WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No.12 Purdue volleyball team battled on Friday night in Holloway Gymnasium, before falling to No.6 Nebraska 3-1 (22-25, 20-25, 25-22-17) in Big Ten action.
Senior Sherridan Atkinson paced the Boilermakers (21-7, 10-7 Big Ten) with 20 kills and 10 digs on the night, with redshirt junior Blake Mohler adding 13 kills on a .435 hitting percentage. Freshman Grace Cleveland followed with eight kills while sophomore Caitlyn Newton posted seven.
Redshirt freshman Hayley Bush handed out 45 assists to go along with 10 digs and two assisted blocks.
Cleveland registered a team-high seven blocks, while Mohler also knotched four stuffs on the night to improve to 122 blocks on the season.
Defensively, freshman Marissa Hornung registered a match-high 21 digs in the match, with sophomore Jena Otec joining Atkinson and Bush with 10 digs of her own.
In the first set, the Boilermakers outhit the Huskers .265 to .200 in the set and posted two more kills, but Nebraska claimed the edge with three aces and zero service errors. The teams opened the match with eight sideout rallies until a dump by Nebraska setter Nicklin Hames sparked a 5-0 Husker run. With Nebraska (21-6, 12-5 Big Ten) leading 13-7, a kill by Cuttino ignted a 10-2 Boilermaker run, helping Purdue to a 17-15 lead. The squads then traded the next six points to tie the frame at 19. Behind six serves from Hames, Nebraska broke the back and fourth and secured the set 25-22.
The second set saw 17 ties and seven lead changes, before the Huskers took a 23-18 lead on a 6-0 run. Atkinson dominated the frame with seven kills, but Nebraska ultimately won 25-20.
Holding an early three-point advantage in the third set, Purdue strung together three consecutive points to take an 11-6 edge on a pair of Nebraska attack errors, before using 4-1 run to build a 19-14 lead. Behind five Nebraska kills, the Huskers pulled within one at 21-20. Atkinson's 18th kill of the night kept the visitors at bay, while a Husker ball-handling error and a kill by Mohler gave Purdue the 25-22 win.
After the Huskers jumped out to an early 9-4 advantage on three consecutive kills in the fourth set, the Boilermakers closed with two at 9-7 on kills from Atkinson and Mohler. However, it was not enough as a kill and an ace from Mikaela Foecke restored Nebraska's five-point lead. The Husker's maintained their lead and finished off the victory with a 25-17 win in the fourth set.
Purdue wraps up its regular season home stand on Saturday as the Boilermakers welcome Iowa for Senior Night. First serve is slated for 8 p.m. in Holloway Gymnasium.
Senior Sherridan Atkinson paced the Boilermakers (21-7, 10-7 Big Ten) with 20 kills and 10 digs on the night, with redshirt junior Blake Mohler adding 13 kills on a .435 hitting percentage. Freshman Grace Cleveland followed with eight kills while sophomore Caitlyn Newton posted seven.
Redshirt freshman Hayley Bush handed out 45 assists to go along with 10 digs and two assisted blocks.
Cleveland registered a team-high seven blocks, while Mohler also knotched four stuffs on the night to improve to 122 blocks on the season.
Defensively, freshman Marissa Hornung registered a match-high 21 digs in the match, with sophomore Jena Otec joining Atkinson and Bush with 10 digs of her own.
In the first set, the Boilermakers outhit the Huskers .265 to .200 in the set and posted two more kills, but Nebraska claimed the edge with three aces and zero service errors. The teams opened the match with eight sideout rallies until a dump by Nebraska setter Nicklin Hames sparked a 5-0 Husker run. With Nebraska (21-6, 12-5 Big Ten) leading 13-7, a kill by Cuttino ignted a 10-2 Boilermaker run, helping Purdue to a 17-15 lead. The squads then traded the next six points to tie the frame at 19. Behind six serves from Hames, Nebraska broke the back and fourth and secured the set 25-22.
The second set saw 17 ties and seven lead changes, before the Huskers took a 23-18 lead on a 6-0 run. Atkinson dominated the frame with seven kills, but Nebraska ultimately won 25-20.
Holding an early three-point advantage in the third set, Purdue strung together three consecutive points to take an 11-6 edge on a pair of Nebraska attack errors, before using 4-1 run to build a 19-14 lead. Behind five Nebraska kills, the Huskers pulled within one at 21-20. Atkinson's 18th kill of the night kept the visitors at bay, while a Husker ball-handling error and a kill by Mohler gave Purdue the 25-22 win.
After the Huskers jumped out to an early 9-4 advantage on three consecutive kills in the fourth set, the Boilermakers closed with two at 9-7 on kills from Atkinson and Mohler. However, it was not enough as a kill and an ace from Mikaela Foecke restored Nebraska's five-point lead. The Husker's maintained their lead and finished off the victory with a 25-17 win in the fourth set.
Purdue wraps up its regular season home stand on Saturday as the Boilermakers welcome Iowa for Senior Night. First serve is slated for 8 p.m. in Holloway Gymnasium.