When matches go to five sets, issues arise for volleyball

A loss to Clemson on Saturday was enough to finish off the Terrapins volleyball team's first winless weekend in more than a month, but it was the crushing and hauntingly familiar manner in which the Terps fell that stood out afterward.

The team's third straight loss marked another setback to the Terps in finishing off five-set matches. The team is now 2-5 when pushed to a final and decisive set, and hasn't won a five-set match away from College Park. With another road trip to Wake Forest and Duke ahead this weekend, coach Tim Horsmon is stressing the importance of execution to reverse the trend as quickly as possible.

"We've shown how we can compete in those matches," Horsmon said. "But the cleaner you play, the less errors you make. If we had more playmaking and less errors up to this point, we would be at the top of the ACC."

After losing an early 2-1 lead at Clemson, the Terps were looking for answers for yet another late-match failure. But instead of being overpowered, it was attack errors, service errors, ball-handling errors and block errors that spelled the Terps' demise. The last two sets featured 11 in total, and their mistakes certainly swung the balance. In the final set, an attack error by outside hitter Ashleigh Crutcher gave the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish until the Terps came back to tie it at 14-14. Then, down 15-14 at match point, an attack error by outside hitter Carlisle Abele ended the match.

The Terps (9-10, 3-4 ACC) have been prone to late-match errors. In all five of their five-set losses, they held a lead at one point in the match. In four of them, they were a set win away from victory. And on an extreme level, they held a 2-0 lead over Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia Tech in matches earlier this season before faltering.

So what exactly is plaguing the Terps when they get out in front? Outside hitter Mary Cushman pointed to a lack of mental toughness as a possibility.

"We need to go into that fifth set with a strong mentality," Cushman said. "We work hard enough in the gym to be physically prepared for these five-set matches, but our focus needs to be high. Right now we're just making too many mental errors."

What could also be behind their mental errors is the lack of experience on the roster. With just one senior, outside hitter Maddi Lee, and two juniors, primary setter Remy McBain and middle blocker Caitlin Adams, regularly playing for the Terps, the Terps' underclassmen are struggling to acquire the killer instinct necessary to finish off opponents.

"I think it is a product of youth, and most of this season has been about them learning how to win," Horsmon said. "They need to become comfortable and get used to being in those situations. We need to find go-to hitters late in these matches."

munson@umdbk.com