Oct. 22, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker volleyball team used a balanced and efficient offense to make quick work of the Michigan State Spartans Friday night. Purdue won the match 25-23, 25-17, 25-19. The Boilermakers will take on No. 13 Michigan at 6 p.m. Saturday live on the Big Ten Network.
Seven Boilermakers contributed offensively, led by sophomore Ariel Turner's match high 13 kills. Sophomore Anna Drewry chipped in nine, while redshirt freshman Katie Griffin and senior Kristen Arthurs added six kills apiece. Junior Tiffany Fisher and senior Jaclyn Hart put down five and four respectively, while libero Carly Cramer registered one. Purdue outhit MSU .364 to .222 in the match.
Defensively, seven players added two or more digs, led by Cramer's tally of eight. Defensive specialist Emily Ehlers added six digs, while Turner pulled up five. At the net, Drewry racked up a team-leading five stuffs, including two solo efforts, as Purdue outblocked MSU seven to three. The Boilermakers also served up five aces in the match, including two by Ehlers.
Four Boilermakers posted two or more kills and the team outblocked MSU 3-0 en route to a 25-23 first set win. Purdue jumped out to a 6-2 lead as Fisher, Turner and Drewry posted kills and the Spartans committed a trio of hitting errors. The Boilermakers led by four again at 10-6 after a block by Turner and Arthurs, but Michigan State narrowed the margin to one at 10-9. Kills by Turner and Fisher made it a three-point game, but MSU scored three in a row to knot the score. A pair of blocks, including a solo effort by Drewry put Purdue up 15-12 and forced a Spartan timeout. Michigan State scored the next two points out of the break and eventually tied it up at 20-20. The teams split the next six points leading to a knot up at 23, but a Spartan net violation and a Turner putdown capped the Purdue win.
The Boilermakers ran a high efficiency offense and continued their success at the net in a 25-17 second set win. Purdue outhit MSU .407 to .091 and added two blocks to its tally. The Boilermakers scored three of the first four points in the set, but the Spartans countered to go ahead 5-4. Purdue rebounded with four of the next five points, including an ace by Cramer and kills by Hart and Turner to push into the lead at 8-6. Michigan State battled back to ties at 10-10 and 14-14, but Purdue would not give way.
The Boilermakers then pulled away with a 5-0 run and 11 of the last 14 points to take the win. Ehlers served up an ace in the first stretch, while Hart added a block and a kill. Griffin, Arthurs, Turner and even Cramer picked up kills as Purdue surged ahead 22-16. Turner pounded two kills and combined on a block with Drewry to wrap up the set.
Purdue led by as many as nine in the third set, but had to ward off a late Spartan rally en route to a 25-19 win and the sweep. Drewry and Turner each put down five kills in the set as seven Boilermakers contributed offensively and Purdue hit at a .469 clip. The Boilermakers surged out to a 9-5 lead, including a pair of blocks and a kill by Drewry, forcing MSU to use a timeout. After the break, Purdue continued to build its lead, pushing ahead 20-11. Griffin and Ehlers added aces, while Drewry pounded down three kills and Fisher added a pair. Michigan State slowed the Boilermaker effort with seven of the next nine points, slicing the margin to four at 22-18. Purdue took a timeout to regroup and Turner floored three kills in the next four points to end the match.
The Boilermakers (14-6, 5-4 Big Ten) return to action at 6 p.m. Saturday when they take on No. 13 Michigan (18-3, 7-2 Big Ten) live on the Big Ten Network. It is Dig Pink night at Belin Court, so fans are encouraged to don pink in support of the breast cancer awareness cause. A silent auction will take place at the event and cash or check donations also will be accepted.