Sept. 28, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker volleyball team gave the standing-room only crowd of 2,405 something to cheer about with a 3-0 win over Ohio State Friday night. Purdue won the match 30-26, 30-26, 30-23.
"This was our best performance thus far this season," head coach Dave Shondell said. "Our team benefited from a good week of practice with our new lineup, came mentally prepared to compete and played at a high level. This win should help us feel good about ourselves and build our confidence, but it is just one match and we have to come back out the next 16 matches and continue to do our job."
Sophomore Carrie Gurnell led the offense with 13 kills, while senior Samantha Mader and junior Stephanie Lynch added 11 and 10 respectively. Lynch also served up two aces.
Defensively, junior Kelli Miller pulled up 17 digs, while senior Anne Mastandrea added nine. At the net, freshman Kristen Arthurs chalked up four blocks to go with her seven kill tally.
"Carrie Gurnell was our emotional leader tonight and that is a role she has to fill every night," Shondell said. "She was hitting some bombs tonight and had the kind of match she needed to get some confidence and get her on her way to a banner season. Our defense also was better tonight. Kelli did a marvelous job at libero and Annie was nails on defense as well. At the net, our right sides also got into Ohio State's head with their block."
Purdue took an early 11-5 lead in Game 1. Gurnell racked up four kills, while Lynch served up the first of her two aces. The Boilermakers led by eight at 16-8 after kills by Mader and Arthurs. The Buckeyes, however, cut the margin to three at 16-13, but that rally prompted a 5-0 run for Purdue making it 21-13. The Purdue advantage swelled to 10 at 26-16 after an ace by freshman Jessica Ullrich and putdowns by Lynch and freshman Jaclyn Hart. OSU scored seven of the next nine points to make it a five-point game at 28-23. A service error set up Purdue's first chance at the game, but OSU recorded a kill, a block and an ace to prolong the stanza. A putdown by Arthurs finally won the game for the Boilermakers at 30-26.
Game 2 was a back-and-forth battle from the beginning, featuring 15 ties and 10 lead changes. Purdue trailed 4-3 early, but chalked up four straight points to go ahead 7-4. OSU answered with four of its own to retake the lead. After a tie at 15-15, Purdue chalked up eight of the next 11 points, including five in a row, to stretch its advantage to 23-18. Sophomore Sam Gray served up an ace during the stretch and the Boilermakers also capitalized on six Buckeye miscues. Up 29-21 after a 3-0 run, Purdue seemed poised to wrap up the game quickly, but Ohio State would not give up so easily. The Buckeyes held off five Boilermaker game-point attempts, including two blocks and an ace, before Lynch pounded down the game's final kill at 30-26.
Purdue wrapped up the sweep with a 30-23 win in Game 3, which featured five kills by Mader. The teams again split the first 30 points with neither gaining more than a two-point advantage. The Boilermakers then charged into the lead with a 4-1 run, including a kill by Gurnell and a trio of Buckeye miscues. Purdue led 23-18 after a trio of kills by Mader, but Ohio State cut the margin to two at 24-22. The Boilermakers then rattled off four straight points, capitalizing on a trio of OSU errors and an overpass kill by Lynch, to go up 28-22. A kill by Danielle Meyer slowed Purdue momentarily, but a kill by Lynch and a block by Lynch and Gurnell sealed the 30-23 win.
The Boilermakers (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten) return to action at 8 p.m. Saturday when they take on the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions.