Aug. 30, 2003
ST. LOUIS -- Five-time NCAA competitor Wisconsin-Milwaukee proved to be too much for the young Boilermaker volleyball team, topping Purdue 3-0, with scores of 30-20, 30-25 and 30-18.
UWM took a 4-0 lead to start the match, but Purdue fought back, scoring four straight points to tie it up at eight. The teams traded points before the Panthers went on a 4-0 run to regain the lead at 15-11. Purdue countered, but Milwaukee went up eight at 22-14 before the Boilermakers cut the lead to six three times, but that was as close as they would get. UWM capitalized on two Purdue errors and a kill by Sarah Potts to finish the game out at 30-20.
The second game was one of runs as the Panthers started out with a 4-1 lead before Purdue caught up to tie it at eight following a three point run. Things knotted up again nine more times before UWM took the lead for good at 24-23. Sophomore Renata Dargan served back-to-back aces in the losing effort before the Panthers took the game 30-25.
UWM remained strong in game three pulling away after owning just a one-point lead at 6-5. The Panthers went on a 9-0 run as Karen Fruit served eight straight points following a Sarah Potts kill at 7-5. The Boilermakers made several efforts to come back but could not overcome UWM, despite two more aces by Dargan, part of her career high five in the match. A Purdue attacking error clinched the match for the Panthers at 30-18.
Junior Kim McConaha, who was named to the Billiken Invitational all-tournament team along with redshirt sophomore Leah Wischmeier, led all hitters with 12 kills. Junior Daren Poe led the Boilermakers with seven digs. UWM excelled in hitting, chalking up a .363 percentage to Purdue's .127 effort.
The Boilermakers (2-1) will be back in action on Sept. 5, when they face McNeese State at the Rice Invitational in Houston, Texas