Maryland saves three match points, outlasts Northwestern in five sets

Maryland rallied from a 14–11 deficit in the deciding set Saturday at Stephen M. Schanwald Pavilion in College Park, then finished a five-set victory over Northwestern with Ava Brown’s match-winning kill.

The Terps won 25–19, 18–25, 25–18, 17–25, 19–17, improving to 12–5 overall and 2–4 in the Big Ten. Northwestern fell to 7–10 and 0–6.

Facing three match points, Maryland ran off four straight points to move ahead 15–14. Sydney Bryant supplied a kill for a 16–15 lead, but Northwestern continued to answer and tied the set at 17–17. Brown’s final kill ended the extended fifth and secured Maryland’s second conference win.

Brooklynne Brass led four Terps in double figures with a career-high 19 kills and added career highs of 18 digs and four blocks. Eva Rohrbach posted a career-high 18 kills with four blocks, Bryant finished with 13 kills and Brown added 11. Sara Toth distributed a career-high 57 assists. Maryland hit .278 and recorded six aces.

The match repeatedly swung between runs. Maryland closed the opener with six straight points after Northwestern had erased an early 4–0 deficit. The Wildcats answered in the second, building an 8–3 lead and pulling away late to even the match.

Toth served consecutive aces during a six-point Maryland run in the third, helping the Terps regain the lead. Northwestern forced a fifth by pulling clear late in the fourth after the teams had been tied at 14–14.

Maryland next visits Wisconsin on October 16.