WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The No. 17 Purdue volleyball team earned its ninth sweep of the season on Wednesday night, taking down Rutgers in straight sets, 25-14, 25-4, 25-18, at Holloway Gymnasium.
Purdue's second set win of 25-4, tied the program's largest margin of victory, a 30-9 set win against Furman at Clemson's 2007 Big Orange Bash Tournament. Tonight's second set triumph also marks the largest margin of victory the Boilermakers have claimed at Holloway Gymnasium.
The Boilermakers' victorious night was led by junior Caitlyn Newton with 13 kills. Redshirt senior Blake Mohler followed with 10 kills, while recording a match-best .471 hitting %. Sophomore Grace Cleveland added eight kills and freshman Madeline Koch chipped in a career-best seven.
Redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush paced Purdue's offensive attack with a match-high 31 assists, while adding in 11 digs for her ninth double-double of the season. Bush's 11 digs were only second to sophomore Marissa Hornung's 18.
As a team, the Boilermakers also tied their season-best 10 aces posted against Nebraska (10/26/19) earlier this year. The effort was guided by a career-best five aces from Cleveland and four aces from Newton.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (25-14) | Out of the gates, Purdue and Rutgers battled back and forth through the first eight points resulting in a 5-3 lead for Rutgers. The Boilermakers answered back with a 9-3 run sparked by a Mohler Kill. Purdue extended that momentum, closing out the frame on a 23-9 run. The frame saw four kills from Mohler and six combined kills from Newton and Koch, as well as three Newton aces.
SET 2 (25-4) | The Boilermakers stayed hot, opening the second frame with a 6-1 run. After a Mohler kill, Cleveland stepped up to serve 14 straight points, including five aces. Leading 21-2, Purdue closed out the set with kills from Mohler and Koch and a Newton ace. Overall, the Boilermakers outhit the Scarlet Knights .609 to -.111. Purdue's offensive attack was fueled by seven kills Newton and five from Mohler.
SET 3 (25-18) | The final frame began the same way set two finished, a long Purdue run. The Boilermakers jumped to a 13-3 lead. With small runs, Rutgers narrowed Purdue's edge to six at 18-12, but a combined Boilermaker effort led by five kills from Cleveland stalled Rutgers' push, securing the set for Purdue.
UP NEXT
Purdue closes out its regular season home slate with a Saturday match against Michigan. First serve between the Boilermakers and the Wolverines is set for 1 p.m. ET at Holloway Gymnasium.