Sept. 11, 2004
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The perfect beginning to the 2004 season came to an end for the Boilermaker volleyball team Saturday morning, as Wake Forest handed Purdue a 3-0 loss. Game scores were 30-22, 30-19 and 30-27.
Wake Forest started the match with a 4-1 lead, but Purdue crept back to tie the game at seven after kills by freshman Lizzie Jacques (Winfield, Ill.) and junior Renata Dargan (New Lenox, Ill.). The Demon Deacons came back with an 8-2 run to make it 15-9 and force a Boilermaker timeout. After the break, Purdue cut the margin to four at 19-15 on a block by senior Kim McConaha (Centerville, Ind.) and junior Marie Franke (Ballwin, Mo.). WFU took a timeout at 21-17, then rattled off seven of the next 10 points to go up 28-20. A kill by Leah Wischmeier (RS Jr., Brownstown, Ind.) slowed the effort, then a Christy Williams kill set up game point for the Deacons.A Franke kill prolonged Purdue's life, but a service error gave Wake Forest the 30-22 win.
The Boilermakers scored first in Game 2 on a Wischmeier kill, but the score was soon tied at 3-3. WFU put up five-straight points to take an 8-3 lead and expanded the point margin to seven at 11-4 moments later. Purdue cut the deficit to four at 12-8 on another Wischmeier point. The Demon Deacons made an offensive push to boost the score to 22-12 in their favor. A McConaha service ace made it 25-16, but Purdue could get no closer as Wake Forest closed out the match with a 5-3 run.
The Demon Deacons went up 4-1 early in Game 3 and upped the point margin to six at 14-8 on a kill by Lauren Petersen. A service ace by freshman Emily Williams (Mishawaka, Ind.) cut the deficit to four at 16-12, but WFU continued the see-saw battle, pushing its lead back to six at 22-16. The Boilermakers were down five after a kill by freshman Sammi Mader (Algonquin, Ill.), but the Demon Deacons extended the advantage to 27-19 after a pair of Valerie Rydberg aces. Purdue then put together a late run, scoring five of the next six points, including kills by Wischmeier, McConaha and Dargan, to pull within three at 28-25. A Michael Faulkner kill set up Wake Forest's first match-point attempt. A Wischmeier kill and a block by Jacques and Williams held the Deacons at bay, making it 29-27, but a Petersen kill sealed the victory for Wake Forest.
Wischmeier led the Boilermakers with 15 kills, while McConaha added 12. Freshman Anne Mastandrea (Downers Grove, Ill.) and McConaha bolstered the team's defensive effort with nine digs each. Purdue hit .274 for the match, while the Demon Deacons posted a .462 performance.
The Boilermakers (4-1) will look to rebound against the host Tennessee Lady Vols in a 6 p.m. (EDT) match.