Nov. 19, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - In a battle of two evenly matched teams, No. 18 Purdue put up a valiant fight against the No. 16 Illinois volleyball team Wednesday night, but could not manage a victory. The Fighting Illini won the match 25-15, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22.
Senior Stephanie Lynch racked up a match-high 19 kills to pace the Boilermaker offense, while sophomore Kristen Arthurs and junior Carrie Gurnell chipped in 15 and 10 respectively. Lynch also paced Purdue at the net with six blocks, while redshirt sophomore Lisa Pierce added five stuffs. In the back court, senior Kelli Miller pulled up 22 digs to lead all players, while senior Danita Merlau tallied 10.
The teams split the first eight points of the match, before either could gain control. The Illini took charge after the 4-4 tie, taking a three-point lead at 7-4 and never allowing the margin to sink below two the rest of the way, en route to a 25-15 win. Sophomore Kristen Arthurs racked up six kills in the stanza, but could not help Purdue past a .312 hitting effort by Illinois.
The Boilermakers shook off the opening set and raced out to an 8-4 advantage in the second set, capitalizing on five UI miscues. The Illini would not go quietly, however, scratching their way back to ties at 10 and 11. A kill by Lynch and a hitting error put Purdue up 13-11, but the Illini managed three straight to take a 14-13 lead of their own. Trailing 17-15, the Boilermakers scored three straight on a Gurnell putaway, a block by Arthurs and Pierce and a UI error. The Illini regained the lead at 20-19, but Purdue capped the game with a 6-2 run to grab the 25-22 win. The Boilermakers posted two blocks in the stretch, while Miller contributed an ace and the final kill in the effort.
Illinois led 5-2 early in the third set, before Purdue mounted a 6-0 run to turn the deficit around. Lynch pounded down a pair of kills, while the Illini gave the Boilermakers three points on errors. UI answered Purdue's rally, however, by scoring nine of the next 10 points to go up 14-9. The Boilermakers cut the margin to three at 15-12 on an ace by sophomore Jessica Ullrich, but Illinois pushed its lead to seven at 23-16. Purdue put together a late charge, scoring five of the next six points and holding off three Illini set point attempts. Gurnell racked up two kills and two solo blocks in the run, but Laura DeBruler clinched the 25-21 victory for Illinois. Lynch and Gurnell each tallied five kills in the set.
Purdue boasted an 6-3 advantage to start the fourth set, behind the power of four Lynch putaways. Illinois scored four straight to go up 7-6. Down one at 9-8, the Boilermakers put together a 7-2 run, including a pair of blocks by Lynch and Pierce and a solo stuff by sophomore Jaclyn Hart, to turn the deficit into a 15-11 edge. The Illini evened the score at 15, but back-to-back kills by Gurnell gave Purdue the lead once again. Illinois tied it up at 17, then the teams split the next six points to make it 20 all. A pair of kills and an error put the Illini on top 23-20, but a service error and a kill by Lynch cut the margin to one at 23-22. A kill by Michelle Bartsch and a Boilermaker hitting miscue, however, gave Illinois the 25-22 win and the match. Lynch racked up six kills in the stanza, while the Boilermakers tallied four blocks in the set.
The Boilermakers (21-8, 10-7 Big Ten) return to action at 7 p.m. Friday when they take on Michigan State for a Senior Night matchup. The event will mark the final regular season home match for middle hitter Stephanie Lynch, outside hitter Danita Merlau and libero Kelli Miller.