Aug. 25, 2007
DURHAM, N.C. - The No. 13 Purdue volleyball team picked up its second win of the ‎season with a 3-0 sweep of East Carolina on Saturday. The Boilermakers held off the ‎persistent Pirates to win by scores of 30-27, 30-19 and 30-20. ‎
Senior Samantha Mader (Algonquin, Ill.) led the Boilermakers, posting the first double-‎double of her career with 13 kills and a career-best 10 digs. Freshman Kristen Arthurs ‎‎(Newport, Mich.) also reached double-figures in kills with 10, while juniors Stephanie ‎Lynch (New Albany, Ind.) and Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind.) added eight and ‎seven respectively. ‎
Senior Anne Mastandrea (Downers Grove, Ill.) bolstered the Purdue defense with a 23-‎dig effort. Mader and junior Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind.) each followed with 10 digs. ‎
Sophomore setter Sam Gray served up four aces of the team's 11 aces, while Miller ‎added three and Lynch registered two.‎
A 7-4 Boilermaker lead in Game 1, quickly dissolved into an 8-7 deficit as the Pirates put ‎down four straight kills. But, the rally was enough to spark the Purdue squad to a 14-2 ‎run of its own, which gave the team a 22-12 advantage. Miller served up nine straight ‎points for the team, including two aces, while Lynch and Arthurs chalked up kills during ‎the run. The game was far from over, however, as ECU charged back, slicing the margin ‎to two at 28-26. A kill by Lynch stopped the 14-6 run, then a net violation by the Pirates ‎two plays later gave Purdue the game at 30-27. Arthurs and Lynch each posted six kills in ‎the stanza. ‎
The Boilermakers fell behind early in Game 2, but scored three straight points to turn the ‎deficit into a 7-5 lead. An ace by Gray made it 12-8 Purdue, but ECU tied it up at 13. The ‎Boilermakers countered with an 11-2 run, including aces by Lynch, Merlau and freshman ‎Jaclyn Hart (Palos Hill, Ill.), to go up 24-15. A service error stopped the rally ‎momentarily, but the Boilermakers scored four of the next five points to set up their first ‎game-point attempt. A pair of errors prolonged the stanza, before a kill by Miller capped ‎the game at 30-19. ‎
Purdue raced out to a 5-0 lead to start Game 3 as Gray served up back-to-back aces and ‎Arthurs nailed down an overpass kill. The Boilermakers upped their advantage to seven ‎at 15-8 after back-to-back kills by Mader, but the Pirates tied the score at 16 moments ‎later with a 7-0 run. Miller pounded down two kills and Lynch added another to give ‎Purdue some breathing room at 19-16. The Boilermakers maintained at least at two point ‎advantage from that point on and wrapped up the sweep with six straight points. Mader ‎added two putdowns, while Gray served up her fourth in the string. Mader and Arthurs ‎combined on a block to seal the 30-20 win and the match. ‎
The Boilermakers hit just .184 in the game, but held East Carolina to a .067 effort. ‎Purdue also served up 11 aces and outblocked the Pirates 8-4.5. ‎
Purdue wraps up its stay in Durham, N.C., with a 7:30 p.m. match against the host No. 18 ‎Duke Blue Devils. ‎