Sept. 3, 2011
DENVER, Colo. - The Boilermaker volleyball team moved to 5-0 on the season with a 25-15, 25-16, 25-16 sweep of Bryant University on Saturday afternoon. Junior Ariel Turner and senior Tiffany Fisher paced the Boilermaker offense in the match, Purdue's fifth sweep of the season.
Turner led Purdue in all major categories, racking up 12 kills, nine digs, four blocks and two aces. For her part, Fisher tallied nine kills while hitting at a .727 clip and adding three blocks and an ace. Junior Anna Drewry chipped in six kills to the offensive effort, which saw the Boilermakers outhit the Bulldogs .304 to .024.
Defensively, Turner led the way, followed by redshirt senior Blair Bashen and junior Carly Cramer, who added dig tallies of seven and six. Senior Emily Ehlers added five saves to the Purdue tally.
The Bryant Bulldogs hung with the Boilermakers through the first 16 points of the first set. Purdue gave itself a three-point cushion at 13-10 as Turner put down two kills and combined on a block with Jones. The Bulldogs made it a one-point game at 14-13 with a kill and a Boilermaker miscue. Purdue distanced itself with a 7-0 run, including three Fisher putaways and a Turner ace. Kills by Fisher and Davis made it 23-14. A Bryant kill stopped Purdue for a moment, but a pair of kills involving Jones, one with Griffin and the other with Rebarchak capped the set at 25-15. Fisher had five kills in the set as Purdue outhit the Bulldogs .296 to .000.
Purdue got six kills from Turner and three each from Fisher and junior Anna Drewry en route to a .440 hitting effort and 25-16 Set 2 win. Turner started the stanza with a kill and Bashen followed with an ace. Bryant, however, scored three straight to take the lead, but it was short-lived as Purdue rattled off eight of the next 10 points to go up 10-5. The Bulldogs scored three of the next four to pull within three at 11-8, but that sparked a 7-1 Boilermaker rally. A trio of Turner putaways and one from Drewry highlighted the scoring run. Trailing 18-9, the Bulldogs would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way. Four different Boilermakers posted kills down the stretch. A Bryant hitting error made it 24-15, then a Drewry putaway clinched the set two serves later.
The Boilermakers fell behind early in Set 3, but rallied to a 10-5 lead, taking advantage of a handful of Bryant miscues. The Bulldogs pulled within three a few times, but couldn't crack the Purdue offense. Up 12-9, the Boilermakers pulled away, scoring 12 of the next 15 points to make it 24-12 Fisher, Cramer and Turner each served up an ace during the run, which also saw six Boilermakers get in on the offensive action. Turner, Fisher, Davis, freshman Val Nichol, sophomore Hilliary Fox and Drewry each tallied a kill. Drewry's putaway set up Purdue's first shot at the match, however it would take five attempts for the Boilermakers to close the door on the Bulldogs. A net violation and a trio of hitting errors prolonged the stanza, before Drewry pounded in the final nail at 25-16.
Purdue (5-0) closes out the Denver Invitational at 9 p.m. ET against the host Pioneers.