Dec. 8, 2006
SEATTLE - No. 5 Penn State ended the No. 18 Purdue volleyball team's hopes of advancing to a regional final for the first time since 1982 by issuing the Boilermakers a 3-0 loss. The Nittany Lions won the match 30-24, 30-18, 30-15.
"Obviously, this is not the way we wanted to end our season," head coach Dave Shondell said. "We played poorly and could not get anything going. That is a credit to Penn State, but we also did not show our potential tonight."
Sophomore Stephanie Lynch (New Albany, Ind.) led the Boilermakers with eight kills, while sophomore Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind./Cathedral) followed with seven putdowns. Juniors Lizzie Jacques (Winfield, Ill.) and Sam Mader (Algonquin, Ill.) each accounted for four kills.
Merlau and sophomore Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) paced the defense with seven digs apiece. Freshman Sam Gray (Indianapolis, Ind./Brebuef) and senior Brittany Dildine (West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) each followed with six digs.
PSU outhit the Boilermakers .454 to .131 and put up 8.5 blocks to Purdue's one.
Penn State took an early 5-1 lead, but the Boilermakers charged back with six of the next seven points to turn the deficit into a 7-6 advantage. Lynch accounted for two kills and a block in the run. The Nittany Lions regained the lead at 8-7 and held on to the advantage, save a tie at 8-8. Purdue played from behind from that point on, taking their final timeout of the stanza, down 21-13. The Boilermakers pulled within six at 26-20, prompting a PSU timeout. A kill by freshman Sam Gray (Indianapolis, Ind./Brebuef), a Nittany Lion hitting error and an ace by Gray accounted for the 3-0 run. Penn State had its first chance at the game at 29-22, but a service error and an ace by senior Lindsay Shondell (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) kept the action going. A kill by Megan Hodge sealed the 30-24 win for the Nittany Lions. Lynch led the Boilermakers with four kills in the stanza.
PSU led 8-2 to start Game 2. A service error and a kill by Lynch made it a four-point game at 8-4, but that was as close as the Boilermakers would get in the stanza. The Nittany Lions went on to win the game 30-18, despite a late-rally by the Boilermakers which included three-straight kills by Merlau. Merlau and Mader accounted for kill tallies of five and four in the stanza.
Down 5-1 in Game 3, the Boilermakers scored three of the next four points, including an ace by Miller to cut the deficit to two at 6-4. The Nittany Lions scored 12 of the next 17 points, pushing the score to 18-9 and forcing Purdue to use both of its timeouts. The Boilermakers countered with five of the next seven points, three on PSU miscues and two on kills by junior Lizzie Jacques (Winfield, Ill.) and Dildine, to cut the margin to six at 20-14. The Nittany Lions rattled off nine straight points to set up match-point at 29-14. A kill by Lynch, her eighth of the night, kept hope alive for the Boilermakers, but a service error gave Penn State the 30-15 win and the match.
Purdue ends its season with a 23-11 overall record, after making its second-straight Sweet 16 appearance. Penn State (32-2) advances to the Seattle regional final to face the winner of the Ohio State/Washington match.