Coach Tim Horsmon said he has nothing new to say about the Terrapin volleyball team.
Talking about this weekend's matches, the coach reiterated the same message he has throughout his first season with the program.
"I know it's the theme of what I say every week: Obviously, we need to get better," Horsmon said. "That's the only thing I'm worried about."
He's not anxious about playing Virginia Tech and Virginia on consecutive days?
"I'm not even thinking about Virginia Tech and Virginia," Horsmon said. "I've got enough on my plate with University of Maryland volleyball."
The Terps lost two on the road last weekend against North Carolina and N.C. State after beating Boston College at home Sept. 23. Now the Terps (5-10, 1-2 ACC) come back home to face Virginia Tech tonight at 7 p.m. and Virginia on Saturday, also at 7 p.m.
When they do, the Terps will be focused not on the Hokies and Cavaliers, but on themselves. The team will look for players to respond to the changes Horsmon has implemented, something that hasn't happened consistently so far this season. Instead, the lineup has resembled a game of musical chairs at every position as Horsmon tries to get players to "buy into what's happening."
In the loss to N.C. State, four of the starters had been benched by the final set. Fourteen of the 17 players on the roster saw time on the court.
"Volleyball is momentum. It's a momentum sport," Horsmon said. "You need players who can change the game, whether that's attackers or blockers or setters. Right now, we don't have those players who are changing momentum or keeping momentum."
The Terps need to grab this momentum in these home matches because they got off to a bad start on the road, where they also struggled last year.
"Coach always says, 'Winners win,' and winning will get that mindset for us so we can keep going," said middle blocker Katie Usher.
This won't be easy.
Virginia Tech swept Georgia Tech in its last match and is 12-2 overall and a perfect 3-0 in the ACC.
The Terps lost to the Hokies in Blacksburg last season but beat them in College Park. However, the Hokies come into this match as the No. 1 team in the conference and boast a nine-match winning streak.
The Cavaliers are only 8-7 overall, which is still better than the Terps, but lost their first three ACC matches. Those matches, though, were against the top three teams in the conference, including Virginia Tech. And though the Terps lead the all-time series 32-16, the Cavaliers have won the past four meetings.
Horsmon was uncertain how the players would perform this weekend, but he was sure of one thing about the team's play so far.
"It's not acceptable," Horsmon said. "We have to make adjustments and adapt to what's happening and to change that. Every single day, we're trying to take charge of that and change it. It will change, whether our players like it or not."
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