CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 6 Purdue volleyball team (12-2, 4-1 B1G) avenged its loss last Friday to Illinois (2-3) with a five set victory at Illinois, 3-2 (28-26, 16-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-12). The win, served up on National Coaches Day, also signified head coach Dave Shondell's 400th win at Purdue.
The 19 ties in the first set laid the tone for the evening, Boilermakers ground out the win after 33 tied scores and 14 lead changes over the five sets.
As a team, Purdue out-hit and out-blocked Illinois, .221-.206 and 11.0-8.0, respectively.
Hayley Bush recorded 45 assists, eight digs, two block assists and six kills in the match, including a sneak-attack for the match-winner. Meanwhile Grace Cleveland, a Bloomington, Illinois product, recorded a team-best 17 kills (17-4-44) on her way to hitting .295 on the night. Cleveland complemented her offensive performance with six block assists and came within one dig of a double-double.
Taylor Trammell came out in the third set, posting five kills in the first 10 Boilermaker points, giving Purdue its momentum to come from behind and take the set. The sophomore finished the night with nine kills (one shy of her career-high) and a team-high seven block assists.
A balanced back row saw five Boilermakers with at least seven digs, with efforts led by libero Jena Otec (18 digs). The Crystal City, Missouri native added a service ace, marking her 146th career ace. With the ace, Otec moved to sole possession of 10th in Purdue history. She is the first Boilermaker in 24 years to earn as many aces in her career.
Purdue will be back on the road for a match at Iowa on Saturday. The match, slated for 8 p.m. ET will be streamed on B1G+.
The 19 ties in the first set laid the tone for the evening, Boilermakers ground out the win after 33 tied scores and 14 lead changes over the five sets.
As a team, Purdue out-hit and out-blocked Illinois, .221-.206 and 11.0-8.0, respectively.
Hayley Bush recorded 45 assists, eight digs, two block assists and six kills in the match, including a sneak-attack for the match-winner. Meanwhile Grace Cleveland, a Bloomington, Illinois product, recorded a team-best 17 kills (17-4-44) on her way to hitting .295 on the night. Cleveland complemented her offensive performance with six block assists and came within one dig of a double-double.
Taylor Trammell came out in the third set, posting five kills in the first 10 Boilermaker points, giving Purdue its momentum to come from behind and take the set. The sophomore finished the night with nine kills (one shy of her career-high) and a team-high seven block assists.
A balanced back row saw five Boilermakers with at least seven digs, with efforts led by libero Jena Otec (18 digs). The Crystal City, Missouri native added a service ace, marking her 146th career ace. With the ace, Otec moved to sole possession of 10th in Purdue history. She is the first Boilermaker in 24 years to earn as many aces in her career.
Purdue will be back on the road for a match at Iowa on Saturday. The match, slated for 8 p.m. ET will be streamed on B1G+.