Oct. 28, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - It took three games and a balanced offense to garner head coach Dave Shondell his 50th victory as a collegiate head coach as Purdue downed Michigan 3-0 Friday night. The No. 16 Boilermakers improve to 19-3, including an 8-3 Big Ten mark, with the 30-26, 30-23, 30-20 victory. The win also secured Purdue's first season sweep of the Wolverines since 1999.
Michigan scored the first two points of the match, but Purdue answered with three straight on a pair of kills by sophomore Sam Mader (Algonquin, Ill.) and a block by senior Sarah Vitali (St. Charles, Ill.) and freshman Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind.). Michigan regained the lead at 4-3, but Purdue rattled off seven of the next eight points to take a 10-5 lead of its own. The run included a kill by Miller and a pair of blocks by senior Renata Dargan (New Lenox, Ill.) and freshman Stephanie Lynch (New Albany, Ind.). The Wolverines pulled within three at 12-9, but a kill by freshman Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind.) and a service ace by Dargan pushed the margin back to five at 14-9. A kill by Vitali made it 16-11, before Michigan posted a 5-1 run to cut the point margin to one at 17-16. The teams traded the next six points leading to a 20-19 score. Purdue scored the next three points, including a kill by Miller and a block by Miller and Vitali, to make it 23-19. The team split the next four points, before UM scored two in a row to make it a two-point game at 25-23. The Boilermakers answered with four of the next five points, including kills by Lynch and Merlau and a block by Lynch and Dargan to set up game point at 29-24. Michigan thwarted Purdue's first two efforts, but a kill by Merlau sealed the game at 30-26. Mader posted five kills in the stanza as Purdue hit .371.
The Boilermakers opened the second stanza with a 10-3 run. Miller and Mader each put down two kills in the rally, while Lynch added one. A solo block by Merlau made it 14-5, but Michigan scored three of the next four points to make it 15-8. Purdue boosted its lead to 10 at 22-12 after a kill by Miller and a pair of Wolverines hitting miscues. A kill and a block by Vitali made it 25-15, but UM managed three straight points to pull within seven at 25-18. Michigan posted a 5-3 run to make it a five-point game at 28-23, but a kill and an ace by Miller gave Purdue the 30-23 win. Mader and Miller each added four kills in the game.
The Wolverines took the early lead in the third game, going up 4-2 in the opening moments. Purdue turned the deficit into a 5-4 advantage with a pair of kills by Miller and a block by Lynch. Michigan tied the score at 5-5, but the Boilermakers scored six straight to push the point margin to 11-5 on an ace by senior Lauren Berg (Indianapolis, Ind.). Purdue expanded the point margin to eight at 15-7 on a block by Dargan and Lynch. Michigan made it 16-10 after a service error and a kill by Katie Bruzdzinski, but Purdue upped its advantage to 20-11 moments later. The teams split the next eight points to make it 24-15. Michigan scored three of the next five to make it 26-18. A kill by Vitali made it 28-19, then a kill by senior Marie Franke (Ballwin, Mo.) set up Purdue's first chance at match point at 29-20. A kill by Lynch gave the Boilermakers the final point of the match at 30-20. Merlau and Miller each tallied four kills in the stanza.
Mader led the Boilermakers with 11 kills, while Miller, Lynch and Merlau each added nine. Lynch posted seven blocks to lead Purdue at the net, while sophomore Anne Mastandrea (Downers Grove, Ill.) and junior Brittany Dildine (West Lafayette, Ind.) tallied 13 and 12 digs respectively in the back court.
Vitali, who tallied four kills and four blocks on a .444 hitting percentage, said preparation and parity amongst the Boilermakers was the difference in the match.
"Dave does a good job of preparing us for every opponent," she said. "On any given day, we know that any of us could be on the court. When you get the chance to play, you just have to take advantage of the opportunity and execute. I am just glad I was able to help the team in some way."
The Boilermakers will have the chance to wrap up its second straight season sweep when Michigan State (10-11, 3-8 Big Ten) comes to town on Saturday. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.