Oct. 26, 2002
Ann Arbor, MI - The Boilermakers' road trip to Michigan stayed on the rocky road as Purdue fell to the Wolverines, 30-19, 30-28 and 30-24 Saturday night.
Michigan (12-8, 6-4) opened the match with a 4-0 lead. Purdue stopped the Wolverine run on a Kim McConaha (So., Centerville, IN) kill. The teams then traded points with Joanna Lowry (Jr., Glen Ellyn, IL) pulling the Boilermakers to within three at 5-2. UM boosted its lead to five on kills by Nicole Poquette and Chantel Reedus. Purdue answered on a few occasions but could drop the lead to less than four. At 13-6, Purdue scored three straight on a Wolverine error, a block by McConaha and freshman Marie Franke (Ballwin, MO) and a Renata Dargan (Fr., New Lenox, IL) kill. Michigan answered with a 5-1 run to bring the score to 19-10 in favor of UM. A Wolverine service error stopped the run and then back-to-back Tiffany Yoskey (Sr., Canal Fulton, OH) kills cut the lead to eight at 21-13. The Michigan lead swelled to 11, but back-to-back UM errors cut that to nine just moments later. Despite several Purdue runs, including a block by Yoskey and Franke, Michigan owned a 29-17 lead. On a game-point serve by Jennifer Gandolph, McConaha extended the Boilermakers' life. A Franke ace followed, but a net violation by Purdue gave the Wolverines game one 30-19.
Game two again saw an early Michigan lead, but this time the Boilermakers chipped away with two McConaha kills and a couple of Wolverine errors to tie it up at four. A pair of UM blocks helped push the lead to 8-4 Michigan. Lowry single-handedly pulled Purdue to within two with a pair of kills and a service ace to make it 9-7. Points traded hands until at 14-10, Purdue cut the lead to one on kills by Dargan and Yoskey and a McConaha service ace. Michigan was up three at 17-14 when Purdue rattled off three straight points on kills by Lowry and Jen Bova (Jr., Milwaukee, WI) as well as a Wolverine hitting error to knot it up at 17 all. It was back-and-forth for the next several points as noone owned more than a one-point advantage until two Chantel Moore kills gave Michigan a 23-21 lead. The Wolverines took a three-point lead at 27-24, but the Boilermakers tallied two blocks and a kill to tie it at 27. The Gold and Black took its first lead of the match at 28-27 on a Michigan hitting error, however the finishing bug bit the Boilermakers once again as the Wolverines closed game two 30-28 on three straight kills. Reedus and Gandolph were already in double-figures by the end of game two, while McConaha led Purdue with seven kills. The Boilermakers hit .207 to Michigan's .246 in game two.
Game three appeared to be a reversal of game one as the Boilermakers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, following a Bova service ace. Purdue maintained the lead, increasing it six at 8-2 and 9-3 behind two more aces, this time from McConaha. At 10-3, Michigan's offense kicked in, scoring five straight points to slice the lead to two. A Lowry kill stopped the run, but two more kills cut the lead to just one. Three rallies later, the game was tied at 12. The Wolverines then took control of the game, going on a 5-1 run, to post a 17-13 advantage. Purdue shaved the margin to two, but the teams traded points for much of the rest of the match, never allowing the advantage to slip to less than four. With the lead at six, two Wolverine errors gave the Boilermakers an open door, but a service error and Nicole Poquette ace claimed the match for Michigan with a 30-24 win. Purdue hit .361 in game three to Michigan's .410 effort. The win was Michigan's 100th at Cliff Keen Arena.
McConaha and Lowry tallied 11 kills each, while Lowry picked up the double-double adding 10 digs. Sophomore Daren Poe (Martinsville, IN) tallied 15 digs to lead the Boilermakers. Chantel Reedus was one of three Wolverines in double-figures, leading all hitters with 16 kills. Jennifer Gandolph registered a double-double with 15 kills and 14 digs. Erin Moore also recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs to go with six blocks.
Purdue (9-13, 0-10) will be back in action Tuesday when IUPUI visits the IAF for a 7 p.m. start.