Maryland Volleyball Sweeps Princeton for Fifth Straight Victory
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Maryland volleyball continued its impressive start to the 2026 season Saturday night, sweeping Princeton, 3-0, at the Stephen M. Schanwald Pavilion. The Terrapins controlled the match from the opening serve, winning the three sets 25-17, 25-15 and 25-20 to improve to 6-1 on the season. The victory extended Maryland’s winning streak to five matches and gave the Terps their fourth consecutive sweep.
Maryland has quickly established itself as one of the hottest teams on campus this fall. The Terps are now 4-0 at home and have posted their best record through seven matches since the 2021 team opened the season 13-0. Maryland also improved to 17-3 all-time against Princeton in what was the 20th meeting between the programs.
Bryant Powers Maryland Attack
Sydney Bryant led Maryland offensively with 14 kills as the Terps overwhelmed Princeton with an efficient and balanced attack. Haley Melby added nine kills, while Duru Gökçen finished with seven as Maryland consistently found openings in the Tigers’ defense. Maryland finished the match with 44 kills and only 10 attack errors on 91 attempts, good for a season-impressive .374 hitting percentage.
Princeton never approached that level of offensive efficiency. The Tigers finished with 30 kills and 18 errors on 97 attacks, hitting just .124 for the match. Maryland’s defense and work at the net made Princeton earn nearly every point and prevented the Tigers from developing sustained momentum.
Terps Jump Out Quickly
Maryland established control almost immediately in the opening set. Brooklynne Brass delivered Maryland’s first service ace, and the Terps raced out to a 10-3 advantage before Princeton could settle into the match. Melby later contributed an ace during a 4-0 Maryland run, while a kill from Gökçen stretched the advantage to 19-9.
Princeton managed to close the gap somewhat late in the set, but Maryland never allowed the Tigers to seriously threaten. Melby’s second ace moved the Terps within two points of taking the opener, and Maryland finished the job with a 25-17 victory. The Terrapins hit .289 in the set while holding Princeton to .121.
Maryland Dominates Second Set
The second set may have been Maryland’s best offensive stretch of the night. Back-to-back kills from Eva Rohrbach and Melby helped the Terps move ahead 6-3, and an ace by Raina Chwialkowski extended the advantage to 11-7. A five-point Maryland run later in the set effectively put Princeton away.
Bryant’s kill gave Maryland its 20th point before Melby ultimately finished the set with another kill, securing a dominant 25-15 victory. The Terrapins recorded 17 kills against only two errors on 30 attempts in the second set, producing an outstanding .500 hitting percentage. Princeton managed just nine kills and hit .172.
Princeton Pushes Back, Maryland Finishes Sweep
Maryland did not allow Princeton to gain much hope in the third set either. The Terps erupted for an 8-1 run that gave them an early 10-4 advantage, although Princeton later used a service ace to cut the deficit to 13-10. Maryland still held a 15-11 advantage at the media timeout and remained composed as Princeton attempted to extend the match.
Bryant continued to deliver important kills down the stretch as Maryland kept the Tigers at arm’s length. The Terps eventually closed out the set, 25-20, finishing the match without surrendering a set. Maryland hit .348 in the third while Princeton struggled to an .086 hitting percentage.
Defense at the Net Makes a Difference
Maryland’s blocking was another major factor in the victory. Rohrbach led the Terps with seven blocks, while Ava Brown contributed four as Maryland consistently disrupted Princeton’s offense near the net. The pressure helped force Princeton into 18 attack errors during the three-set match.
The combination of efficient attacking and strong blocking has made Maryland particularly difficult to deal with during its current winning streak. Instead of relying on one aspect of its game, Maryland has been able to dictate matches from the service line, at the net and offensively. That balance has now resulted in four consecutive opponents failing to win a single set.
Terps Continue Strong Start
The five-match winning streak gives Maryland five consecutive victories in back-to-back seasons. Even more impressive, the Terps have now swept four straight opponents for the first time since 2023, when Maryland put together consecutive sweeps of Princeton, Howard, Le Moyne and Florida Atlantic.
Maryland’s 6-1 record also puts the program in excellent position heading toward the more difficult portion of the schedule. The Terps have been dominant at home, starting 4-0 in College Park for the second time in three seasons. Four consecutive sweeps provide Maryland with considerable momentum as the season progresses.
MSB Take
Maryland is doing more than simply winning matches right now — the Terps are controlling them. Four straight sweeps are difficult to produce against any schedule, and Maryland’s .374 hitting percentage against Princeton shows how efficient this offense can be when everything is working together.
Bryant’s 14-kill performance stands out, but Maryland’s balance might be the biggest reason for optimism. Melby and Gökçen provided additional offense, while Rohrbach and Brown created major problems at the net defensively. When Maryland can attack at that level while simultaneously forcing opponents into inefficient offensive performances, the Terps become a very difficult team to beat.
A 6-1 start does not guarantee anything once Big Ten competition arrives, but Maryland has put itself in exactly the position it wanted early in the season. The Terps have confidence, depth and momentum, and four consecutive sweeps demonstrate that this team is not merely surviving matches. Maryland is beginning to impose its style on opponents.
The challenge will be carrying that level of execution into conference play, where the competition becomes significantly tougher. For now, however, Maryland volleyball is rolling, and five consecutive victories have turned an already strong start into one of the program’s most encouraging openings in recent years.
