After Maryland volleyball’s second set on Sunday — a 25-9 drubbing in which No. 4 Illinois controlled every facet of play — coach Adam Hughes sat down outside hitter Erika Pritchard.

Throughout the match to that point, Pritchard’s influence was limited. The Illini blocked her first four attacks, and each time she rose up for an attempt, Illinois middle blocker Ali Bastianelli and setter Jordyn Poulter were on the opposite side of the net, obscuring her clear hitting lanes.

But instead of altering Pritchard’s position to find an easier matchup than facing two of the Illini’s elite defenders, Hughes left her to grapple with Bastianelli and Poulter.

In a match where Illinois rolled past Maryland with relative ease, Hughes decided Pritchard’s individual battle would be a valuable learning experience as she continues her development.

[Read more: No. 4 Illinois coasts past Maryland volleyball in dominant straight-sets showing]

“The thing that I’m trying to make sure she understands is that I think Jordyn Poulter is one of the best players in the country, hands down,” Hughes said. “If [Pritchard is] going to become the player I think she can be, she’s going to have to make sure she can go up against the best players in the country.”

As the Terps’ leader in points (4.74 per set) and kills (4.25 per set), Pritchard is no stranger to heavy defensive attention. But the Illini’s pair of seniors are among the toughest foes she’s faced.

Poulter has totaled more than 100 rejections in each of the past two seasons, while Bastianelli is the team’s all-time leading blocker. Both were named to the All-Big Ten team in 2016 and 2017, and they were preseason picks this year.

While Pritchard was the Illini’s focal point, the rest of the team didn’t fare much better — no other Terp had more than five kills.

[Read more: Maryland volleyball’s season-high 15 blocks lifts it over Northwestern, 3-1]

And while Maryland is forced into a tough schedule by virtue of being in the Big Ten, Hughes wants his young players to take advantage of the chance to see elite opponents up close and personal.

“Somebody like Rainelle [Jones] and Emma [Schriner], those people need to play against people that are really good and learn from it,” Hughes said.

Throughout a rebuilding year for Maryland, Hughes has emphasized the need to learn from opponents and not shrink away from big challenges.

The Terps have lost in straight sets in their four matches against top-ten opponents, but Hughes still relishes his team’s opportunities to battle the country’s elite.

Against unranked opponents, the Terps are 15-5, with sweeps in 12 of those wins.

Four of Maryland’s six remaining matches come against ranked teams, three of which are in the top ten.

While an upset is unlikely, Hughes is making sure his team still finds the value in those matches.

“We used the analogy postgame of playing pickup basketball,” Hughes said. “Do you want to go play against people that you know you’re better than, or do you want to play against people who might beat you up a little bit but might make you better?”