ANN ARBOR, Mich. – In a thrilling five-set showdown, the No.16 Purdue volleyball team held on to defeat No.22 Michigan for a second straight match Wednesday night. The Boilermakers came out on top 26-24, 25-17, 20-25, 20-25, 20-18.
After Purdue (21-7, 13-6) took the lead with the first two sets, offensive struggles helped Michigan (19-10, 12-7) take over in the third and fourth sets. It was a back-and-forth battled in the fifth set before Purdue pushed ahead on kills from sophomore Grace Cleveland and junior Caitlyn Newton, winning the last set 20-18.
Stellar defense propelled the Boilermakers past the Wolverines. Purdue tallied a 65 digs, led by libero Marissa Hornung with a career-best 29 digs. Junior Jena Otec followed with 13, while eight more Boilermakers posted at least one dig in the match.
At the net, Purdue out blocked Michigan 17-11, with Newton earning a match-high eight stuffs.
Offensively, Purdue hit .208 (60 kills – 28 errors – 154 attempts) to Michigan's .218 mark (68 kills – 29 errors – 179 attempts). Newton led the Boilermaker charge with 23 kills, while Cleveland added another 17 and senior Blake Mohler chipped in nine. Redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush paced the offensive attack with 51 assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (26-24) | Purdue called its first timeout of the opening frame as it trailed 20-16. It was Michigan's turn to use a timeout after the Boilermakers scored three straight points to pull within one, 23-22. A Purdue service error put Michigan at set point, but the Boilermakers regrouped to collect four straight point and the set at 26-24. Purdue's winning run was made up of a pair of Mohler kills, a newton ace and a block from Mohler and Bush.
SET 2 (25-17) | The Boilermakers led early with an 8-3 start, highlighted by a pair of kills and a service ace from Cleveland. A Shavona Cuttino and Newton rejection sent the Wolverines to their bench down 16-9. Purdue used a timeout at the 19-14 before cruising to a 25-17 triumph. Overall, the frame saw five kills, four aces and three blocks from Newton.
SET 3 (20-25) | A kill by Cleveland brought Purdue within one at 12-11, but Michigan responded with three consecutive points before a media timeout. From there, the teams traded points, tying the set at 19 before a Wolverine kill and a Boilermaker attacking error pushed Michigan ahead 21-19. Closing the frame out on a 4-1 run, Michigan claimed the set 25-20.
SET 4 (20-25) | Michigan lost a 5-0 opening advantage as the Boilermakers rallied for a 5-0 run of their own behind Otec's serve. Knotted at five apiece, the teams traded the next six points until Michigan pushed ahead on a 3-0 run. Leading 12-9, Michigan maintained the lead with small rallies to collect a 25-20 set victory.
SET 5 (20-18) | It was a back-and-forth battle as the final set saw 12 ties and four lead changes. Michigan was the first to reach match point at 14-13, but Purdue answered with a kill from Mohler to keep the set alive. The Boilermakers and the Wolverines would tie at 15, 16, 17 and 18, before Purdue closed the match on consecutive kills from Cleveland and Newton.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers are back in action on Friday when they visit Michigan State. The match is set for a 7 p.m. ET start, streaming live on BTN+.
After Purdue (21-7, 13-6) took the lead with the first two sets, offensive struggles helped Michigan (19-10, 12-7) take over in the third and fourth sets. It was a back-and-forth battled in the fifth set before Purdue pushed ahead on kills from sophomore Grace Cleveland and junior Caitlyn Newton, winning the last set 20-18.
Stellar defense propelled the Boilermakers past the Wolverines. Purdue tallied a 65 digs, led by libero Marissa Hornung with a career-best 29 digs. Junior Jena Otec followed with 13, while eight more Boilermakers posted at least one dig in the match.
At the net, Purdue out blocked Michigan 17-11, with Newton earning a match-high eight stuffs.
Offensively, Purdue hit .208 (60 kills – 28 errors – 154 attempts) to Michigan's .218 mark (68 kills – 29 errors – 179 attempts). Newton led the Boilermaker charge with 23 kills, while Cleveland added another 17 and senior Blake Mohler chipped in nine. Redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush paced the offensive attack with 51 assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (26-24) | Purdue called its first timeout of the opening frame as it trailed 20-16. It was Michigan's turn to use a timeout after the Boilermakers scored three straight points to pull within one, 23-22. A Purdue service error put Michigan at set point, but the Boilermakers regrouped to collect four straight point and the set at 26-24. Purdue's winning run was made up of a pair of Mohler kills, a newton ace and a block from Mohler and Bush.
SET 2 (25-17) | The Boilermakers led early with an 8-3 start, highlighted by a pair of kills and a service ace from Cleveland. A Shavona Cuttino and Newton rejection sent the Wolverines to their bench down 16-9. Purdue used a timeout at the 19-14 before cruising to a 25-17 triumph. Overall, the frame saw five kills, four aces and three blocks from Newton.
SET 3 (20-25) | A kill by Cleveland brought Purdue within one at 12-11, but Michigan responded with three consecutive points before a media timeout. From there, the teams traded points, tying the set at 19 before a Wolverine kill and a Boilermaker attacking error pushed Michigan ahead 21-19. Closing the frame out on a 4-1 run, Michigan claimed the set 25-20.
SET 4 (20-25) | Michigan lost a 5-0 opening advantage as the Boilermakers rallied for a 5-0 run of their own behind Otec's serve. Knotted at five apiece, the teams traded the next six points until Michigan pushed ahead on a 3-0 run. Leading 12-9, Michigan maintained the lead with small rallies to collect a 25-20 set victory.
SET 5 (20-18) | It was a back-and-forth battle as the final set saw 12 ties and four lead changes. Michigan was the first to reach match point at 14-13, but Purdue answered with a kill from Mohler to keep the set alive. The Boilermakers and the Wolverines would tie at 15, 16, 17 and 18, before Purdue closed the match on consecutive kills from Cleveland and Newton.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers are back in action on Friday when they visit Michigan State. The match is set for a 7 p.m. ET start, streaming live on BTN+.