Nov. 25, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers spoiled the No. 22 Purdue volleyball team's senior night festivities, handing the Boilermakers a 3-0 loss. The Badgers won the match 30-27, 30-22, 30-21.
Sophomores Stephanie Lynch (New Albany, Ind.) and Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind.) led the Boilermaker offense with 10 kill apiece. Freshman Carrie Gurnell (Katy, Texas) and junior Sam Mader (Algonquin, Ill.) followed with kill tallies of eight and seven respectively. Lynch hit .450 on the night with 10 kills on 20 swings to lead the Purdue hitters.
Senior Brittany Dildine (West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) chalked up a team-high 13 digs, to go with five kills and an ace, while sophomore Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) pulled up 12 digs.
Purdue jumped out to a 4-2 lead in Game 1 as senior Melanie Ukovich (Minooka, Ill.) served up an ace and Lynch and Gurnell added kills. The Badgers quickly turned the tables with a 12-2 run. Down 14-6, the Boilermakers put together an 8-5 run to cut the margin to five at 19-14. Gurnell posted three kills in the stretch. Purdue continued to chip away, pulling to within three at 24-21 on a block by redshirt sophomore Emily Williams (Mishawaka, Ind.) and Lynch. A block by Williams and Gurnell made it a two-point game at 26-24. Wisconsin pushed its lead to four at 29-25, but a kill by Gurnell and an ace by junior Anne Mastandrea (Downers Grove, Ill.) kept Purdue alive and made it 29-27. A Badger kill ended the game at 30-27. Gurnell tallied six kills in the stanza.
In a reversal of Game 1, Wisconsin took an early 4-2 lead in Game 2, and Purdue played from behind to take a 6-4 lead of its own with four-straight points, capped by a service ace by freshman Sam Gray (Indianapolis, Ind./Brebuef). The teams tied at six, beginning a string of seven ties, last at 15-15. From that point, the Badgers ran off 12 of the next 14 points to make it 27-17. Purdue used a late 4-0 run to cut the deficit to six at 27-21. Dildine posted a kill and an ace, while Lynch and Gray combined on a block in the rally. The late charge was not enough as Wisconsin scored three of the last four points to post the 30-22 win. Lynch and Merlau each added four kills in the game.
The teams split the first six points of the deciding third game, before Wisconsin took control with a 6-1 run. The Boilermakers narrowed the gap to three at 10-7 as Gurnell and Dildine tallied putdowns. The teams split the next eight scores leading to a 14-11 mark. The Badgers scored four straight to pull away and make it 18-11. Purdue countered with five of the next eight points, including an ace by Miller, to make it 21-16. Wisconsin used an 8-2 run to stretch the margin to 11 at 28-17. A kill by Merlau stopped the rally, then Gray followed with an ace and Merlau added another putdown to make it 28-20. A Badger kill set up Wisconsin's first chance at the match, but a kill by Mader thwarted the effort. A kill by Maria Carlini sealed the 30-21 win and 3-0 sweep for the Badgers.
Purdue must now await the NCAA Selection Committee's decision on its postseason fate. The NCAA Tournament selection show airs live on ESPN News at 3 p.m. EST.