Oct. 1, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS - The Boilermaker volleyball team gave No. 17 Minnesota all it could handle for four sets, but could not come away with the upset. The Golden Gophers won the match 25-14, 26-24, 23-25, 25-21.
"We were not good in the first game, but to the credit of our young team and our leadership, we managed to fight our way back into it. From the second half of game 2 on, we competed the rest of the night and even had a shot to win the second set. And then, we just weren't able to hold on when we were up 17-15 in game 4. Our team is still a work in progress, but we are better tonight than we were at this time last year. We are still getting people plugged in and developing them. Tonight's match will only make our team tougher.
"I thought one bright spot tonight was Kristen Arthurs. Her stat line might not show it, but she showed what we have seen her do in practice. I was also pleased with the play of Carly Cramer for the last two sets and the toughness that she showed."
Sophomore Ariel Turner pounded down a match-high 19 kills and pulled up 12 digs, while junior Tiffany Fisher tacked on 16 kills and a season-best eight blocks to lead the way for the Boilermakers. Senior Kristen Arthurs added eight putaways, while redshirt freshman Catherine Rebarchak and sophomore Anna Drewry each chipped in six.
Sophomore Carly Cramer paced Purdue defensively with 30 digs, becoming the ninth Boilermaker player ever to reach the milestone in a match. Four other Boilermakers reached double-digits. Redshirt junior Blair Bashen (15), junior Emily Ehlers (14), senior setter Jaclyn Hart (13) and Turner (12) rounded out the group. Cramer, Bashen and redshirt freshman Katie Griffin each served up an ace for Purdue.
The Golden Gophers scored six of the first eight points of the match. A kill by Fisher and Minnesota hitting error cut the margin to two at 6-4, but UM pushed its advantage to five at 12-7 prompting a Purdue timeout. Trailing by six at 16-10, the Boilermakers managed three straight points on a block by senior setter Jaclyn Hart and Fisher, a Gopher miscue and a service ace by redshirt freshman Katie Griffin. From there, it was nearly all Gophers, as Minnesota rattled off six straight points, including a pair of blocks and an ace, to go up 23-13. UM was called for blocking the Purdue set attempt the next play to stop the rally, but a service error and an overpass kill clinched the 25-14 win for the Gophers.
The Boilermakers battled back from a six-point deficit to lead late in the second set, but the Gophers snuck away with a 26-24 win. Turner piled up nine kills, while Fisher added seven in the stanza, which featured 11 ties. Purdue boasted the early advantage as Turner came to life, pounding down three kills, including an overpass, as the Boilermakers went up 4-3. The teams split the next several points, ending up in a tie at 9-9, but the Gophers surged ahead 16-11 and led 21-15 soon after. The Boilermakers, however, scored eight of the next nine, taking a 23-22 lead on an ace by Turner. Fisher registered three putaways and Turner added two in the stretch. A kill and a Purdue hitting miscue put Minnesota up 24-23, but the Boilermakers leveled the score with a block by Fisher and Hart. A Gopher putaway and a Purdue error helped UM to the win.
The Boilermaker defense put up five blocks in Set 3 and took advantage of Gopher miscues down the stretch, turning a 23-20 deficit into a 25-23 victory as Bashen served out the stanza. Trailing 3-1 early on, Purdue used a pair of Turner kills and a Gopher error to take the lead at 4-3. The lead changed hands four times over the next 12 serves. Purdue led 9-8 after a kill by Arthurs and a stuff by Arthurs and Griffin. Minnesota scored five straight to go up 13-9. The Boilermakers chipped away at the deficit, pulling within one at 15-14 on a block by Hart and Fisher and again at 17-16 and 18-17. Minnesota pushed ahead 20-17 prompting a Purdue timeout and led by four at 23-19 moments later. Facing a sweep, the Boilermakers scored six straight to snatch the 25-23 win and send the match to a fourth set. Putaways by Turner and Hart started the rally and prompted a Minnesota timeout. A block by Turner and Fisher and an ace by Bashen caused another Gopher timeout at 23-23. A stuff by Fisher and Hart put Purdue on the hill, then Fisher delivered the final blow.
Purdue trailed 5-2 in the early goings of Set 4, but used a 5-0 run to turn things around. Kills by Hart and Turner, a block by Turner and Fisher and a pair of Gopher hitting errors made up the rally. Not to be outdone, Minnesota scored seven of the next nine to go up 12-9. The Boilermakers countered with an 8-3 run, including four straight points, to regain the lead at 17-15 on a block by Turner and Fisher. Five different hitters also contributed offensively during the surge. Purdue maintained the advantage at 19-17, but the Gophers challenged with five of the next six to go up 22-20. A kill by Rebarchak brought Purdue within one, but the Boilermakers could not hold off the Gophers. A pair of kills and a block sealed the 25-21 Minnesota win and the match.
The Boilermakers (10-4, 1-2 Big Ten) return to action at 3 p.m. ET Sunday when they take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City. The match will be streamed live on video.bigtennetwork.com.