Maryland volleyball rolls past Seton Hall for fourth straight victory
Maryland volleyball continued its strong start to the 2026 season Friday night, sweeping Seton Hall in straight sets, 25-21, 25-18, 25-10, during the Maryland Tournament in College Park.
The Terrapins improved to 5-1 with the victory and extended their winning streak to four matches. Maryland’s 5-1 record through six matches marks the program’s best start since the 2021 team opened the season 13-0.
Maryland also recorded its fourth sweep of the young season and its third consecutive straight-set victory. The Terrapins steadily took control as the match progressed, eventually overwhelming the Pirates in a dominant third set.
Sydney Bryant led Maryland offensively with 11 kills, while Haley Melby finished with 10. Eva Rohrbach, Duru Gökçen and Ava Brown combined for 16 kills and 10 blocks as Maryland controlled play around the net.
Maryland responds in opening set
Seton Hall gave Maryland an early challenge in the first set, but the Terrapins responded with one of their best stretches of the night.
Maryland trailed before putting together a 6-0 scoring run that turned the set around and gave the Terrapins an 11-8 advantage. Bryant recorded Maryland’s first kill of the match, while Melby delivered an ace to tie the set at 8-8 before the Terrapins moved in front.
Serving became a major weapon for Maryland throughout the opening frame. Raina Chwialkowski and Brown both produced aces as the Terrapins began creating separation from Seton Hall.
Melby later recorded the kill that pushed Maryland to 20 points. Sara Toth added another ace late in the set, helping Maryland close out the Pirates for a 25-21 victory.
The four-point victory did not fully reflect how important the opening set was for Maryland. Seton Hall had an opportunity to establish itself early, but Maryland remained composed and gradually took control through its service pressure and balanced offense.
Terps take control in second set
Maryland carried its momentum into the second set and immediately established a 5-2 advantage.
Rohrbach delivered an ace that extended Maryland’s lead to 8-4, while Toth’s second ace of the match pushed the Terrapins to their 10th point. Maryland’s ability to serve aggressively prevented Seton Hall from consistently settling into its offense.
The Terrapins then began finding more success offensively.
Back-to-back kills from Melby and Rohrbach gave Maryland a 17-11 advantage and placed the Terrapins firmly in control. Maryland maintained the lead the rest of the way and captured the second set, 25-18.
Maryland’s blocking also started becoming increasingly important. Brown and Gökçen helped the Terrapins disrupt Seton Hall at the net, allowing Maryland to turn defensive plays into scoring opportunities.
That balance between serving, blocking and attacking proved difficult for Seton Hall to overcome.
Maryland dominates third set
The Terrapins saved their most impressive volleyball for the final set.
Maryland used a 7-1 run to take a 10-5 advantage, forcing Seton Hall to try to slow the match with a timeout as the Terrapins continued building momentum.
It did not work.
Maryland extended its lead to 12-6 and held a commanding 15-8 advantage at the media timeout. From there, the Terrapins completely took over.
Brooklynne Brass delivered Maryland’s seventh ace of the match during an 8-0 run that turned the set into a rout. Chwialkowski later added another ace, giving Maryland a season-high eight aces.
Freshman Marlee Sivak eventually finished off the match as Maryland completed a 25-10 third-set victory.
The final set demonstrated the difference between the teams by the end of the night. What began as a competitive match turned into complete Maryland control as the Terrapins dictated play from the service line, at the net and offensively.
Maryland continues impressive start
The victory was Maryland’s fourth all-time win against Seton Hall in five meetings between the programs. Maryland is now 4-1 against the Pirates, with all four victories coming in straight sets.
The Terrapins also improved to 3-0 at home, marking the second time in the past three seasons that Maryland has started its home schedule with three consecutive victories.
More importantly, Maryland continued demonstrating considerable depth.
Bryant and Melby gave the Terrapins two reliable offensive options, while Rohrbach, Gökçen and Brown impacted the match both offensively and defensively. Maryland did not have to depend on one player to carry the attack.
The serving numbers were another major positive. Eight aces represented a season high, with both Chwialkowski and Toth recording multiple aces.
Strong serving can completely alter a volleyball match because it prevents an opponent from consistently running its preferred offense. Maryland used that pressure effectively throughout Friday’s victory.
MSB Take
Maryland looks like a significantly more complete volleyball team than its record alone shows.
The Terrapins are not simply winning matches. They are putting opponents away quickly, with four of their first six victories coming in sweeps and three consecutive opponents failing to take a set.
Friday’s match was particularly encouraging because Maryland improved as the night progressed. Seton Hall remained competitive in the first set, but the Terrapins adjusted, became increasingly dominant at the net and eventually demolished the Pirates 25-10 in the third.
Bryant and Melby provide Maryland with experienced offensive weapons, but the contributions from Brown, Gökçen and Rohrbach could make the Terrapins especially dangerous once Big Ten play begins.
Maryland still has plenty to prove against the level of competition it will encounter in conference play, but a 5-1 start, four consecutive victories and three straight sweeps represent exactly the type of early-season momentum the program wanted.
The Terrapins have quickly established themselves as a team worth watching as the 2026 season develops.
