Dec. 3, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 21 Purdue volleyball team earned a bid to the Sweet 16 with a 3-0 sweep of College of Charleston Saturday night. The win marks the first time the Boilermakers have won two NCAA matches in a season since 1982. Purdue won the match 30-22, 30-20, 30-28 behind tough blocking and a balanced offense.
"It is a great feeling to come in her and win," head coach Dave Shondell said. "Three years ago when we came to Purdue not many people thought we would be here. It is a tribute to our players that they have been able to fight through adversity, especially this year with three ACL injuries and on who can barely jump. This was clearly the best match we have played since Kelli Miller first came down with tendonitis. Even though she wasn't a factor offensively tonight, her presence on the floor gave the team confidence."
The Boilermakers raced out to a 7-1 lead including kills by freshman Stephanie Lynch (New Albany, Ind.), freshman Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind.) and sophomore Sam Mader (Algonquin, Ill.). Junior Brittany Dildine (West Lafayette, Ind.) also served up an ace in the run. The Cougars cut the margin to three at 9-6 with a pair of kills and a block. Purdue extended its lead to eight at 17-9 with an 8-3 run capped by an ace by senior Renata Dargan (New Lenox, Ill.). Charleston used a 4-0 run to pull within four at 17-13, but the Boilermakers answered with five of the next seven points to go up 22-15. The Cougars countered with a 5-1 run to slice the margin to three at 23-20. Purdue rattled off four straight points including blocks by Lynch, Merlau and Dargan to make it 28-20. A kill by Dargan set up game-point at 29-21. A hitting error thwarted the effort, but a setting error by C of C sealed the game at 30-22. Mader posted five kills in the stanza.
The Cougars took their first lead of the match at 1-0 in Game 2 and didn't give up the lead until Purdue turned a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 lead with kills by Mader and freshman Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind.). The teams tied at five, but the Boilermakers took control boosting their lead to four at 10-6 on a block by Lynch. Charleston pulled within two at 11-9, prompting an 8-0 Purdue run, including a pair of aces by Dildine. The Boilermakers owned at least an eight-point advantage throughout the rest of the game. C of C was within eight at 25-17, but the Purdue lead rose to 10 at 27-17 moments later. Up 28-20, a Cougar net violation and a hitting error gave Purdue the 30-20 win. Lynch led Purdue with four kills and two solo blocks in the game as the Boilermakers held the Cougars to a .042 hitting percentage in the stanza.
Game 3 was close from the get-go as the teams tied five times last at 5-5, before Purdue went ahead 7-5 on a kill by Miller and a Charleston miscue. The Cougars tied the score again at 10 and 11. A kill by Mader and another C of C hitting error put Purdue up two. The Boilermakers built their lead to five at 20-15, but the Cougars quickly answered with five points of their own to tie it at 20. From there it was a back and forth battle with the point margin never rising above two until Purdue scored two straight on a block and a kill from Miller to make it 26-23. Charleston pulled within one at 26-25, 27-26 and 28-27. A bad set by the Cougars set up Purdue's first chance at the match at 29-27. A kill by Rebecca Wieters kept the match going, but a kill by Merlau sealed the deal sending the Boilermakers to their first Sweet 16 since the tournament went to the 64-team format.
Merlau and Mader led the Boilermaker offense with 11 kills each, while Lynch added 10 and Dargan chalked up eight. Dildine served up three aces, while also adding 16 kills. Miller led the team with 19 digs, while Mastandrea also reached double-digits with 15. Jacques tallied a team-best six blocks.
"It is an indescribable feeling," Dildine said. "We knew from the beginning the potential that our team had. To be able to come together as a family and be able to celebrate with our great team and enjoy each other and the win is awesome."
The Boilermakers will now advance to the Sweet 16 when they will travel to College Station, Texas, to face the winner of tonight's match between Colorado State and No. 3 seed Washington.