Oct. 3, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - It was as close as a match could be, but the Boilermaker volleyball team managed to walk away with the hard fought sweep of Iowa Friday night. Purdue won the match 25-22, 25-23, 25-23 with a balanced offensive attack and tough defense.
Senior Danita Merlau led the way with 15 kills on a season-best .351 clip, while tacking on 12 digs to round out her third double-double of the year. Senior Stephanie Lynch and junior Samantha Ainsworth added eight apiece, while junior Carrie Gurnell put down six kills. Ainsworth racked up her eight kills on 11 swings with no errors for an outstanding .727 hitting effort to lead all hitters.
Gurnell put up five blocks to lead the Boilermakers at the net, while Lynch and sophomore Kristen Arthurs added four each. Senior Kelli Miller racked up 15 digs to pace the backcourt.
Purdue found itself trailing 5-1 early in the first set, which would go on to feature 13 ties and seven lead changes. The Boilermakers charged back with six of the next seven points to take their first lead at 7-6. Iowa managed a 15-13 lead, but Purdue countered with a pair of putdowns and a block by Gurnell and Lynch to go up 16-15 and prompt a Hawkeye timeout. The teams swapped the lead twice more over the next six points. The Boilermakers then used a 3-0 run, including kills by Ainsworth and Merlau to take a 23-20 lead. A putaway by Lynch made it 24-21 and a tip shot by Hart sealed the 25-22 win. Purdue hit .421 in the set as six different players got in on the offensive action.
The teams split the first eight points of Set 2 before Purdue built a 10-6 lead, capitalizing on Hawkeye miscues. Iowa turned a 15-11 deficit into a 16-15 lead in a matter of moments with four kills and an ace. The Boilermakers responded with four of the next five points, including a pair of blocks to push the score to 20-17. The Hawkeyes fought off a 23-21 Purdue lead to tie the score at 23, but a kill and an ace by Merlau snagged the Boilermakers the 25-23 victory. Merlau chalked up six kills in the set, while Arthurs added three blocks.
The Boilermakers led 5-3 early in the third set after a Miller ace and a block by Lynch and Gurnell. Iowa scored five of the next seven points, however, to take an 8-7 lead of its own. Down 9-8, Purdue posted a 8-3 run to go up 16-12 on an overpass kill by Lynch. Merlau racked up three kills during the stretch as well. An 18-14 deficit did not slow the Hawkeyes, which tallied five straight points including an ace to make it 19-18 in their favor. The Boilermakers responded with four in a row, including an ace by Hart, to turn the tables and go up 22-19. The final six points of the match came on errors, four which favored Purdue, including a service error which gave the Boilermakers the 25-22 win and the sweep.
Purdue (13-2, 2-1 Big Ten) returns to action at 7 p.m. Saturday when the team faces off with No. 13 Minnesota. Saturday is Dig For A Cure night, so fans are encouraged to wear pink and will have several opportunities to donate to the breast cancer cause.