A season ago, Michigan came to College Park and put on a performance the Terrapins gymnastics team wouldn’t see matched for the rest of the regular season. The Wolverines scored 197.1, and they are off to a similar start to their 2016 campaign.

No. 3 Michigan is averaging 196.86 in 2016 with a season-low score of 196.65. The Terps, meanwhile, are averaging 194.35.

So when the Terps travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Monday to face the Wolverines and Eastern Michigan, they likely will need to build on their season-best 195.5 effort from Jan. 31.

“This is a team that can push over 196,” coach Brett Nelligan said after the performance against Iowa. “And I think we can do it soon if we put it all together.”

Eastern Michigan (8-1), which is coming off a program-record 195.6 in its last meet, already owns a 194.875-194.4 win over the Terps at the Pittsburgh quad meet to open the season. So in addition to competing against a top-five team, the Terps will have a shot at revenge against the Eagles.

“The word that comes to mind is opportunity,” Nelligan said of the upcoming meet.

When the Terps met Michigan (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) last season, it was just their fourth conference matchup since joining the Big Ten. They fell by more than 2 points — 197.1–194.575 — but that meet isn’t on the Terps’ minds this season.

“Our whole team has really grown since then,” sophomore Abbie Epperson said. “We’re so much stronger than we were last year.”

At this point in the season, the Terps (2-3, 0-2) are scoring higher than they were in 2015. Last year’s team didn’t eclipse 195.5 until the ninth meet of the season. The Terps’ 195.5 against Iowa came in just their third meet.

“We’re young, but we’re very good,” Nelligan said. “It’s going to be great for them to see one of the top teams in the country.”

Nelligan’s team won’t have much opportunity to really watch the Wolverines, though, as the matchup is a tri-meet rather than a dual. However, the rotation of the tri-meet could help the Terps, Nelligan said.

The Terps will start the meet on the uneven bars, the team’s best-scoring event so far, before performing on the beam in the second rotation.

“It will be nice to end on the power events,” Nelligan said, referring to the floor and vault.

Additionally, the setup and rhythm of the tri-meet could be positives for the Terps.

“Dual meets can be a little bit more pressure,” Epperson said. “So the tri-meet could help the atmosphere and keep it more fun.”

No matter the format, though, the Terps know the Wolverines will be looming on the other side of the gym. Nonetheless, the Terps, who emphasize focusing on what they can control, aren’t planning on straying from that Monday.

“We know that we need to go in there like we would any other school,” sophomore Dominiquea Trotter said.

In the final two meets last season — the Big Ten championships and NCAA regionals — the Terps were at, or near, their best. They scored a season-best 196.075 in the Big Ten championships before posting a 195.15 for a third-place finish at NCAA regionals.

So the returning Terps are used to performing in big meets.

“We’re going to have to really show out over there,” Epperson said. “We definitely need to be on our ‘A’ game, but we’re really good at that.”

And even if they can’t capture upsets in Michigan, Nelligan said, the experience will help his young squad.

“I’m excited to see us go against the best,” Nelligan said.