WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Boilermakers fought back from a two-set deficit to force a decisive fifth set against No. 24 Kentucky and came up just short in a 20-18 battle royale Saturday. The Wildcats won the match 25-20, 25-18, 24-26, 21-25, 20-18, as Purdue finished second in its own Mortar Board Premier due to a tie breaker on winning percentage with Washington State. UK finished third in winning percentage, also with a 2-1 overall record on the weekend.
Junior Azariah Stahl led the way with 19 kills on the night, rounding out a stellar weekend with an all-tournament team nod. Junior Danielle Cuttino (11), redshirt freshman Blake Mohler (11) and redshirt junior setter Ashley Evans (10) also chipped in double-digit efforts. Evans' kill tally finished out a triple double, which also included 43 assists and 10 digs, the first of her career, just the 20th in Boilermaker history and first since Val Nichol (Nov. 19, 2014). Evans also hit a .714 clip for the match (10 kills in 14 attempts, no errors), en route to all-tournament team accolades.
Defensively, redshirt freshman Shavona Cuttino racked up a team-high six blocks, while Danielle Cuttino and Sherridan Atkinson added three apiece. In the backcourt, freshman libero Natalie Haben tallied 15 digs, followed by Evans (10), Stahl (9) and redshirt sophomore Carissa Damler (9). Sophomore Brooke Peters served up two aces for the Boilermakers.
As a team, Purdue outblocked Kentucky 9-8 and won the digs battle 51-46, but the Wildcats hit at a .252 clip to Purdue's .185 and served up eight aces to the Boilermakers' four.
The decisive fifth set saw Purdue take an early 4-1 lead, thanks to three UK errors and a stuff by the Cuttino sisters. The Boilermakers held the Wildcats at bay, leading 8-5 at the crossover after kills from Mohler and Evans. Kentucky took timeout at the break and scored six of the next seven points to take an 11-9 lead of its own. With her team trailing 13-11, Stahl took over, recording three straight kills to give the Boilermakers their first chance at the match at 14-13. Kentucky thwarted the effort and managed three match point opportunities of its own (15-14, 16-15 and 17-16), but Purdue denied them each time. A kill by Danielle Cuttino leveled the score at 17-17. A kill by Evans made it 18-17 Boilermakers, but Purdue could not take advantage as a kill and two hitting errors closed out the match at 20-18 for the Wildcats.
Kentucky led Set 1 from start to finish, including a seven-point edge at 17-10. Purdue scored three straight, including a block by Atkinson and Shavona Cuttino, to narrow the gap to four at 17-13, but the Boilermakers would get no closer. Back to back kills by Stahl and Danielle Cuttino cut the margin to four again at 23-19, but the Wildcats scored two of the final three to take the set 25-20. Stahl managed seven kills in 10 swings in the stanza.
Purdue led early in Set 2, but could not hold off a late rally by the Wildcats, falling 25-18. The Boilermakers led 4-2 and again at 9-7. The teams tied four times, the last at 12-12, before UK took control, going ahead 19-13 as Purdue burned both of its timeouts. A kill by Stahl and two Wildcat errors cut the margin to four at 21-17, but the Boilermakers couldn't complete the comeback.
The barnburner continued in Set 3 as the Boilermakers rebounded after intermission to take a stanza which featured 15 ties and seven lead changes 26-24. Danielle Cuttino posted four kills, while Evans, Stahl and Shavona Cuttino chipped in three each. Purdue won the set despite being outhit .361 to .286. The teams split the first 16 points. Down 9-8, the Boilermakers capitalized on four straight Kentucky miscues and poured on kills by Mohler, Stahl and Evans to go up 16-13. The Wildcats did not give up, however, using a 6-2 run to regain the lead at 19-18. Trailing 21-19, Purdue got a kill from Shavona Cuttino, an ace by Haben and a solo stuff by Mohler to turn the tables at 22-21. Kentucky still got the first chance at the set at 24-23, but Mohler answered with a kill and Danielle Cuttino added two more to steal the set for Purdue and extend the match.
In Set 4, Purdue withstood a mid-set rally by UK in a 25-21 win. Danielle Cuttino put down four kills as the Boilermakers outhit the Wildcats .522 to .312 and Peters served up two aces in the stanza. Purdue went up 8-6 only to see Kentucky scored four straight to go ahead 10-8. The Boilermakers turned the tables with kills from Cuttino, Stahl and even one from Haben before a Peters ace made it 12-10. Kentucky was within one at 14-13, but Purdue pulled away with eight of the next 11 points, including four UK miscues, stretching the lead to six at 22-16. The Wildcats were within three at 23-20, but a kill by Atkinson and a solo stuff by Stahl send the match to a decisive fifth set.
The No. 20 Boilermakers (2-1) return to action at 4:30 p.m. Friday when they take on Howard at the Shamrock Invitational in South Bend, Indiana.