Joanne Boyle is still searching for her first signature ACC as women's basketball coach at Virginia.

Boyle's Cavaliers are 0-5 against nationally ranked conference opponents in her first season. They'll get a chance to change that Thursday night, when Maryland visits John Paul Jones Arena.

The Terrapins are in the top 10 of both national polls this week - ranked eighth by the Associated Press, and seventh in the coaches' poll.

"Maryland's a different style. And they're at a different level than a lot of teams," Boyle said before practice on Wednesday. "And so you have to show up and have your A-game, and your best game, every time you step out on the floor.

"But our team is ready, and we're confident, and they embrace the challenge," she added. "It'll be great to have the No. 7 team in the country here on our floor."

The Cavaliers enter Thursday with just four games remaining before the ACC Tournament. Virginia go into Thursday's game at 18-8 on the season, 6-6 in the conference.

And a win over the Terps would give Boyle's team its first three-game winning streak, since it ended the year 2011 with seven in a row.

"There's just a lot on the table; a lot on our plate right now," Boyle said. "So we're just kind of looking at it as one game at a time, and we've got this unbelievable opportunity tomorrow night to knock off a great team. But it's going to take a lot from each and every one of us. We'll hopefully step up to the challenge, and get a win tomorrow."