Nov. 25, 2005
IOWA CITY, Iowa - The No. 22 Boilermaker volleyball team used stout defense and a balanced offensive attack to down Iowa 3-1 Friday night. Purdue won the match 27-30, 30-21, 30-18, 30-22.
The Boilermakers jumped out to a 7-1 lead to start the match. Junior Brittany Dildine (West Lafayette, Ind.) served up three aces in the stretch, while a trio of Hawkeye miscues gave Purdue its final three points of the run. From that point, Iowa outscored the Boilermakers 11-3 to take a 12-10 after a trio of aces by Emily Hiza. Purdue pulled within one at 16-15 on a kill by freshman Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind.). The Hawkeyes extended their advantage to four at 20-16, but the Boilermakers used a 3-0 run, including kills by Merlau and senior Renata Dargan (New Lenox, Ill.), to make it a one-point game at 23-22. The teams split the next 10 points leading to a 28-27 score. A Hawkeye kill and a Purdue miscue gave Iowa the 30-27 win. Merlau posted six kills in the stanza.
Purdue took a 9-2 lead to begin Game 2. Four different players posted kills, while freshman Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind.) put up a solo block in the string. Iowa pulled within three at 13-10, but could get no closer as the team traded the next eight points. Kills by sophomores Lizzie Jacques (Winfield, Ill.) and Miller made it a five-point game at 20-15. The Hawkeyes would not go away, instead scoring three of the next four points to make it 21-18. The Boilermakers expanded their lead back to nine at 29-20 with eight of the next 10 points, including a trio of kills by Merlau. An Iowa kill thwarted Purdue first chance at game point, but a kill by Merlau, her sixth of the game sealed the 30-21 Boilermaker win.
Game 3 featured ties at 3, 4 and 5, before the Boilermakers pulled away with an 11-2 rally to make it 16-7. Purdue chalked up four blocks during the run, including a solo effort by Dargan. Iowa ended the rally with four of the next six points to make it 18-11. The Boilermakers answered with an 8-2 run of their own to take a 13-point advantage at 26-13. Merlau and Dargan each chalked up two kills to cap the run. The Hawkeyes cut the margin to 10 at 26-16 and again at 28-18, but a kill by senior Marie Franke (Ballwin, Mo.) and an Iowa miscue gave Purdue the 30-18 victory. Mader added five kills to her tally in the stanza.
A 6-2 Boilermaker lead marked the start of Game 4 and the team owned a 10-4 advantage moments later. Iowa cut the margin to three at 10-7. Purdue scored seven of the next 10 to make it 17-10 on a block by Dargan and freshman Stephanie Lynch (New Albany, Ind.). The Hawkeyes responded with a 6-0 run including two aces to make it a one-point game at 17-16. The see-saw battle continued as the Boilermakers scored four straight capped by an by Miller. The Purdue lead stood at eight at 26-18 prompting an Iowa timeout. The Hawkeyes scored three of the next four point to make it 27-21, but A kill by Mader and an Iowa miscue gave Purdue its first chance at the match at 29-21. A service error kept the match going, but another kill by Mader, her 17th closed the door on the 3-1 victory.
Mader led the Boilermakers with 17 points, followed by Merlau and Lynch who tallied 16 and 12 respectively. Dargan finished one kill shy of a triple-double with 50 assists, 16 digs and nine kills to go with six blocks. Dildine and sophomore Anne Mastandrea each posted 21 digs, while Dargan and Miller added 16 and senior Lauren Berg (Indianapolis, Ind.) tallied 10. Purdue outblocked the Hawkeyes 13 to five, led by Lynch's tally of nine including one solo effort.
The No. 22 Boilermakers (23-7, 12-7 Big Ten) return to action Saturday night when they take on No.17 Minnesota in Minneapolis.