Sept. 10, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - If Saturday morning's match between Purdue and Western Carolina is any indication, the future is bright for Boilermaker volleyball. No. 13 Purdue swept the match 3-0 by scores of 25-11, 25-17, 25-16 as underclassmen provided the highlights.
Freshman outside hitter Val Nichol starred in the match with 15 kills and four blocks. Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Catherine Rebarchak chipped in 11 kills on 14 swings, for a stellar .786 hitting effort. Junior Anna Drewry added six kills, four blocks and an ace. Eight different players posted kills in the match, which saw Purdue outhit WCU .344 to .098.
Defensively, 10 of the 12 Purdue players that saw court time recorded at least one dig. Junior Carly Cramer led the way with nine to go with her two aces, while senior Emily Ehlers added six digs and three kills. Redshirt sophomore Katie Griffin picked up five digs and three kills in the match.
Purdue started strong, scoring seven of the first 10 points thanks to kills by Drewry, Griffin, Rebarchak and freshman middle Kaisley Fisher, who also picked up a block in the stretch. The four-point span was as close as the Catamounts would get the remainder of the set. Up by four at 10-6, the Boilermakers again went on a run, scoring 15 of the next 20 points, to cap the 25-11 win. Six WCU miscues aided the Purdue effort, which also featured a pair of Drewry blocks and kills by Rebarchak and Nichol. A Griffin putaway sealed the win.
The teams were neck in neck throughout the first half of Set 2, with neither gaining more than a two-point advantage. Purdue led 8-6, but WCU charged back with seven of the next 10 points to go ahead 13-11. The Boilermakers countered with five straight points, who on Catamount miscues and three straight on Nichol putaways. Purdue stretched its advantage to six at 20-14 on a service ace by Cramer. Western Carolina cut the margin to four at 21-17, but kills from Drewry, Ehlers and Rebarchak set up a service ace by redshirt junior Amanda Miller, which clinched the set at 25-17.
Nichol chipped in six more kills in the 25-16 third-stanza victory. WCU scored two of the first three points, but Purdue turned the tables with a 9-2 run, which featured aces by sophomore Hilliary Fox and Cramer as well as kills from Drewry, Nichol, Davis and Fisher. The Catamounts cut the lead to three at 11-8 and 12-9, but Purdue again found its stride, rattling off seven of the next nine points. Drewry served up an ace and Rebarchak pounded down two kills during the stretch which put the Boilermakers ahead 19-11. The teams traded points over the next 10 serves, putting Purdue on the hill at 24-16. A block by Fox and Fisher closed the door on the sweep.
The Boilermakers (8-0) close out the Active Ankle Challenge with a 7:30 p.m. contest against Ball State (9-0). Live stats and free audio of the match is available at purduesports.com. Live streaming video of the match is available on purduesports.com as part of the All-Access Pass.