COLLEGE PARK, MD — Maryland (15-15, 6-12 BIG) lost one set to three in a close game against Michigan (16-12, 7-11 BIG) (28-26, 22-25, 23-25, 11-25). Despite their consistent energy and effort, fueled by a lively home crowd, the Terps dropped the final three frames after an exciting first set victory.
After starting down 2-6, the Terps went on a 5-0 run to pull ahead of the Wolverines in the first set. Laila Ivey and Rainelle Jones assisted on a clutch block to bring the score to 6-6. In a neck-and-neck rest of the set, Sam Csire and Anastasia Russ tallied six kills each, keeping Maryland competitive. Russ tipped it just over the net to secure the first frame in the Terrapins’ favor.
The second set also began with a Wolverine run. Down 0-6, Maryland slowly and surely battled their way back, equalizing at 17-17 off a string of Michigan errors and kills by Jones and Ivey. Csire and Russ maintained their offensive dominance in the second set, totaling 6 and 3 respective kills. Despite their strong efforts, the Terps fell 22-25 in the second frame.
More players made their mark on offense in the third set, including kills by Laila Ricks and Sydney Dowler. The crowd went wild after a decisive block to put the Terps at 20 points, assisted by Russ and Ricks. Maryland nearly finished out the set, but Michigan ultimately took the third frame, 23-25.
The set started off close, but Michigan staged a 10-0 run to pull ahead of the Terps. Russ notched an additional kill, bringing her game total to 14. The Wolverines kept the offensive pressure on, winning the final frame 25-11.
Tonight was about the team’s four seniors, who were honored before the game. Gem Grimshaw, Maddie Naumann, Rainelle Jones, and Lexi Finnerty received many cheers as they walked the court with their families. Those four players led the Terps to 70 wins during their time in the program.
Up Next
- The Terps will play their penultimate game of the season in College Park this Wednesday at 7pm against Purdue. You can catch all the action on Big Ten Plus.
- The team is collecting non-perishable food items throughout the game for their Terpsgiving Canned Food Drive.
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