Dec. 2, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 14-seed Purdue volleyball team used tough serving and on-the-mark passing en route to a 3-0 victory over Virginia Commonwealth in the NCAA Tournament first round Friday night. The Boilermakers won the match 30-27, 30-24, 30-21, marking their second straight victory in the NCAA first round and giving the team its 24th victory of the season, a feat last accomplished during the 1987 season.
"We are really excited to win our first round match against a good VCU team," head coach Dave Shondell said. "They have some very good athletes and they competed hard in the first two games, then we loosened up and played well in Game 3. We played three freshmen out there tonight and they fared pretty well in their first NCAA Tournament match."
The teams tied at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, before the Boilermakers took their first lead of the night at 6-5 on a kill by freshman Stephanie Lynch (New Albany, Ind.). Purdue went on to lead 9-7 after another kill by Lynch and a Ram blocking error. Virginia Commonwealth scored the next four points to go up 11-9, but the Boilermakers responded with a 3-0 run of their own to regain the lead at 12-11 on a block. The teams tied at 16, but Purdue scored three of the next four to go up 19-17 on a kill by junior Brittany Dildine (West Lafayette, Ind.). The teams tied at 21, but the Boilermakers went up three at 24-21 on a service ace by senior Lauren Berg (Indianapolis, Ind.). VCU fought back to tie it at 24 and 26, but two Ram errors and a kill by Lynch put Purdue up 29-26. The Rams thwarted the Boilermakers' first chance at the game, but a Lynch kill sealed the game at 30-27. Lynch and freshman Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind.) each added five kills in the stanza, while the teams tied 17 times.
The Boilermakers carried the momentum into Game 2, opening the stanza with a 4-1 lead, including two blocks. VCU answered with six of the next seven points to turn the deficit into a 7-5 lead of its own. The Boilermakers used two Ram miscues and a kill by Lynch to regain the lead at 9-7. Virginia Commonwealth tie the score at 10 and went on to go up 13-11 moments later. Down by four at 18-14, the Boilermakers used a 7-3 run, including an ace by Dildine, to tie the game at 21-21. VCU scored the next point to take back the lead, but it was short-lived as Purdue scored eight of the next 10, including six on Ram errors, to set up game-point at 29-23. A service error kept the game going, before a kill by sophomore Sam Mader (Algonquin, Ill.) gave the Boilermakers a 2-0 lead heading into the intermission.
Purdue raced out to a 4-1 lead in Game 3 and raised their advantage to 10 at 16-6 on a kill by Merlau. The Boilermakers led by 11 at 23-12 after an ace by sophomore Lizzie Jacques (Winfield, Ill.) and a block by Lynch and Dildine. VCU did not give up, however, instead rattling off six of the next eight points to pull within six at 24-18. A kill by Merlau stopped the rally. Purdue then chalked up three of the next four points, including an ace by freshman Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind.), to take a 28-19 lead. The Rams tallied a kill and a block to keep hope alive, but a hitting error and a service ace by senior Renata Dargan (New Lenox, Ill.) advanced Purdue to the second round.
Merlau led the Boilermakers with 16 kills and added 10 digs for her first career double-double. Lynch added 12 kills to the Purdue effort. Sophomore Anne Mastandrea (Downers Grove, Ill.) led the Purdue defense with 16 digs, while Dildine and Miller added 15 and 12 respectively. Jacques posted a team-high four blocks.
"I have to give props to VCU because they played with everything they had and played tough in the first two games," Dargan said. "Our passing was great tonight, which has been our strong point. We played solid, but tomorrow we need to build on how we played tonight and raise our level because whoever we play will be tough."
The Boilermakers (24-8) will take on the winner of the North Carolina/College of Charleston match which began at 7 p.m. EST. The second round match will be played a 6 p.m. Saturday in the Dean Smith Center.