Before the deciding fifth set against Iowa, Maryland’s huddle centered on making the most of its home court.
Freshman outside hitter Brooklynne Brass described the message after the Terps secured their first Big Ten win of the season Thursday night.
“We’re at home. We’re in our gym. We have a great crowd, great fans. We want this. All of us just had this dedication and wanted to step on the court and give it all we had,” Brass shared.
Maryland delivered, winning the final set 15-10 to complete a five-set victory over the Hawkeyes, 25-20, 13-25, 25-22, 19-25, 15-10. The Terps improved to 11-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play while remaining unbeaten at home at 6-0.
Brass and Ava Brown each recorded a career-high 18 kills. Brass added nine digs and two aces, while Brown finished with seven digs and three blocks.
Sara Toth also reached a career milestone with 56 assists, the most by a Maryland player since Sydney Dowler recorded 57 against Coastal Carolina in 2023. Eva Rohrbach contributed 12 kills, and Sydney Bryant added 11.
The teams traded sets throughout the night. Maryland closed an opening frame featuring 16 ties with an 8-2 run, but Iowa answered with a 25-13 second-set win.
Brass ended the third set with an ace to put Maryland back ahead. The Hawkeyes responded again, taking the fourth set 25-19 to force a fifth.
At 4-4 in the deciding frame, Maryland used a three-point run to create separation. A Rohrbach ace later extended the lead to 10-6, and the Terps finished the match to preserve their perfect home record.
Iowa fell to 12-5 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
Maryland stays home to face No. 1 Nebraska on Saturday, Oct. 3, on the main court at XFINITY Center. The match begins at 7 p.m. and will air on B1G+.