WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No.16 Purdue volleyball team (15-6, 7-5 Big Ten) dropped a competitive conference match to No. 6 Minnesota (17-3, 11-1) on Sunday. The Gophers won the match 25-23, 16-25, 25-17, 25-19 at Holloway Gymnasium, snapping a four-game winning streak for the Boilermakers.
Sophomore Grace Cleveland and junior Caitlyn Newton were the only Boilermakers to register double-digit kills with 16 and 15, respectively. Overall, Minnesota outhit Purdue .288-.183, as the Boilermakers were plagued by 24 attack errors.
Redshirt senior Shavona Cuttino tallied five assisted blocks and Purdue's only solo stop as the Boilermakers earned the edge in blocks, 10-8.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (23-25) | The Boilermakers had a 4-1 edge to get things going, before Minnesota used a 7-1 rally to claim the lead at 11-9. Purdue responded with a service ace by junior Jena Otec and a kill from Cuttino to knot the score at 11. Trading point-for-point, the teams tied the score seven more times. Knotted at 23, a Purdue attacking error gave the advantage to Minnesota and the Gophers closed the set on a kill from Adanna Rollins.
SET 2 (25-16) | Behind Cleveland's serve, the Boilermakers set the tone early with a 7-1 run. Fueled by seven kills from Newton and six from Cleveland, Purdue never relinquished the lead and claimed the set 25-16. The frame saw the Boilermakers outhit (.351-.200) and out block (4-1) the Gophers, while Purdue did not commit a single reception error.
SET 3 (17-25) | Purdue needed a break early as it trailed 5-1. The Boilermakers worked to find the equalizer, but they were unable to energize a .125 hitting percentage and fell 17-25.
SET 4 (19-25) | It was a back-and-forth battle until a 3-1 sprint gave Minnesota a 16-14 advantage. Purdue responded with a 3-0 run of its own to regain the lead at 17-16, which sent the Gophers to their bench. Out of the break, Minnesota knotted the score at 17 with a kill from Regan Pittman, before ultimately closing out the frame 25-19.
UP NEXT
Purdue travels east with visits to Rutgers and Penn State. The Boilermakers are set to challenge the Scarlet Knights on Friday, Nov. 8 before facing the Nittany Lions on Saturday, Nov.9.