MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. ? The Purdue volleyball team dropped its second match in Big Ten play this season with a 15-8, 15-5, 15-13 loss at Minnesota in the Sports Pavilion tonight. The Boilermakers fell to 8-3 (0-2 Big Ten) with the loss, while the Gophers improved to 11-3 (2-0 Big Ten). This was Minnesota?s fifth consecutive victory.
?I was very pleased with our effort,? first-year Purdue head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer said. ?We?ve got to get used to being in these situations, especially on the road in the Big Ten. Despite the loss, this will be a good experience for us. And hopefully it will make us more competitive as the season goes on.?
Purdue?s unfortunate situation was forced by poor passing, which, in turn, led to poor hitting to the tune of a season-low .099 hitting percentage. Minnesota, meanwhile, hit .241, bolstered by 25 kills on a .400 hitting percentage from All-America candidate Nicole Branagh.
The Boilermakers were held to just 48 kills and committed 33 errors. Aneska Arosarena registered a team-high 18 kills, while Julie Doud and Sarah Emke added 11 and 10, respectively. Connie Paul led the Boilermaker defense, which was outdug 59 to 48 by the Gophers, with a season-high 12 digs.
Purdue?s passing was lacking from the start, and Minnesota capitalized on that deficiency to jump out to a 7-2 lead in Game 1. The Gophers went ahead by five again at 9-4 and 10-5. And that was all the space they needed, as they closed out the game on a 5-3 run to win 15-8.
Purdue owned a 4-3 lead in Game 2, but a service ace by the Gophers? Lisa Axel put Minnesota ahead 5-4. An ace by the Boilers? Sarah Emke knotted the score at 5-apiece. But that was the last point Purdue produced, as the Gophers scored 10 unanswered down the stretch to grab a 15-5 victory.
The Boilermakers got things straightened out in Game 3, taking a 3-2 lead after two Minnesota errors. The Gophers took the lead over at 4-3and upped it to five at 8-3 before a kill by Purdue?s Aneska Arosarena brought the Boilermakers to within two at 8-6. A kill by Emke and a Gopher error slimmed the Minnesota advantage to one at 10-9, then two more hitting errors by the Gophers helped Purdue reclaim the lead at 11-10. The Boilers were ahead 12-11 and 13-12, as well, but a monstrous kill by Minnesota?s Yvonne Wichert tied the score at 13-all. The two teams traded 14 sideouts after that, but the Boilers could not tack another score on the board, and Minnesota eked out the 15-13 win.
The Boilermakers have a week to prepare for their return to the IAF when they host Michigan State (Oct. 1) and Michigan (Oct. 2) in conference action.
By Kathleen Offer