Sept. 6, 2008
MUNCIE, Ind. - A strong serving effort and sheer determination helped the No. 18 Boilermaker volleyball team to a sweep of Southern Illinois Saturday morning. Purdue moved to 5-0 on the season with the 25-14, 25-21, 25-11 victory.
Seniors Danita Merlau and Stephanie Lynch posted 11 kills apiece. Sophomore Kristen Arthurs and junior Carrie Gurnell tacked on five putdowns each, while freshman Tiffany Fisher was a perfect 4-for-4 on kill attempts. Senior Kelli Miller paced the defense with 13 digs. Merlau rounded out her first double-double of the year with 12 digs, while sophomore Jessica Ullrich added 10 digs in addition her three ace tally.
The Boilermakers hit .316 for the match, while holding the Salkis to a .076 effort. Purdue dominated the offensive numbers with 43 putdowns to just 26 for SIU. The Boilermaker servers also were key in the victory, serving up seven aces to just two for Southern Illinois.
"I didn't think we were extremely sharp last night, so we talked before the match about how every time we walk out of the locker room, we have to believe we are going to play great," head coach Dave Shondell said. "I felt like we came out that way in Game 1. Jess Ullrich brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to floor and Danita played a lot better today. I also liked the way our team came back in Game 2. Sam Ainsworth's serve helped and we made a couple of defensive plays in the right back position. Then, in Game 3, we wore them down with our serving and didn't give them any easy points."
The Boilermakers quickly built an 11-3 lead in the opening set as four different players tallied kills and Miller served up an ace. The Salukis cut the advantage to six at 12-6, but Purdue rattled off six straight points, including back-to-back aces by Ullrich, to go up by 12. The teams traded points over the next 10 serves, leading to a 23-11 score. Fisher put down her first kill of the match to give the Boilermakers their first shot at the set. A pair of Purdue miscues and an SIU kill prolonged the set, but a putdown by Arthurs sealed the 25-14 win. Merlau chalked up five kills as Purdue hit .343 to the Salukis' .079 effort in the stanza.
Purdue appeared to carry the momentum into the second set, taking an early 5-2 lead on kills by Lynch, Gurnell and sophomore Jaclyn Hart. Southern Illinois, however, had something else in mind, tying the score at six, seven and eight, before managing to go ahead at 9-8 on a Boilermaker hitting miscue. The Salukis maintained the advantage, increasing their lead to four at 17-13 before Purdue could make a dent. Merlau posted three straight kills to cut the margin to one at 18-17. Trailing by three moments later at 20-17, the Boilermakers kicked off an 8-1 run to end the set at 25-21. Lynch racked up three kills in the rally, while Ainsworth served up an ace.
A quick third set wrapped up the sweep. The Boilermakers led 9-4 to start the stanza as Lynch put down four kills and served up an ace. Purdue added nine-straight points to its tally en route to an 18-6 lead. Arthurs slammed down a pair of overpass kills, while Merlau turned back one of her own during the stretch, which also featured an Ullrich beauty. SIU put together a 4-0 run to pull within eight, but Purdue countered with seven of the next eight points to cap the match. Fisher accounted for four straight points in the closing effort, with two kills and two block assists. A kill by Merlau set the table for another perfect serve by Ainsworth which clinched the set at 25-11.
The Boilermakers (5-0) wrap up their stay in Muncie, Ind., at 7:30 p.m. when they face the host Ball State Cardinals.