By Terp Talk Non Rev Editor Todd Carton
When Steve Aird accepted the job as head volleyball coach at Maryland four years ago, he brought a vision of taking a program that had been moribund for nearly a decade and making it competitive in the B1G – the NCAA’s toughest volleyball conference. He chose to build the program and culture methodically through recruiting rather than loading his roster with transfers. Thursday night, Maryland fans began to see that vision take shape as Aird’s young Terps dissected the 18th ranked USC Trojans in straight sets (25-22, 25-23, 25-21) at the Xfinity Center in College Park.
Statistically, the teams looked to be evenly matched entering the contest. However, USC had built their stats against a stronger schedule than Maryland had faced. The Trojans are led by the 2015 National High School Player of the Year Khalia Lanier (yes, she’s Bob Lanier’s daughter) who entered the contest averaging 4.2 kills per set and hitting .319. While Lanier managed 10 kills in the three sets, Maryland’s defense effectively shut her down holding her to a hitting percentage of just .026.
Freshman Erika Pritchard and sophomore Gia Milana led the Terrapins with 12 kills each. Milana added 14 digs to register her fourth double-double of the young season. Junior libero Kelsey Wicinski led Maryland with 16 digs and surpassed the 1,000 mark for her career.
The Terps ran out to a 3-0 lead to open the match but USC fought back to leads of 7-6 and 8-7. However a three point run that started with a kill by Pritchard put Maryland back in front 10-8. Although USC would tie the set at 10, the Terps never trailed in the set again. Maryland looked to have control when they inched out to a 23-19 lead but the Trojans fought back to close within one before Maryland shut the door behind a block by redshirt freshman Katie Myers and a kill by Pritchard.
It was USC who got off to a hot start in the second set when they scored the first four points and built leads of 10-5 and 11-6. However, the young Terps – they start only one senior – kept their poise behind the quiet leadership of junior setter Abby Bentz. With Taylor Smith, one of Aird’s two regular setters, struggling, Bentz came off the bench late in the first set and provided a steady presence as Maryland began to chip away at USC’s lead.
Maryland drew even at 18 all and nosed in front 22-21 when freshman opposite Sam Drechsel notched one of her six kills. The Trojans scored the next two points and Aird used the last of his two timeouts hoping to break USC’s rhythm. The strategy worked. The strategy worked as the Terps ran off the set’s final three points.
The third set belonged entirely to the Terrapins who never trailed. The closest USC would come was tying the score at two all and at 10 apiece. Maryland out blocked USC 10-4 on the night so it was somewhat fitting that the team of Pritchard and Myers combined for back to back blocks to close out the set and the match sending the crowd of 1,541 into a frenzy.
When Steve Aird accepted the job as head volleyball coach at Maryland four years ago, he told me that he hoped his roster could string together enough points to force a quality team like USC to call a timeout or two in each set. Thursday night his squad accomplished much, much more and, to borrow an advertising phrase from the past, Terps volleyball has come a long way, baby.
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