Sept. 29, 2000
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue volleyball team dropped its sixth consecutive match Friday when it faced No. 20 Michigan State. The Boilermakers fell to 8-7 (0-3 Big Ten), while the Spartans improved to 9-3 (2-1 Big Ten).
"Michigan State deserves credit for tonight's win," Boilermaker head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer said. "They played very tough and their height created a different situation for us. But that's something we have to get used to in the Big Ten."
The Boilermakers were outblocked 11-5, outdug them 50-39, and held them to a clip of .125 (45-28-136).
Freshman Joanna Lowry led Purdue with 15 kills, while senior Julie Doud was the defensive leader with 12 digs and two block solos. Junior Maegan Petersen contributed ten kills and two blocks for the Old Gold and Black.
Although Lowry recorded an impressive .833 (5-0-6) hitting percentage in Game1, Purdue was not able to hold off the Spartans as they won 15-5. Game 2 was an uphill battle for the Boilermakers after Michigan State jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. Purdue bowed 15-6.
The Boilermakers attempted a comeback late in Game 3, but the effort was not enough to hold off the Spartan attack. With Michigan State up 14-4, Purdue stole the side out and got in four unanswered kills to bring the score to 14-8. But an out of bounds error from Petersen gave Michigan State the sideout and the match.
Purdue won't have much time to reflect on the loss. The Boilermakers will play No. 25 Michigan at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
"Michigan likes to play more of a transition game," Hulsmeyer said. "They run things a lot faster and terminate plays quickly. We are going to have to slow the ball down at the net and pass the ball better off the serve."