Oct. 19, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 17 Boilermaker volleyball team struggled at times, but walked out of the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility with a 3-0 sweep of Illinois Wednesday night. The 30-25, 30-22, 30-23 win moves Purdue to 17-3 on the season, matching the team's final 2004 win total, while also pushing the squad's conference record to 6-3 for the first time since 1990.
"It is nice to be able to put a team on the floor where you know you are going to be in every match," head coach Dave Shondell said of his team's success. "When we got here the team never felt like it was going to win. It is nice that our team has evolved to where they believe they can win every match. The mental factor is a huge part of our success. The good part of it (being 17-3) is that we are winning enough that our team believes it can win."
Illinois took a 3-1 lead to start the match. Purdue cut the point margin to one on five occasions, last at 8-7, before tying the score at 8-8 on a kill by senior Renata Dargan (New Lenox, Ill.). The Illini scored three of the next four points to go up 11-9, but Purdue responded with kills by sophomore Sam Mader (Algonquin, Ill.) and freshman Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind.) to tie the score at 11. The team tied again at 12-12 on a kill by sophomore Lizzie Jacques (Winfield, Ill.), then took its first lead of the night at 13-12 on a solo block by freshman Stephanie Lynch (New Albany, Ind.). Illinois posted a 5-1 run to take 17-14 advantage. Down 19-17, the Boilermakers registered four straight kills and an ace to go up 22-19. Dargan, Jacques, and freshman Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind.) accounted for the kills, before Dargan capped the run with the ace. Purdue owned at least a two point lead from that point on. The Boilermakers expanded their lead to four at 27-23 on an ace by Miller and again at 29-25 on a Merlau kill. An Illini hitting error closed out the stanza at 30-25. Jacques posted five kills in the game as Purdue outhit Illinois .308 to .143.
"The last two matches we have started poorly, but it is good to see our young team finish strong," Shondell said. "In the last six games against Iowa and Illinois we have struggled early, but the games have not been in jeopardy. We have not started so well, but we have finished well. We need to do a better job coming out of the gate."
The Illini went up 4-1 to begin the second game, but Purdue again played from behind to tie the score at 8-8 after a 3-0 run. Dargan and Merlau tallied kills en route to the tie. The score knotted again at nine, before Purdue took a 12-10 lead after a Merlau kill and a pair of UI errors. The teams tied at 12 sparking a string of five more knot ups last at 17-17. The Boilermakers rattled off five straight points to break the tie and go up 22-17. The rally included a pair of aces by sophomore Annie Mastandrea (Downers Grove, Ill.), a kill by Jacques and a solo block by Merlau. A service ace by junior Brittany Dildine (West Lafayette, Ind.) gave Purdue a six-point lead at 25-19. Illinois cut the margin to four at 25-21, but a kill by Miller and an Illini miscues made it 27-21. The Boilermakers scored three of the last four points, including a pair of kills by Miller and the game-winner by Dargan, to take the game at 30-22. Miller posted five kills in the stanza.
Purdue owned an early 3-2 lead in the third game, but Illinois scored five straight points to take a 7-3 lead of its own. The Boilermakers battle back, tying the score at nine with a 6-2 run that included kills by Jacques, Mader and Lynch and a pair of blocks. The Illini scored seven of the next 10 points to take a 16-12 lead, but Purdue maintained its composure, responding with a 4-0 run to tie the score at 16. Kills by Merlau and Mader as well as two Illini errors accounted for the points. A kill by Merlau and a UI hitting error gave Purdue an 18-17 lead. Illinois tied the score at 18-18, but Purdue regained the lead on a block by Miller and Jacques, and another by Mader and Lynch. The Illini pulled within one at 20-19, 21-20, but Purdue pushed the margin to four at 24-20 after two UI errors and a kill by Lynch. An Illinois block ended the string, but the Boilermakers continued to pull away, scoring five straight points to set up match point at 29-21. Merlau posted a kill and back-to-back solo blocks in the 5-0 run. A kill by Rachel VanMeter and a Purdue hitting error kept the match going, before Merlau put down the final kill at 30-23. Merlau chalked up five kills in the game.
Merlau led Purdue with 11 kills, while Miller added 10. Four different Boilermakers served up aces, led by Mastandrea's two. Mastandrea also led Purdue with 13 digs. Purdue outhit the Illini .248 to .069.
The Boilermakers return to action at 7 p.m. Friday, when they take on Indiana for possession of the Monon Spike traveling trophy.
"Obviously Friday's match is significant because it is against Purdue's major rival, and because it is for the Monon Spike," Shondell said. "However, it is also significant because we need to keep winning Big Ten matches. We have to treat it like any other Big Ten match."