Oct. 9, 2009
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - For four sets the Boilermaker volleyball team hung with No. 12 Illinois Friday night, even leading the match two sets to one. It was the Fighting Illini, however, that left Huff Hall with the victory, topping Purdue 3-2 by scores of 24-26, 25-21, 24-26, 25-18 and 15-9. The match will air on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Senior Carrie Gurnell, sophomore Tiffany Fisher and junior Kristen Arthurs reached double figures for the Purdue offense with 16, 13 and 10 respectively. Fisher hit at a match-high .462 clip, while Arthurs served up two of Purdue's four aces. Gurnell rounded out a double-double with 10 digs, while redshirt sophomore Blair Bashen pulled up 22 and junior setter Jaclyn Hart added 13 saves to her 47 assist effort. Hart and freshman Anna Drewry paced Purdue at the net with four blocks apiece.
The Illini scored five of the first seven points in the fifth set, prompting a Purdue timeout. The Boilermakers scored three of the next four out of the break to make it a one-point game at 6-5. Fisher pounded down two kills in the rally, but Illinois countered, pushing ahead to an 11-6 lead. A pair of Arthurs putaways slowed the Illini, making it 12-8, but Illinois closed the match at 15-9 with three of the last four points, including three Purdue miscues.
Purdue never trailed in the first set, which also featured 10 ties, en route to the 26-24 victory. The Boilermakers outhit the Illini .370 to .364 in the stanza, which also saw Illinois commit six service errors. The Purdue advantage never stood at more than two points, but a balanced offensive attack aided in the win. Gurnell pounded five kills, while Fisher and Arthurs added four and three respectively. The teams tied at 22, which prompted back-to-back kills by Arthurs and put Purdue on the hill at 24-22. A pair of Kylie McCulley kills kept the set going, tying the score at 24 all. A service error and a Fisher putaway capped the 26-24 victory for the Boilermakers.
The Illini scored the first three points of Set 2, but Purdue cut the margin to one at 7-6. From there, however, Illinois put up eight of the next 10 to lead 15-8 at the TV timeout. After the break, the Boilermakers managed an 8-2 run of their own, slashing the deficit to one at 17-16 prompting Illinois to use its second and final timeout. Four different Purdue players posted kills in the stretch, which also featured an ace by Arthurs. A net violation out of the break tied it up at 17. The teams traded service errors, before a block by Arthurs and junior Jaclyn Hart put Purdue in front 19-18. Illinois scored three straight to go up 21-19 and force a Boilermaker timeout. Purdue scored two of the next three to pull within one at 22-21, but a service error, a block and a kill by Michelle Bartsch salvaged the 25-21 win for the Illini to tie the match at a set apiece.
The Boilermakers led 4-0 early in the third set, before the Illini managed to tie things up at 5-5. Purdue scored three straight, including two on Illinois hitting errors to go up 8-5. The Boilermakers pushed the margin to four at 13-9 on a block by Arthurs and Drewry. Illinois closed to within one at 17-16, but a block by Hart and Fisher and Arthurs putaway helped Purdue to a 20-17 advantage. The Illini answered with six of the next seven points to go ahead 23-21. The Boilermakers countered with three straight points to jump ahead 24-23 and take the first shot at the set. Drewry pounded a kill off the UI block and combined with Fisher on a stuff of her own, before an Illini miscue put Purdue on top. A service error knotted the score at 24, but a Fisher putaway and a hitting error by Illinois capped the 26-24 win.
Illinois took a 6-2 lead to start the fourth set. Purdue clawed back to within one at 8-7 as Fisher, Gurnell and Hart posted kills. The Illini stretch their advantage to six at 15-9, after a trio of Boilermaker miscues. Down six again at 17-11, Purdue mounted a comeback, chipping away with kills by Fisher, Turner and Arthurs and an ace by freshman Courtney Gosewisch. The Boilermakers trailed by just two at 20-18 after a block by Drewry and Arthurs, but Illinois rattled off five straight to send the match to a deciding fifth set. The Illini outhit Purdue .314 to .053 in the stanza, while featured four kills by Gurnell.
The Boilermakers (9-7, 1-4 Big Ten) return to action at 8 p.m. ET Saturday when they take on the Northwestern Wildcats.