Nov. 10, 2004
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The season-high 931 fans in attendance at Wednesday night's Purdue/Indiana volleyball match got their money's worth with a five-game battle, but the Boilermaker fans wound up on the winning end. Purdue took the match 3-2 by scores of 30-21, 29-31, 31-33, 30-19 and 15-13. Junior setter Renata Dargan (New Lenox, Ill.) also reached a career milestone, handing out her 4,000th-career assist in Game 4 of the match.
Purdue took a decisive 6-1 lead in the opening moments of Game 5 after a pair of blocks as well as the fourth ace of the match by sophomore Brittany Dildine (West Lafayette, Ind.). Kills by senior Kim McConaha (Centerville, Ind.) and Dargan helped the Boilermakers to an 8-3 lead at the break. The Hoosiers made a comeback, however, pulling within two at 10-8, before tying it up at 11 on a Christin Nilles service ace. A service error followed to give Purdue back the lead. A block by sophomore Melanie Ukovich (Minooka, Ill.)and McConaha made it a two-point game at 13-11. The teams traded errors to make it 14-12, setting up Purdue's first match-point attempt. A Katie Pollom kill stopped the effort, but a kill by senior Kim Cappa (West Lafayette, Ind.) clinched the match for the Boilermakers at 15-13. Cappa had 16 kills in the game.
The Boilermakers started the match with a 3-0 rally on kills from McConaha and redshirt junior Leah Wischmeier (Brownstown, Ind.). The Hoosiers answered with a 5-1 run to take their first lead of the match at 5-4. Purdue scored three-in-a-row on an IU error, a service ace by Dargan, and another Wischmeier kill, to go up 7-5. Indiana tied the game at eight and nine, before regaining the lead at 10-9 on Purdue miscue. Kills by McConaha and Dargan put the Boilermakers back on top 11-10, but a pair of Purdue errors gave the Hoosiers a 12-11 edge. Purdue then rattled off 11 of the next 14 points capped by back-to-back kills by freshman Sammi Mader (Algonquin, Ill.), which gave the Boilermakers a 22-15 lead. Indiana used a 4-1 run to pull within four at 23-19, but it was too little too late as Purdue answered with a 7-2 run including three Hoosier miscues and a pair of kills from Dargan, to take the 30-21 win.
Purdue took the early advantage again in Game 2, going up 5-2 to start the stanza. Indiana tied its up at five, six, before using a 5-0 run to turn a 7-6 Purdue lead into an 11-7 Hoosier advantage. The Boilermakers pulled within three on six occasions, last at 20-17 as the teams traded points. IU scored three in a row to make it 23-17, but Purdue fought back pulling to within two at 28-26. A kill by Cappa it 28-27, but a Hoosier kill set up IU's first attempt at the game. A block by McConaha and Dargan and an Indiana ball-handling error tied it up at 29-29. A pair of Hoosier kills, however, gave Indiana the 31-29 win. Cappa had seven kills in the stanza for Purdue.
Indiana carried its momentum into Game 3, taking an 8-4 for lead after a tie at 3-3. The Boilermakers chipped away the Hoosier lead, pulling within two at 13-11 on a kill by Ukovich. Down 16-13, Purdue capitalized on two IU errors and an ace by Dildine. The teams tied at 17 and 18 before Indiana managed to take a 20-18 lead on a pair of kills. The Boilermakers answered with a 3-0 run including a kill by Dargan and a block by Dargan and freshman Emily Williams (Mishawaka, Ind.) to go up 21-20. Purdue led 26-24, before the Hoosiers put up three-straight points, two on Boilermaker mistakes to turn it into a one-point lead of their own. Kills by McConaha and Cappa put Purdue back on top at 28-27. The teams then traded the next four points, giving the Boilermakers a 30-29 lead. A block and an ace set up IU's first chance at the game at 31-30. A Wischmeier kill thwarted the effort, but a kill and a Purdue net violation gave Indiana the 33-31 victory.
The Boilermakers rebounded from the close calls in Game 4, which they led from start to finish. Purdue went up 3-1 right off the bat, but Indiana stood within one at 3-2, 4-3 and 7-6. A pair of Hoosier miscues put Purdue up 9-6, but a Boilermaker miscue made it 10-8. From that point, Purdue put up an 11-1 run to take a 21-9 lead. Kills from four players as well as an ace by Dildine were included in the rally. Dargan also picked up her 4,000th-career assist in the string as she helped McConaha make it 19-9. Down 21-9, the Hoosiers managed a 4-1 run to cut the margin to nine at 22-13. Kills by Dargan, Ukovich and Wischmeier pushed the lead to 12 at 26-14. A Ukovich kill made it 29-17, but two Purdue errors kept Indiana's hope alive. A McConaha kill sealed the Boilermaker win at 30-19. Purdue hit .559 to Indiana's .233 in the game.
Wischmeier led Purdue with 19 kills, while three other players reached double-digits. McConaha post 18, Cappa added 16 and Dargan recorded a career-high 15. Senior Daren Poe (Martinsville, Ind.) led the Boilermakers with 25 digs, while Dildine added 12. McConaha put up seven blocks to lead Purdue at the net.
The Boilermakers return to action at 8 p.m. Saturday against No. 25 Illinois.