No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball vs. Maryland: Preview, Breakdown

Maryland Scout

Head Coach

Adam Hughes | 8th season at Maryland & HC | 109-113 (.491) at Maryland & Career Record | Previous assistant at Maryland, Penn State and UC Irvine. 

2024 Finish

Did not qualify for the postseason. 

2024 Record & Awards

14-17 (5-15 B1G, 15th) | All-B1G: 1x Second Team. 

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 20-0 (Nov. 30, 2024 last matchup, 3-1 NU) 

Returning Production 

Points: 34% | Kills: 35% | Service Aces: 22% | Blocks: 35% | Assists: 4% | Digs: 30%

Key Returners

• Eva Rohrbach | MB | Jr. | In the midst of her third year, starting at middle blocker while being on pace to set career highs with 77 kills (1.93 K/S) and 55 blocks (4th in the B1G). 
• Sydney Bryant | OH | Jr. | Totaled 205.5 points across 21 matches in 2024, but has only emerged as an attacker off the bench for Maryland so far in 2025. 
• Ally Williams | DS | Sr. | Played in all but one of Maryland’s sets last season as the Terrapins’ defensive specialist and stepped into the starting libero role for 2025. 
• Duru Gökçen | MB | Soph. | Has stepped up as the team’s second middle blocker with a team-high 59 blocks (2nd in B1G) and 89.5 points after just a few appearances in 2024.
• Lilly Wagner | S | R-Fr. | Starting setter for Maryland after redshirting in 2024; Averaging 8.49 assists per set in her debut college season.  

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

• Ajack Malual | OPP | Sr. | Right-side hitter that spent time at both Chaminade (2022 & 2023) and Tennessee (2024) before Maryland; leads the Terrapins with 190.5 points and 22 aces in 11 matches. 
• Lilly Wagner | S | R-Fr. | Starting setter for Maryland after redshirting in 2024; Averaging 8.49 assists per set in her debut college season.  
• Olivia Ruy | OH | R-Soph. | Transfer from Arkansas, where she was third on the team in kills (221), kills per set (2.81), and aces (13) while starting all but four matches for the Razorbacks.
• Addie Canady | L/DS | Fr. | True freshman from North Carolina that’s taken over as the Terrapins’ defensive specialist with Williams moving up to libero. 

Key Departures

• Samantha Schnitta | OH/OPP | Graduated | Piled up a program-record 88 aces in her final college season en route to being selected to Second Team All-Big Ten. 
• Sam Csire | OH | Graduated | Topped 1,000 career kills in five seasons at Maryland and was second on the Terrapins with 341.5 points in 2024. 
• Anastasia Russ | MB | Graduated | Veteran middle blocker who leaves behind 103 blocks and 107 kills that she contributed in her final college season last year. 
• Sydney Dowler | S | Graduated | Averaged 4.83 assists per set in a 6-2 system last year while adding 78 blocks and kills as a dynamic front-row setter.  
• Zoe Huang | S | Graduated | Complemented Dowler in the 6-2 system by averaging a team-high 5.07 assists per set, with 133 digs and 12 aces. 
• Lilly Gunter | L | Graduated | Team-leading 3.30 digs per set and 23 aces (third on team) as a fifth-year senior in 2024. 

Outlook

In what was a senior-laden squad with one of the best servers in the country, Maryland had the talent to fight its way towards the middle point of the Big Ten conference, but the Terrapins regressed from their past seasons with a 14-17 record and 5-15 mark in conference play across the 2024 season. 

Maryland lost plenty from the 2024 team, including pin hitter Samantha Schnitta, who was one of the country’s leaders in aces with 88 in her final season. Her team-high 487 points were over 140 more than the next player, which happened to be Sam Csire (341.5), who was also leaving after her fifth college season. Anastasia Russ was an All-Region pick in 2022 and rounded out her final season second on the team in blocks (103) and 107 additional kills. 

Head coach Adam Hughes deployed a 6-2 system using both Sydney Dowler and Zoe Huang, but they were also both seniors who departed the program after the season. Finally, starting libero Lilly Gunter graduated after leading the Terrapins with 3.50 digs per set. 

Eva Rohrbach was the best returner of the bunch, breaking out as a sophomore to lead the team in blocks, but is on a torrid pace to set new career highs in nearly every major category. Internal replacements have taken most starting roles, including Duru Gökçen, who has developed as the team’s second middle blocker with an impressive 59 blocks in 11 matches. Ally Williams goes from starting DS to libero while redshirt freshman Lilly Wagner runs the offense in a traditional 5-1 with just over eight assists per set. 

The Terrapins needed offense, and they added some with Italian native and Tennessee transfer Ajack Malual. She’s been the vocal point for Maryland’s attack with a team-leading 190.5 points (4.43 P/S) while also pacing the program with 151 kills and 22 aces. Haly Melby joins Maryland from Kentucky, where she’s emerged as the team’s top outside hitter. Arkansas transfer Olivia Ruy fills out the attacks as the second outside hitter, while freshman Addie Canady fills in for Williams as the DS. 

Malual has been a stellar addition to a team that was desperately looking for offensive production, while Rohrbach and Gökçen are a threat at the net with both middle blockers in the top five in the conference in total blocks. However, it’s arguable that the talent Maryland lost outweighs what they gained over the offseason. Relatively speaking, this roster is thin on top talent to seriously compete in the Big Ten – let alone challenge for the top half. With the Terrapins – picked 16th in the preseason poll – getting swept by Iowa (voted 17th) Thursday night in their conference opener, the hill will be steep in competing with Nebraska Saturday afternoon.