WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermakers racked up 17.5 blocks and got a monster night from junior Danielle Cuttino in a 3-1 win over Notre Dame on Saturday en route to the Shamrock Invitational title.
Cuttino pounded down a career-best 22 kills, while hitting at a .425 clip and adding five blocks en route to tournament MVP honors. Redshirt senior Faye Adelaja chipped in 13 kills and five blocks while boasting a .391 efficiency. Redshirt sophomore Sherridan Atkinson and sophomore Azariah Stahl managed eight kills apiece, while redshirt freshman Blake Mohler put down six. Mohler paced the Purdue blocking effort with nine while Stahl, Adelaja and Cuttino added five stuffs apiece.
Defensively, freshman Natalie Haben tallied a match-high 20 digs, followed by Stahl (15) and redshirt junior Ashley Evans (11). Sophomore Brooke Peters and redshirt sophomore Carissa Damler chipped in seven digs apiece.
As a team, Purdue won all major statistical categories except aces, outhitting Notre Dame .316 to .087, outblocking the Irish 17.5 to 5 and outdigging them 65 to 48.
Evans and Stahl garnered all-tournament team honors alongside Cuttino's MVP award.
After splitting the first 16 points with the Irish, the Boilermakers got kills from Cuttino and Atkinson and a stuff by Cuttino and Mohler to force a Notre Dame timeout at 11-8. Up just one at 14-13, Purdue rattled off six of the next eight to pull away at 20-25. Kills by Cuttino, Adelaja and Evans aided in the run. Two more Cuttino putaways and a solo stuff by Stahl made it 23-17.The Irish scored four of the next five, before a Adelaja ended the stanza at 25-21. Cuttino downed seven kills in the stanza as Purdue outhit Notre Dame .367 to .188.
The teams traded points for the first 16 serves of Set 2, then a solo stuff by Mohler and a kill by Cuttino put Purdue on top 10-8, prompting a Notre Dame timeout. Back-to-back blocks by Adelaja, who teamed up with Stahl and Atkinson, made it 14-10 Boilermakers. The Irish tied it at 15 and went on to take a 19-17 lead. Purdue battled back with five of the next seven points, with kills from three players and a stuff by Evans and Mohler, to regain the edge at 22-21. Notre Dame called timeout and scored three of the next four to earn their first shot at the set at 24-23. A kill by Atkinson tied it, but an Irish kill and Boilermaker miscue gave Notre Dame the set at 26-24. The Boilermakers piled up nine blocks in the stanza, including five by Mohler.
The Boilermakers outhit Notre Dame .394 to -.029 in a 25-16 Set 3 win as Cuttino put down six kills and Stahl added four. After a tie at 2-2, Purdue broke open the set with a 5-0 run including two Cuttino putaways and a kill and an ace by Evans, jumping ahead 7-2. The Boilermaker lead stood at seven moments later at 10-3, but Notre Dame rallied to within one at 13-12. Purdue responded with six straight points, including three Cuttino putaways, to take a 19-12 lead. The Irish made it 20-16, but the Boilermakers closed out the stanza with a 5-0 run, ended by kills from Stahl and Mohler.
Purdue raced out to a 10-3 lead in Set 4 and never looked back en route to a 25-16 win and the tournament title. The Boilermakers tallied four blocks during the early run, including two by Mohler and a solo effort by Stahl. Notre Dame pulled within four at 12-8, but Purdue scored five of the next o pus ahead 17-9 after force the Irish to use their second timeout. A triple block by Atkinson, Mohler and Cuttino and putaway by Atkinson prompted the Notre Dame break. An ace by Mohler and kill by Adelaja made it 21-13. The Irish scored three straight to prolong the set, but two kills each by Adelaja and Cuttino ended the night at 25-16.
The No. 24 Boilermakers (5-1) return to action at 11 p.m. ET Friday when they take on No. 9 Stanford in Palo Alto, California.