Sept. 18, 2002
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.- The Boilermaker volleyball team continued its domination in five-game matches with a 3-2 victory over Notre Dame (8-3), Wednesday night. The win (18-30, 29-31, 30-27, 30-26, 15-6) ended a two-match losing streak for the Boilermakers as well as a five-match losing streak to the Irish which dated back to 1991. The squad also tied the best opening record (9-3) since 1985 with the victory over the Irish, who were ranked just out of the Top 25.
"I think that this was not only a big win for the team, but a big win for the program," head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer said. "There was such great support from the fans and the other athletic teams and the people that have been here. I just want to thank them, especially the people that have stuck with us through the years."
Purdue outhit the visiting Irish .400 to -.167 in the deciding fifth game of the match to claim the 3-2 victory. Kim McConaha (So., Centerville, IN) registered four kills, while Joanna Lowry (Jr., Glen Ellyn, IL) tallied three in the game to achieve her match-high 29. With the game tied 4-4, the Boilermakers scored four straight points, allowed one for the Irish, then continued to dominate. A Tiffany Yoskey (Sr., Canal Fulton, Ohio) ace put Purdue up 11-5, Notre Dame got the ball back before the Gold and Black finished the match with a 4-0 run featuring three McConaha kills.
"We were a little jittery coming out in that first game and got behind early," Hulsmeyer continued. "But game two was the real turning point for us, when we found out we could not only play with them but we could win. We got a little tentative from shutting the door at the end, but I think mentally that was a big turning point for them. When we got in there between games two and three, they looked like they could win this match. It was just going to be one game at a time."
The Irish got off to an early 9-2 lead in game one, but allowed the Boilermakers to inch back to within three at 13-10 with a 8-4 run, which featured two Lowry service aces. Notre Dame extended its lead to eight points at 24-16 after several small scoring spurts. Purdue fought back, but the Irish closed it out at 30-18 after a 6-1 run which included three-straight Jessica Kinder service aces. Notre Dame hit .400 for game one to the Gold and Black's .200 effort.
Game two Notre Dame's hitting success drifted off, giving the Boilermakers a chance to tie the match at one game apiece. Purdue owned a 6-3 lead early in the game and despite a couple of knot ups owned the lead all the way to the 13-13 mark. A few kills by Lowry gave Purdue back the lead at 15-14. It was a one-point game from that point until the Boilermakers took a three-point advantage at 25-22. The Gold and Black owned the lead until the Irish tied the game at 28-28. Notre Dame went ahead 29-28 but a kill by McConaha extended the Boilermakers' life. Notre Dame finished the game at 31-29 on a pair of kills.
Purdue boasted a 7-2 lead in game three and never allowed it to shrink to below two points until the Irish pulled within one at 15-14. With the margin at one, the Boilermakers were determined to hang on. Notre Dame claimed its first lead of the game at 21-20 and didn't give it up until Purdue tied the game at 27-27 on a Lowry kill, her 18th of the match. Another Lowry kill and two straight McConaha service aces clinched game three for the Boilermakers at 30-27. Purdue claimed the game desp
Game four was a back-and-forth battle from the start with neither team owning more than a one-point advantage until a five-point run gave the Irish a 11-6 lead. The Boilermakers answered with a three point run of their own to pull within two. Purdue finally tied the game at 15-15, but Notre Dame went on a 3-0 run to go up 19-16 just minutes later. A 7-0 run by the Boilermakers including two more McConaha aces, gave the team a 24-20 lead and forced a timeout by the Irish. The Boilermakers never saw their lead fall to less than two the rest of the game, closing it out at 30-26 on a Daren Poe (So., Martinsville, IN) kill from the back row that dropped amid the Irish front row.
Lowry led the Boilermakers with 29 kills, while Kim Cappa (So., Lafayette, IN) tallied 13 digs to lead the squad. McConaha boasted 21 kills and four service aces for the team, while Yoskey compiled a .438 hitting percentage to lead the team and Lowry hit .407 (29-5-59) for the match. Emily Loomis led the Irish with 21 kills, while Keara Coughlin registered 11 digs for Notre Dame.
The Boilermakers will have eight days off before their next competition, the Big Ten opener against Wisconsin, at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 in the IAF.