Sept. 23, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - With Twitter aflutter and a national television audience tuned in, the No. 13 Boilermaker volleyball team swept Michigan State 3-0 Friday night, moving to 12-0 to start a season for the first time since 1985 (13-0). Purdue won the match 25-18, 25-23, 25-18, clinching their third straight conference opener, on Social Media Night at Belin Court.
Junior Ariel Turner led the Boilermaker attack with 18 kills, while also adding seven digs, two aces and three blocks to the team's tally. Redshirt sophomore Katie Griffin picked up 10 kills and three blocks off the bench, while senior Tiffany Fisher and redshirt sophomore Catherine Rebarchak added six putdowns apiece. Purdue outhit the Spartans .289 to .133 and outblocked MSU 12-6.
Redshirt senior Blair Bashen led the way defensively with 14 digs, while redshirt sophomore setter Rachel Davis managed nine digs to go with her 38 assist effort. Fisher and junior Anna Drewry paced Purdue at the net with four blocks apiece, while three others picked up a trio of blocks.
MSU scored the first point of the night, but Purdue quickly took control, turning a 3-3 tie into a 7-3 advantage after a rally including a pair of stuffs by Fisher and Griffin. The Spartans stayed close, and were within three at 10-7, when Purdue broke off a 5-1 run as Fisher pounded two kills and Turner chalked up a kill and a solo block. Down 15-8 at the TV timeout, MSU scored three straight, but that only sparked to four of the next five points including a solo stuff by rookie Kierra "KiKi" Jones. MSU made a couple of late runs, but never got closer than five down the stretch. Purdue closed out the set with three of the last four points, including a kill and block by Turner, who posted eight kills in the stanza. A Spartan service error clinched Purdue the 25-18 win.
The teams split the first 14 points of Set 2, but Purdue jumped ahead by eight at 17-9 after a rally which included seven straight Boilermaker points and forced MSU to burn both of its timeouts. Kills by Davis, Griffin and Fisher dotted the run, which also included an ace by Turner. The Spartans scored seven of the next eight out of their final break, slashing the margin to two at 18-16. Drewry entered the match and swiftly tallied a kill and a solo block to give Purdue a little breathing room. The teams traded points over the next six serves, before MSU capitalized on a kill, an ace and a Boilermaker service error to tighten the set at 23-22. Purdue used its final timeout and got a quick kill from Fisher. Michigan State counter punched, but Davis ended the set at 25-23 with a kill of her own.
The Boilermakers capped the night with a 25-18 Set 3 victory, never trailing in the stanza and outhitting the Spartans .382 to .182 in the set, which also featured four Purdue blocks. Purdue took a quick 4-1 lead after two kills and a block assist by Turner. MSU pulled within one five times, last at 8-7, before the Boilermakers pulled away as Turner, Rebarchak, Griffin and Davis registered kills. Trailing 15-11, Michigan State scored three in a row, but the visitors couldn't stop a 5-1 Boilermaker rally. MSU used both of its timeouts during the run, which put Purdue on top 20-15 and featured a kill and a block by Drewry. The Spartans took two of the next three points, but the Boilermakers wrapped up the night with a 4-1 run, including aces by Rebarchak and Turner, the latter of which clinched the match at 25-18.
The No. 13 Boilermakers (12-0) return to action at 7 p.m. Saturday when they face the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines (13-0).