Nov. 17, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. - The No. 23 Boilermaker volleyball team put together a complete effort against Northwestern Friday night en route to a 3-1 win. Stephanie Lynch posted 15 kills and a career-high 12 blocks in the contest, while Brittany Dildine added a 13-kill, 16-dig double double to lead Purdue to the 30-32, 30-18, 30-25, 30-24 victory.
Lynch (New Albany, Ind.) led a group of four Boilermakers with double-figure kill tallies, putting down 15 balls, while Dildine (West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison), junior Samantha Mader (Algonquin, Ill.) and freshman Carrie Gurnell (Katy, Texas) followed with 13, 11 and 10 respectively. Sophomore Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind./Cathedral) just missed a double-double with nine kills to go with her 10 dig tally.
Dildine led the Boilermaker defense with 16 digs, followed by sophomore Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central), Merlau and junior Anne Mastandrea (Downers Grove, Ill.) with 13, 10 and 10 respectively. Lynch posted 12 blocks, three solo and nine assists, tying the second highest four-game match blocking tally in school history. The effort ties seven others 12 block performances and marks the first 12 block effort since 1991.
"I am proud of our team," head coach Dave Shondell said. "We have not been able to win close games and matches lately and that happened again in Game 1, but our team responded well. Annie Mastandrea played well defensively and Kelli Miller was solid. Danita Merlau's numbers will not indicate how she played tonight, but she turned the match around for us with her serve and defense. Stephanie Lynch was great for us tonight. We went to her every chance we got and she came through both offensively and at the net. I told the team before the match that whichever team was the toughest tonight would win, and we were that team. This was a big win for Purdue volleyball against a team that has been playing very well lately."
The Boilermakers and Wildcats split the opening eight points of the match, but Northwestern scored four of the next five to take an 8-5 advantage. Purdue answered with a 5-0 run including two aces by Lynch and a solo block by Mader to go up 10-8. The Boilermakers expanded the point margin to four at 15-11 and again at 20-16 forcing NU to take its first timeout. The Wildcats scored four straight out of the break to knot the score at 20-20. After tied at 23 and 24, Lynch registered three straight kills to put the Boilermakers up 27-24. A kill by Mader gave Purdue its first chance at the game at 29-27, but Northwestern held off Purdue with three straight points to go up 30-29. A service error kept the Boilermakers alive, but two Wildcat kills helped NU snag the 32-30 win. Gurnell chalked up five kills in the stanza, while Lynch and Merlau each posted four.
Purdue shook off the loss and raced out to an 8-4 lead in Game 2. Dildine added three kills, while Lynch recorded two block assists in the early goings. Northwestern used stout serving to tie the score at 8-8, but the Boilermakers maintained control with a 12-3 run capped by eight straight points to take a 20-11 lead. Lynch combined on five blocks in the stretch, while Miller aced the Wildcats twice. Purdue upped the point-margin to 10 points at 23-13 on a kill by Dildine. The teams traded the next 10 scores to make it 28-18. A Northwestern net violation and another ace by Miller sealed the 30-18 win for the Boilermakers to even the match at a game apiece. Lynch recorded seven stuffs, while Dildine added five kills in the game. Purdue out-hit Northwestern .368 to .032 in the stanza.
Northwestern led 4-1 in the early stages of Game 3, but Purdue answered with five of the next six points to take a 6-4 lead of its own. The Wildcats scored three straight to go up 7-6, prompting a 9-0 Boilermaker run. Lynch posted two solo blocks and two kills in the stanza. Dildine chalked up two putdowns and Merlau served up an ace en route to the 16-7 lead. Northwestern took a timeout and returned to the court to post a 4-0 run to cut the margin to five at 16-11. The Wildcats pulled within three at 20-17 and the teams split the next 10 points to make it 25-22. A 4-0 run capped by a NU error set up Purdue's first chance at the game at 29-22. Two kills and a net violation kept the game going, before Gurnell smashed a kill to give the Boilermakers the 30-25 win.
The Wildcats jumped out to an 8-3 lead to start the deciding fourth game. Purdue clawed back to within two at 9-7 on a kill by Mader, but Northwestern maintained control, expanding the margin to five at 14-9. The Boilermakers countered with a 6-2 run, including a pair of blocks to make it a one point game at 16-15. Down 18-16, Purdue chalked up five in a row, including an ace and a kill by Dildine to take a 21-18 lead. NU made it a two-point game at 26-24, but the Boilermakers closed out the match at 30-24 with four-straight points on kills by Lynch and Dildine coupled with back-to-back Northwestern hitting errors.
Purdue topped Northwestern in all major statistical categories, including blocks (16-12).
The Boilermakers (20-8, 10-7 Big Ten) return to action at 8 p.m. (EST) Saturday when they take on Illinois in Champaign, Ill.