followed by an ace. That extended the lead to 11-7, prompting a Maryland timeout.

The Terps responded from halftime.

Outside hitter Sam Csire had a kill and ace to close the deficit. A few points later, Rohrbach put a shot between several defenders to tie the set. Oregon responded and won four straight points in a short time.

(Maryland volleyball’s decline continues in a straight set loss to Illinois)

Maryland, the Big Ten’s leader in aces, has often found an advantage through its serve. That was not the case on Friday. The teams served almost evenly, with only two aces between them.

Setter Sydney Dowler crushed a serve along the sideline that a diving defender couldn’t return, giving Maryland a key two-point lead. But Csire hit a serve into the net a few points later, putting the Terps in a one-point hole. Glover took advantage with a kill to end the set.

With the score tied at four as the teams battled for every point early in the third, Maryland’s offense began to struggle. The Ducks looked energized and continually found ways to add points. Libero Mackenzie Morris was instrumental in that effort with 16 digs to lead all players.

Oregon went on an eight-zero run to give it a commanding lead and trigger a Maryland timeout. That run proved fatal for the Terps and marked the last of fourteen lead changes. The Ducks recorded a pair of blocks in that period – an area they dominated with five more blocks as the Terps’ struggles at the net continued.

Colyer crushed a spike in the middle of the court that the Terps couldn’t return. A few points later, she knocked down a shot that deflected out of bounds off a Maryland defender, sealing Oregon’s victory.