Boilers VB Defeats Rutgers in 3
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 17 Purdue (16-4, 6-4 B1G) swept its 14th opponent of the season as it defeated Rutgers (5-17, 0-10 B1G) 25-11, 25-21, 25-16 in front of another sold-out crowd with 2,415 fans packed in Holloway Gymnasium. The Boilermakers hit .405 in the victory and held the Scarlet Knights to a .134 hitting percentage in their second straight sell-out.
The Boilermakers came out firing on all cylinders, hitting .588 while siding out 83-percent of the time to take the first set against the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers fought back in the second taking an 18-13 lead, however the Boilermakers responded with a 12-3 run to steal the set and claim a 2-0 advantage at the break. In the final stanza, Purdue finished off the Scarlet Knights by hitting .455 with 17 kills to earn the 25-16 victory.
Danielle Cuttino led the Boilermakers with 10 kills, a .333 hitting percentage and a pair of blocks but Azariah Stahl and Sherridan Atkinson led Purdue with 12.5 points each in the contest. They each registered eight kills with Atkinson adding four services aces and a block to go along with her .400 hitting percentage while Stahl registered an ace and five blocks. Blake Mohler turned in another stellar performance, hitting .778 with eight kills on nine swings and just one error to complement her two blocks. Caitlyn Newton, Ashley Evans, Erin Williams and Jena Otecaccounted for the other nine kills by the Boilermakers and combined for a .533 hitting percentage.
Evans set the offense to 30 assists and was just one dig away from a double-double. Brooke Peters led the defense with 13 digs while Otec added six digs and a pair of aces from the back row. Carissa Damler and Stahl each finished with four digs as well.
Purdue now begins another stretch of four straight matches away from home, starting with a rematch against Ohio State on Friday, Oct. 27, in Columbus, Ohio, at 7 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers finish the weekend in College Park, Maryland, on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m. against the Terrapins.