Boilermakers Victorious in Season Opener
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 17 Boilermakers opened the 2019 season with a competitive 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 31-29, 25-19) victory versus Ohio University in front of a sold out Holloway crowd on Sunday.
Claiming their sixth consecutive season opener, the Boilermakers improve to 6-0 all-time against the Bobcats.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 (22-25) | In a evenly contested opening set, the teams spilt the first fourteen points until a trio of Purdue errors put the Boilermakers behind. The Bobcats pushed to a six-point lead (21-15), until a kill from redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush sparked a 4-0 run for the Boilermakers. Purdue would narrow the lead to two, but Ohio would seal the set on a kill from Sara Januszewski.
Set 2 (25-17) | Much like the first frame, the second set opened with both teams trading points. With the score tied 6-6, the Boilermakers pushed ahead on a block from Bush and redshirt senior Shavona Cuttino and a kill from sophomore Grace Cleveland. Purdue cushioned its advantage with a quartet of aces from juniors Caitlyn Newton and Jena Otec. The Boilermakers closed the set on a block by Bush and Cuttino.
Set 3 (31-29) | Fueled by a 5-0 run, the Bobcats jumped out to a 10-6 edge, before the Boilermakers answered back with a 7-0 run for the lead (13-11). The set would ultimately see 18 ties and 10 lead changes between the two squads. With the score knotted at 29, sophomore Marissa Hornung delivered a kill and an ace to push Purdue past Ohio, 31-29.
Set 4 (25-19) | Staying consistent, the teams split the first 14 points, before a pair of Bobcat errors, a Newton kill and a Hornung ace gave Purdue an 11-7 lead. A pair of kills from Lizzie Stephens helped Ohio narrow Purdue’s edge to two (19-17), before Bush, Cuttino and Newton combined for four consecutive blocks. Newton’s 14th kill of the night would put the Boilermakers at match point before a Bobcat service error solidified the Purdue win.
NOTABLES
- Freshmen Madeline Koch made her collegiate debut.
- Junior Jena Otec made her first career start at libero.
- The Boilermakers out blocked the Bobcats, 14-6.
- Purdue delivered nine service aces to Ohio’s two. The Boilermakers were only four aces away from tying their 2018 match-high of 13.
- With the win, head coach Dave Shondell improves to 349 careers wins.
- The match delivered Holloway’s first sold out crowd of 2019, marking the fourth-consecutive sold out match in West Lafayette. In 2018, Purdue closed out its home season with three sold out matches against Indiana (11/3/19), Nebraska (11/16/19) and Iowa (11/17/18).
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers host Ball State at Holloway Gymnasium on Tuesday, Sept. 3. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET