WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 17 Purdue volleyball team (9-4, 1-3 Big Ten) pushed No. 18 Illinois (8-5, 3-1) to extra sets, but ultimately fell to the Fighting Illini, 3-1 (30-28, 17-25, 14-25, 21-25) Sunday afternoon.
For a third consecutive match sophomore Grace Cleveland paced the Boilermakers with double-digit kills. The outside hitter registered 14 kills, followed by junior Caitlyn Newton with 10. Freshman Emma Ellis and redshirt senior Shavona Cuttino helped with six kills apiece.
Redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush paced the offense with 40 assists, while junior Jena Otec led the back row with a match-high 18 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (30-28) | Both teams came out strong in the opening frame, tying the set seven times through the first 18 points. Knotted at nine, a kill from Cuttino put Purdue on a 4-1 run to take the lead. The Boilermakers maintained their advantage with five kills from Cleveland, until the Fighting Illini tied the set on a 9-2 run. Tied at 28, Purdue clinched the set on a Cuttino kill and an Illinois attacking error.
SET 2 (17-25) | Capitalizing on a Purdue attacking error, Illinois jumped out to an early 10-2 lead. Plagued by eight attacking errors, the Boilermakers would not find the equalizer, dropping the set 25-17.
SET 3 (14-25) | After trading the first six points, a kill from Ashlyn Fleming sparked a 7-1 Illinois run. Hitting only .071, Purdue would not make up the deficit, giving the set to Illinois, 25-14.
SET 4 (21-25) | A trio of kills from Newton fed a 6-2 Purdue advantage, before an 8-2 run evened the score at eight. The Boilermakers and the Fighting Illini went back-and-forth until a four point run put Illinois up 23-20. The visitors closed the set and the match on a pair of kills from Jacqueline Quade.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers open a four-match road swing with a Wednesday night contest at Indiana.
For a third consecutive match sophomore Grace Cleveland paced the Boilermakers with double-digit kills. The outside hitter registered 14 kills, followed by junior Caitlyn Newton with 10. Freshman Emma Ellis and redshirt senior Shavona Cuttino helped with six kills apiece.
Redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush paced the offense with 40 assists, while junior Jena Otec led the back row with a match-high 18 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (30-28) | Both teams came out strong in the opening frame, tying the set seven times through the first 18 points. Knotted at nine, a kill from Cuttino put Purdue on a 4-1 run to take the lead. The Boilermakers maintained their advantage with five kills from Cleveland, until the Fighting Illini tied the set on a 9-2 run. Tied at 28, Purdue clinched the set on a Cuttino kill and an Illinois attacking error.
SET 2 (17-25) | Capitalizing on a Purdue attacking error, Illinois jumped out to an early 10-2 lead. Plagued by eight attacking errors, the Boilermakers would not find the equalizer, dropping the set 25-17.
SET 3 (14-25) | After trading the first six points, a kill from Ashlyn Fleming sparked a 7-1 Illinois run. Hitting only .071, Purdue would not make up the deficit, giving the set to Illinois, 25-14.
SET 4 (21-25) | A trio of kills from Newton fed a 6-2 Purdue advantage, before an 8-2 run evened the score at eight. The Boilermakers and the Fighting Illini went back-and-forth until a four point run put Illinois up 23-20. The visitors closed the set and the match on a pair of kills from Jacqueline Quade.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers open a four-match road swing with a Wednesday night contest at Indiana.