Boilermakers Shine on Senior Day

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Guided by standout performances from its veterans, the No.17 Purdue volleyball team stayed true to its game, sweeping Michigan on Saturday. The Boilermakers picked up their 10th sweep of the season, taking down the Wolverines 25-17, 25-22, 29-27.

Purdue's offense was guided by 14 kills from junior Caitlyn Newton. Redshirt senior Blake Mohler followed with eight kills, while hitting .385. Fellow senior Shavona Cuttino chipped in seven errorless kills, picking up a match-high .467 hitting %. Sophomore Grace Cleveland rounded out the group with seven kills.

Once again, redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush paced the Boilermakers with a match-high performance. The setter delivered 36 assists, helping Purdue outhit Michigan, .292-.168.

Defensively, sophomore Marissa Hornung posted a match-best 16 digs, while Newton and Mohler led the Boilermakers at the net. Newton collected two solo blocks and three block assists and Mohler added four block assists and one solo stop.

At the service line, Purdue recorded seven aces to Michigan's four. The showing was guided by four combined aces from junior Jena Otec and Cleveland.

HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (25-17) | Purdue and Michigan opened the frame going point-for-point, tying the set seven times. Knotted at 11, a triple block from Cleveland, Mohler and Newton sparked a 6-2 run for the Boilermakers. With Purdue leading 17-13, a pair of kills from Newton pushed the Wolverines to a timeout. Capitalizing on three Michigan miscues, Purdue closed out the set 25-17. The frame was highlighted by eight combined kills from Cuttino and Newton, while Otec and Hornung went errorless on 10 receptions.

SET 2 (25-22) | Michigan jumped out to a 5-0 run, before Purdue responded with a 7-2 run to knot the score at seven. Once again the teams found themselves trading points, tying the set nine times. Knotted at 20, consecutive Wolverine errors gave Purdue momentum. The Boilermakers utilized kills from Cuttino, Newton and Cleveland to secure the set 25-22. Overall, Purdue was fueled by five kills from Mohler, who hit .833 in the set.

SET 3 (29-27) | Purdue and Michigan continued with the back-and-forth in the third set, tying nine times with five lead changes. Each team ultimately survived two set points before the Boilermakers closed out the match with back-to-back kills by Newton. The outside hitter finished the frame with six kills.

UP NEXT
Only one week remains in Big Ten volleyball play. The Boilermakers play at Michigan on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET before wrapping up the regular season with a 7 p.m. match on Friday at Michigan State. The 2019 NCAA tournament bracket will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 1 at at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU.