Aug. 28, 2009
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The sellout crowd of 2,431 saw the No. 19 Boilermaker volleyball team sweep Ball State 3-0 by scores of 25-19, 25-18 and 25-17, but also witnessed something many will never see, a perfect night by a hitter. Junior middle blocker Kristen Arthurs tied the Purdue and Big Ten records with a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage, putting down 10 kills in 10 swings. The effort ties Debbie McDonald's 13-for-13 performance at North Carolina State on Sept. 25, 1987.
"I knew I had a good night, but I didn't know I was 10-for-10," Arthurs said. "I knew that their middles released a lot and I knew I hadn't been set a lot, but I had no idea. I was proud of the way our team came out with a lot of energy and the fans were a big part of that. I am also proud of the way our returners led the team tonight and of our freshmen who had great debuts."
Senior outside hitter Carrie Gurnell led the Boilermaker charge with 14 kills on a .417 hitting effort. Sophomore middle Tiffany Fisher, junior setter Jaclyn Hart and freshman outside hitter Ariel Turner added seven, six and five putdowns respectively, while all hit above .300 for the night.
Defensively, redshirt sophomore libero Blair Bashen posted seven digs, while Turner added six. At the net, Arthurs tallied four blocks, while Gurnell added three. The Boilermaker defense held the Cardinals to a .071 hitting effort, while helping its own hitters to a .360 effort.
"I thought this was a great opening match for us," head coach Dave Shondell said. "Ball State is going to win plenty of matches this year. I think we showed signs at time that this was our first match and at others that we have a boat load of talent. All four of our hitters were on top of their game, including a great effort by Arthurs. I was most thrilled, though, with the unbelievable crowd. This is the biggest student crowd we have had in my seven years here. We are thankful for that and hope it continues throughout the season."
Ball State scored the first point of the night, but the Boilermakers quickly turned things around with a 14-6 run. Arthurs chalked up three kills and two blocks during the stretch, while also included Turner's first collegiate kill which made it 14-7. Ball State cut the margin to three at 17-14 and then to two at 20-18, but Purdue held strong, capping the set with a 5-1 run. Three different Boilermakers posted kills in the waning moments in the set which ended on a BSU hitting miscue. Gurnell chalked up five kills in the stanza.
Purdue picked up where it left off in the second set, racing out to an 8-3 advantage. Gurnell and Fisher combined on a block to start the set, setting the tone for the stanza, which saw the Boilermakers outblock BSU 4-0. Purdue scored seven of the next 10 to go up 15-6, including a block by Fisher and redshirt junior Lisa Pierce, prompting the Cardinals to use their second and final timeout. BSU closed the gap to six twice, but could not break through. Kills by Hart, Fisher and Turner gave Purdue its first set-point opportunity at 24-15. After three miscues, Gurnell finally closed the door at 25-18 with her sixth putdown of the set.
The Boilermakers closed out the sweep, outhitting Ball State .417 to .000 in the final stanza. A balanced Purdue attack, which including putaways by six different players, guided the team to victory. Arthurs capped her night with a perfect 4-for-4 effort in the set, while Gurnell and Fisher each added three kills. The set started a little shaky for Purdue as the squad gave BSU its first lead since 1-0 in the opening set. The Cardinals took a 3-2 lead on an ace by Kaylee Schembra and kept control of the set until Purdue mounted a 4-0 run while trailing 7-6. Gurnell, Turner and Arthurs pounded down kills, while Bashen served up an ace as the Boilermakers rolled into the lead. A block made it a one-point game at 11-10, but the Boilermakers capitalized on three straight BSU miscues en route to a 15-10 advantage. Putaways by senior outside hitter Sam Ainsworth and Fisher made it 20-14, again pushing the Cardinals to take a break. Purdue scored five of the next eight to secure the sweep. Gurnell issued the final putaway to seal the 25-17 win.
As part of the Mortar Board Premier festivities, student-athletes from all four teams were honored by Mortar Board for their accomplishments in scholarship and service. A top scholar, most improved scholar and community service award were issued to each team. Arthurs was named as Purdue's top scholar, while Sam Ainsworth was noted as the team's most improved scholar. The community service award went to the entire Boilermaker team for their efforts in giving back to the community.
The No. 19 Boilermakers return to action at 10 a.m. Saturday when they take on Coastal Carolina. Purdue also is slated for a 7 p.m. contest against Dayton to wrap up Mortar Board Premier action.