Sept. 10, 2004
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - It was a night of milestones as No. 24 Purdue topped Tennessee-Martin 3-0 at Stokely Athletics Center Friday night. The Boilermakers won the match 30-17, 30-18 and 30-19, as senior middle hitter Kim McConaha (Centerville, Ind.) eclipsed the 1,000-career kill mark with 16, boosting her four-year tally to 1,003. The win also marked the first for a ranked Purdue squad since Sept. 10, 1988, when the then No. 20 Boilermakers topped Oklahoma 3-2.
"We just played a solid match," head coach Dave Shondell said. "There were only a couple of times where they managed small runs on us. Kim McConaha was solid and we rode her at the beginning. Lindsay (Shondell) played very well in her first match setting in almost two years. She placed the ball very well and the other players responded well to it. We did what we had to do to get through the match and on to tomorrow."
Purdue went up 5-1 to start the match, including two kills and block by McConaha (Centerville, Ind.) and the first career kill for redshirt sophomore Lindsay Shondell (Muncie, Ind.). The Boilermakers increased their lead to seven at 10-3 on a kill by Leah Wischmeier (RS Jr., Brownstown, Ind.) kill. Four more McConaha kills helped boost the advantage to 11 at 18-7, forcing UTM to use its final timeout. Purdue owned its largest lead at 24-11, which came on a kill by Lizzie Jacques (Winfield, Ill.). The Skyhawks cut the margin to 10 at 26-16 after three Boilermaker miscues. Senior Kim Cappa (West Lafayette, Ind.), Wischmeier and Jacques posted kills to close out the game at 30-17. Purdue hit .526 in the game.
Game 2 started with a 3-3 tie, but Purdue quickly turned the knot up into a three-point advantage at 6-3, capitalizing on two UTM errors. The Boilermakers scored four straight points, including a service ace by Brittany Dildine (So., West Lafayette, Ind.) to go up 13-6. The Skyhawks went on a 5-2 run to pull within four at 15-11. That didn't last long as Purdue responded by scored nine of the next 13 points to make it 24-15 on another Dildine ace. After a brief pause, McConaha posted three-straight kills, before an ace by Sammi Mader (Fr., Algonquin, Ill.) made it 28-16. A kill by Marie Franke (Jr., Ballwin, Mo.) set up Purdue's first game-point attempt. The Skyhawks held Purdue at bay, until a block by McConaha and Shondell sealed the 30-18 win.
In an apparent case of déjàvu, game three started with an identical 3-3 score. Purdue again broke the tie with a string of three-straight points, two on UTM miscues. The Skyhawks bounced back pulling to within two at 9-7 on a Jamie Hollins kill. Wischmeier made it a three-point game again with a kill and ace. UTM made it 12-10, but Mader served nine-straight points, including three kills each by McConaha and redshirt sophomore Sarah Vitali (St. Charles, Ill.), to boost the margin to 12 at 22-10. The Skyhawks capitalized on a few Boilermaker miscues to cut the lead to eight at 24-16. Purdue then rattled off five straight points off including kills by McConaha and freshman Emily Williams (Mishawaka, Ind.). UTM kept the match going with a trio of points including a service ace, before a Mader kill gave Purdue the match at 30-19.
McConaha led the Boilermakers with 16 kills, while Wischmeier added 10. McConaha and Shondell led the team's balanced defense with eight digs apiece. Purdue served up six aces, including two each by Dildine and Mader. The Boilermakers hit .440 in the match, while holding UTM to a .184 night.
McConaha posted 66 kills as a freshman, then 441 and 424 during the next two seasons. She has tallied 72 so far this season, including four double-digit performances.
"It is such an honor for me to reach 1,000 kills and be listed in the same breath with the other awesome women who have done that at Purdue" McConaha said. "We have a great tradition of hitters and it is great to be a part of that. I couldn't have done it without my teammates though, and the coaches putting the ball in my hands. I just did what I had to do to help my team and I will continue to do so."
The Boilermakers return to action at 10 a.m. (EDT) when they take on Wake Forest. The team then wraps up its appearance at the Domino's Pizza Lady Vols Classic with a 6 p.m. match against host Tennessee.