WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 15 Boilermaker volleyball team started Big Ten play with a five-set win over Michigan Friday night. Purdue won the match 18-25, 25-17, 25-21, 22-25, 15-9 to record the program's 800th victory. (Purdue is now 800-540-1 in the midst of its 40th season.)
Junior Annie Drews paced the Boilermaker attack with 23 kills on a .439 hitting effort. Junior Sam Epenesa turned in 10 kills without an error, and finished out a double-double with 10 digs. Redshirt freshman Ashley Evans, senior KiKi Jones and freshman Danielle Cuttino managed nine kills apiece as Purdue outhit Michigan .342 to .261.
Defensively, junior libero Amanda Neill pulled up 12 digs, while Epenesa, Evans and senior setter Val Nichol each chipped in 10. Nichol rounded out a double-double with 48 assists. At the net, Cuttino paced the team with five stuffs as Purdue outblocked Michigan 12-6.
A virtual block party at the beginning of Set 5 helped Purdue to a 6-0 lead, one which the team would not relinquish en route to the 15-9 victory. Drews put up three straight stuffs, Cuttino added a fourth and Evans put down a kill to give Purdue the early edge and force Michigan to burn both of its timeouts. Trailing 7-2, the Wolverines made a comeback, cutting the Boiler lead to two at 9-7. The Boilermakers wrapped up the stanza on a 6-2 run as Epenesa added a solo stuff, Drews put down two kills and Michigan served the final ball out of bounds.
Michigan took an early lead and held off the Boilers in a 25-18 Set 1 win. The Wolverines hit .359 and spread the ball around with seven players recording kills. Drews led Purdue with seven putdowns in the stanza. After a tie at 5-5, Michigan pulled away with a 9-4 run and maintained at least a three point edge the rest of the set.
Purdue bounced back to tie the match at a set apiece with a .438 hitting effort in a 25-17 Set 2 win. Epenesa put down five kills, while Drews added four in the set. The teams tie five times in the early going, but the Boilers scored 15 of the next 18 points, including a 6-0 run, to put the set out of reach at 20-8. Freshman Azariah Stahl, Cuttino, Drews, Jones and Epenesa all chipped in with kills in the rally. Michigan miscues helped Purdue to a 24-14 lead, but the Wolverines held off three Purdue set-point chances before a Drews kill ended it.
Another efficient offensive effort gave the Boilers a 25-21 Set 3 win. Drews had eight kills and the team did not commit a hitting error in the stanza, hitting at a .486 clip. The Boilermakers led 7-4 early, but Michigan tied it up at eight and went on to a 13-12 lead. Purdue responded with an 8-1 run including kills by four different players and capped by a Nichol ace, which made it 20-14 and forced a Wolverine timeout. Michigan scored six of the next eight to cut the Boiler lead to two at 22-20. A stuff by Jones and Epenesa and a Michigan service error set made it 24-21, while a Drews putaway wrapped up the set.
Michigan battled back and took a 25-22 win to force a decisive fifth set. The Wolverines took a 6-3 edge and despite a pair of Purdue ties maintained the lead until the midway point at 14-12. The Boilermakers turned the table with a 5-0 run, including two kills and a block by Jones, which gave them the 17-14 lead. Michigan scored five of the next six to go ahead 19-18 and held on as the teams traded points down the stretch. A Purdue service error and kill by Caroline Knop sent the match the distance.
The No. 15 Boilermakers (11-2, 1-0 Big Ten) return to action at 7 p.m. Saturday vs. Michigan State. Fans with a Purdue/Iowa football ticket stub receive $2 admission while supplies last.