Sept. 3, 1999
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. ? Purdue got the Jeff Hulsmeyer Era underway on a positive note, winning its season-opening match in the 10th-annual Mortar Board Purdue Premier with a 15-7, 15-9, 8-15, 15-8 victory over Stephen F. Austin in front of 1,720 fans in the IAF. The Boilers are now 1-0, while the Ladyjacks drop to 0-2.
?It is definitely nice to start off with a win,? first-year head coach Hulsmeyer said. ?We had a great effort tonight. I couldn?t have asked for more hustle than what my players gave.?
One of those players who kept on giving was Julie Doud. A junior college transfer from Utah Valley State College, Doud tallied a game-high 26 kills to key the Purdue victory.
?Julie was firing on all cylinders,? Hulsmeyer said. ?And we did a nice job of recognizing that she was having a good night. We kept setting her up and she kept finishing.?
Most of the night was good for the entire Purdue side, which outhit the Ladyjacks .295 to .185. But the season opener was not untypical.
?We went through some ups and downs in our execution, but that is to be expected in the first match of the season,? Hulsmeyer said. ?I am very pleased with how we played and am glad we have this experience under our belts.?
The ups and downs Hulsmeyer spoke of were evident at the start of Game 1. But precise passing, good court coverage and numerous hustle plays kept the Boilers in contention. A Sarah Emke service ace put the Boilers up 6-5. Minutes later, after two Stephen F. Austin errors, Purdue found itself ahead 10-6. The Ladyjacks spent a timeout to slow the momentum, but the plan failed, as the Boilers, behind Doud, cruised to a 15-7 win.
Strong play at the net keyed a Boiler run to start Game 2. Two blocks by Emke and Taryn Catlin, in addition to kills by Connie Paul and Aneska Arosarena, put Purdue up 4-1 before the Ladyjacks could adjust. But they did adjust, capitalizing on a couple Boilermaker errors to take a 6-5 lead. Purdue got the lead back, however, thanks to more stellar play by Doud. And the Boilers hung on from there, closing out the game with a solo block by Paul for a 15-9 victory.
It was nip-and-tuck at the start of Game 3, but Stephen F. Austin used two service aces and a block to grab an 8-4 lead. Unfortunately for the Boilers, that lead proved insurmountable, as the Ladyjacks rolled to a 15-8 win.
Purdue regrouped for Game 4, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. And a timeout by Stephen F. Austin could do nothing to take the steam out of the Boilermakers, as the Old Gold and Black blocking corps, led by Paul and Arosarena, helped Purdue increase its advantage to eight. The Ladyjacks? second and final timeout proved a bit more fruitful, but the Boilers never relinquished control. A block by Arosarena and Paul sealed the deal, giving Purdue the game (15-8) and match victory.
In addition to Doud, Arosarena stood out with 19 kills on a .341 hitting percentage (19-5-41). Paul and Emke also finished in the double-figure kill column with 14 and 13, respectively, while Christi Kelsey anchored the defense with a career-high 11 kills. Arosarena and Paul also contributed five blocks apiece.
In the day?s first game, Wisconsin-Milwaukee defeated cross-town rival Marquette 15-6, 15-7, 15-8 to improve to 2-0 on the season. Laura Dallenbach led the Panthers with 16 kills and 13 digs, while Kelly Kaylor led the Golden Eagles with 15 kills. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which upset ninth-ranked Wisconsin in four games Sept. 1, outhit Marquette .369 to 172. The Golden Eagles are now 0-1.
Purdue concludes Mortar Board action with two matches in the IAF on Sept. 4. The Boilers take on Marquette at 12 noon and Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 7:30 p.m.
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