Sept. 25, 2009
Shondell's Thoughts on the Match
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker volleyball team kicked off the Big Ten season with an upset win over No. 16 Michigan State. Purdue issued the Spartans, who were 12-0 entering the match, 3-1 by scores of 25-14, 25-21, 19-25 and 25-21.
Four Boilermaker players made an offensive impact, led by senior Carrie Gurnell's 12-kill effort. Sophomore Tiffany Fisher followed with 10 putaways, while junior Kristen Arthurs and freshman Ariel Turner each added nine.
Redshirt sophomore Blair Bashen paced the Purdue defense with 10 digs, while also serving up three of the team's five aces. Arthurs led the Boilermakers at the net with four blocks, while Fisher added three.
Michigan State scored the opening point of the match, but the Boilemakers went up 3-1 soon after and built their lead to 10 at 19-9 as five different players posted kills. Gurnell recorded two to put Purdue on top and Turner, Fisher, Arthurs and junior setter Jaclyn Hart added to the offense. The Boilermakers also put up a pair of blocks in the stretch. Trailing 21-10, MSU scored three of the next four points to make it a nine-point game at 22-13. Turner ended the mini-rally and freshman Anna Drewry pounded down an overpass to put Purdue on the hill. A hitting miscue prolonged the set, but a Spartan service error capped the 25-14 Boilermaker win. Purdue hit .455 in the set, while MSU hit .000.
The Spartans scored three of the first four points of Set 2, but Purdue charged back to go up 4-3 after a pair of MSU miscues. The Boilermakers would not relinquish the lead after that, allowing ties at four, five and six, before extending the margin to five at 11-6. Turner tallied two kills and block in the run, while Hart served up an ace. Purdue scored six of the next nine, including an ace by Bashen to go up 17-9. Michigan State narrowed the gap to three at 22-19 with a 10-5 run of its own. A service error slowed the Spartans, making it 23-19. A Fisher kill gave Purdue its first shot at the set, but a Kyndra Abron putaway kept things going. Gurnell pounded down her fourth kill of the stanza to clinch the 25-21 win.
MSU came out of the intermission on fire, racing out to a 10-2 lead. Purdue cut the margin to five at 12-7 after kills from Arthurs, Fisher and Turner. The Spartans, however, pushed their advantage to eight again at 20-12. A Michigan State error and an ace by Turner pulled Purdue within six at 22-16 prompting an MSU timeout. The teams split the next six points out of the break leading to the Spartans' 25-19 win. An Arthurs putaway staved off one game-point attempt, but a Jenilee Rathje kill sent the match to a fourth set. MSU outhit Purdue .419 to .065 in the stanza.
The teams split the first eight points of Set 4, before Purdue took control. Trailing 4-3, the Boilermakers scored six straight, featuring a pair of Bashen aces and two blocks by Turner, including a solo effort. Two more stuffs by redshirt junior Lisa Pierce, including a solo effort, helped Purdue to a seven-point advantage at 12-5. The Spartans whittled away at the Boilermaker advantage, cutting the deficit to three at 15-12. Moments later, the margin was three again at 18-15. From there, MSU managed four of the next five points to knot the score at 19. Purdue snapped the streak with an Arthurs kill and a Spartan miscue. The Boilermakers would go on to score six of the last eight to wrap up the match with the 25-21 win. A block by Hart and Fisher set up the final point, while Turner registered with a solo stuff. Purdue racked up five blocks in the final stanza.
The Boilermakers (9-3, 1-0 Big Ten) return to action at 1 p.m. Sunday, when they take on No. 8 Michigan (13-1, 1-0 Big Ten). The event also will feature an alumnae day celebration.