WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 14 Boilermakers extended their win streak to six matches with a sweep of Southeastern Louisiana to open the inaugural Stacey Clark Classic on Friday morning. Purdue won the match 25-15, 25-11, 25-17.
The Boilermakers dominated the service line, serving up 10 aces to just one for the Lions, and also used an efficient attack, hitting .342 to SLU's .063, in the victory.
Libero Natalie Haben served up a team-best five aces to go with her match-high 12 digs, while junior Azariah Stahl managed four perfect serves. Sophomore Brooke Peters accounted for the 10th ace.
Junior Danielle Cuttino led all hitters with 11 kills, while hitting at a .526 clip and adding a team-best three blocks. Redshirt senior Faye Adelaja put down eight kills, while hitting at a stellar .889 clip (eight kills, no errors, nine attempts). Redshirt junior Ashley Evans added seven kills.
Defensively, Haben led the way with 12 digs, while sophomore Brooke Peters added 10.
The Boilermakers raced out to an 8-3 edge with help from three Cuttino kills and Peters' ace and never looked back, never allowing the Lions closed than three the rest of the way in a 25-15 win. An ace by Haben and a pair of kills by redshirt freshman Blake Mohler put Purdue up 15-8. SLU cut the margin to four at 18-14, but Purdue closed out the set on a 7-1 run, including two aces by Stahl.
The teams split the first 16 points of Set 2 before the Boilermakers pulled away en route to a 25-11 win. A block by Evans and Adelaja and two Stahl aces gave Purdue some breathing room at 12-8. After a pair of SLU points, Purdue cruised to the win as Haben served up 11 straight points, including two aces. Cuttino added two blocks and a kill in the final stretch. Mohler supplied the final kill.
The teams tied seven times, last at 9-9, in a 25-17 Set 3 win for Purdue, which saw Cuttino down five kills and the Boilermakers outhit the Lions .276 to .067. The Boilermakers snapped the final tie by scoring six of the next eight points, including three kills and a block by Cuttino, to go up 15-11. The Lions cut the margin to one at 15-14, but Purdue scored 10 of the final 13 points to end the match. An overpass kill by Adelaja set up the Boilermakers' first shot at the match at 24-16 and a Cuttino kill ended it two serves later.
The No. 14 Boilermakers (8-1) return to action at 7:30 p.m. against No. 4 Kansas to wrap Day 1 of the Stacey Clark Classic.