Purdue vs. Eastern Michigan:Box Score (HTML) / Box Score (PDF)
Purdue at Wyoming:Box Score (HTML) / Box Score (PDF)
LARAMIE, Wyo. - The No. 21 Boilermakers (6-0) won their second-straight non-conference tournament with their fifth-consecutive sweep of the season against Eastern Michigan (3-4) and a five-set thriller against the host Wyoming (3-3). Sherridan Atkinson was named the UniWyo Invite MVP with Blake Mohler and Brooke Peters also earning all-tournament honors. Danielle Cuttino also became the 26th Boilermaker in program history to eclipse 1,000 career kills.
Purdue defeated Jacksonville 25-14, 25-15, 25-19 prior to its dog fight with the Cowgirls in which it trailed 2-1 before coming back to earn the five-set victory 18-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-20, 15-7. Atkinson was sensational posting 39 kills on 65 attempts with 11 errors to hit .431 with nine total blocks in the tournament. Mohler proved to be a consistent and efficient offensive presence in the middle, hitting .590 throughout the tournament with 26 kills on 39 swings and just three errors to go along with seven blocks. Peters' performance in the finale earned her a spot on the all-tournament team as she held down the back row tying her season-best dig total with 15 against Wyoming. Cuttino finished the weekend with 1,024 career kills thanks to a 43-13-87 line and a .345 hitting percentage complementing her six blocks.
In a battle for the tournament championship, Wyoming came out swinging in front of a packed UniWyo Sports Complex, handing Purdue its first loss in a set of the season. The Boilermakers responded promptly hitting .355 in the second to tie the match at one, but after the Cowgirls managed to edge Purdue 25-22 in the third, the Boilermakers never looked back. With its back against the wall, Purdue performed as it has all season, hitting .489 in the final two sets with 27 kills to defeat Wyoming in five. The Boilermakers controlled the fifth set from the start, registering 11 kills on 17 errorless swings to hit .647 while holding Wyoming to three kills and three errors on 14 attempts.
After hitting .442 in the first match and .322 in the second, Purdue is now hitting .385 on the season and has held its opponents to a .176 hitting percentage. Purdue's hitting percentage ranks among the nation's top three offenses in the country and redshirt senior Ashley Evans has been the one to lead the way. She nearly had her second career triple-double against Wyoming as she set the Boilermakers on 58 of their 75 kills with eight kills, a .400 hitting percentage and six digs with two aces. Azariah Stahl was just a pair of kills shy of a double-double with eight kills and 14 digs against Wyoming. Cuttino and Atkinson each finished with 20-plus kill matches against the Cowgirls to lead the offensive output. Mohler torched the Cowgirls for 11 kills on 19 swings with two errors to hit .474.
Assisting Peters in the back row were Jena Otec and Carissa Damler as Eastern Michigan hit just .165 and Wyoming's hitting percentage plummeted as the contest went on. After Wyoming hit .448 in the first set, Purdue's defense locked in to hold the Cowgirls to .258, .222. .200 and .000 in the final four sets. It's safe to say Otec has adjusted well to collegiate volleyball as she rose to the occasion in her first high-pressure match to earn 11 digs against the Cowgirls. Damler bolstered the defensive effort off the bench with 12 digs and two aces on the day.
Quietly, two Boilermakers have emerged as key contributors over the course of the last few matches. Redshirt sophomore Shavona Cuttino has been a force since her breakthrough performance against Alabama. In her last four matches, Shavona has 12 kills on 18 errorless swings with 16 total blocks. She posted eight kills on 12 attempts with 12 blocks in the tournament. Caitliyn Newton has made the most of her limited action on the pins for Purdue as she hit .500 on the weekend with seven kills on 14 errorless swings.
Next, Purdue prepares for its toughest test as the Boilermakers will travel to Lawrence, Kansas, to take on No. 7 Creighton and No. 9 Kansas on Sept. 8 and Belmont on Sept. 9.
