Sept. 14, 2004
Sept. 14, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker volleyball team kicked off its five-match homestand with a 3-1 victory over Valparaiso Tuesday night. The win, which snapped a two-match losing streak, came by scores of 30-16, 30-17, 28-30 and 30-26.
Several Purdue players put up career-highs in the match. Redshirt junior Leah Wischmeier (Brownstown, Ind.) recorded a career-high tying 24 kills, while senior Daren Poe (Martinsville, Ind.) pulled up a career-best 27 digs. Sophomore Brittany Dildine posted 18 digs, surpassing her previous best, while freshman Sammi Mader tallied 14 kills topping her season-high mark.
"Even before the game, I think there was a different feel surrounding our team," Wischmeier said. "I think everyone was really hungry to go out there and get a win. From pre-game on, everyone was feeling good and was really excited to play.
"Our defense was doing a great job of getting the ball up to Renata (Dargan) and she was putting them in the perfect spots. One way or another they seemed to find the floor. Things were just working tonight."
The match started in a deadlock as the teams tied six times to begin Game 1. Purdue managed two straight points to take an 8-6 lead on a kill by Kim McConaha (Centerville, Ind.). Valparaiso pulled within one at 9-8, but Purdue stretched the point-margin with an 8-2 run. The Boilermakers owned at least a six-point advantage the rest of the game, closing it out with eight-straight points, seven off of Poe's serves including an ace to bring up game-point. A Wischmeier kill ended the match at 30-16. Purdue hit .469 to Valpo's .077 effort.
The Crusaders took a 3-0 lead to begin Game 2, but Purdue turned the deficit into an 11-5 advantage, scoring 11 of the next 13 points, including six on Wischmeier kills. Valpo cut the margin to four at 12-8, but the Boilermakers responded with a 10-2 rally, capped by a service ace by Poe, to take a 22-10 lead. The Crusaders could get no closer than 10 the rest of the game. Kills by Mader and McConaha coupled with a Valpo net violation brought up game-point for Purdue. A Crusader kill thwarted the effort, but a McConaha kill claimed the 30-17 win for the Boilermakers on the next serve. Purdue hit .425 to Valparaiso's .125 effort, as Wischmeier posted 10 kills in the stanza.
Valparaiso put up the first four points in Game 3, but again the lead was short-lived as Purdue posted 10 of the next 12 points to take a 10-6 lead on a Mader kill. Down 13-9, the Crusaders mounted a 7-2 run to take a 16-15 lead. Purdue regained the lead at 19-18 in the midst of a 5-0 run, including a service ace by Dildine. Valpo would not go down easily, however, answering with a 7-0 run of its own to take a 25-22 lead. The Boilermakers stopped two Crusader attempts at game point, cutting the margin to one at 29-28, but a kill by Amy Palash extended the match with a 30-28 Valpo win.
The Boilermakers outlasted the Crusaders in a back-and-forth Game 4 battle. Valparaiso took the first two points, before Purdue went up 5-2 behind four McConaha kills. The Boilermakers boosted their lead to six at 14-9 on another McConaha putdown. Valpo put together a 14-9 rally to tie the game at 23, and pushed on to take a 26-25 lead on an under-the-net call. Wischmeier then helped Purdue to a 5-0 run to end the match. She posted a kill to tie it up at 26, and then served out the remaining four points which were won on a pair of blocks and two Crusader errors.
Wischmeier led Purdue with 24 kills, while McConaha added 23 and Mader posted 14. Poe pulled up a match-high 27 digs, while serving up a career-best two aces. Dildine also reached double-figures with 18 digs. Purdue outblocked Valparaiso 10.5 to four and outhit the Crusaders .294 to .165.
"This gives us a lot of momentum and a lot of confidence going into the weekend," Wischmeier said. "Volleyball is such a mental sport, so having this confidence is definitely going to help us in our home tournament."
The Boilermakers return to action at 7 p.m. on Friday, when they take on the Central Michigan Chippewas in match two of the Mortar Board Purdue Premier. The tournament begins at 5 p.m. Friday with a match between East Tennessee State and Kentucky. Day two action begins at 11 a.m. Saturday when Purdue faces East Tennessee State and continues through the day, ending with the Boilermakers' 7 p.m. meeting with Kentucky.