University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 24 Minnesota Volleyball Defeats Purdue in Three Games
11/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
No. 24 ranked Minnesota (18-9, 11-4) bounced back from a two-match losing streak to defeat Purdue (12-14, 5-10) in three games by scores of 30-26, 30-28, 30-21 on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Sports Pavilion.
Minnesota jumped out to a quick 6-4 lead after Cas sie Busse (Prior Lake, Minn.) tallied the first four kills of the match for the Golden Gophers. Purdue led 3-2, but Busse accounted for four of the next five points herself with four kills. Minnesota moved the lead out to 18-14. However, Purdue scored nine of the next 13 points to go up 23- 22. After the two teams exchanged the next two points, the Boilermakers led 24-23. Jes sica Byrnes (Minnetonka, Minn.) tied the score at 24 with a kill, and Eri n Martin (Ames, Iowa) gave the Golden Gophers the lead at 25-24 with a kill. After three straight attack errors by Purdue, Minnesota had completed a 5-0 run to go up 28-24. The two teams exchanged points to give the Golden Gophers game point at 29-25. After Purdue cut the lead to 29-26, Martin finished off the game with a kill to give Minnesota a 30-26 game one victory. Byrnes paced the Golden Gophers with seven kills in 10 attempts in the game. Minnesota also outhit Purdue .240 to .083 in the first game.
The Golden Gophers fell behind 8-7 in the second game, but rattled off nine of the next 12 points to take a 16-11 lead. Minnesota moved out to a 21-16 lead from there, but the Boilermakers scored five of the next seven points to cut the score to 23-21. The Golden Gophers extended the lead back out to 27-23, but Purdue answered with three of the next four points to bring it down to 28-26. Minnesota had game point at 29-27, but the Boilermakers trimmed the lead to 29-28. Busse delivered the knock out blow with a kill that gave Minnesota game two 30-28 to push the Golden Gopher lead to 2-0 in the match. Mer edith Nelson (St. Croix Falls, Wis.), Busse and Byrnes each had four kills in the game.
Minnesota jumped out to an early 9-7 lead in game three, and extended it by scoring nine of the next 13 points to go up 18-11. Purdue cut the lead to 21-16, but the Golden Gophers scored eight of the next 11 to put it at match point at 29-19. After Purdue fought off two match points, Martin put down the kill to give Minnesota the game at 30-21 to give them the 3-0 match victory. Busse paced the Golden Gophers with 10 kills in 14 attempts in game three. Minnesota also hit .400 in game three en route to the victory.
Busse led the way hitting .514 with 20 kills and nine digs on the night. Byrnes had her second double-figure kill night in three matches with 12 kills, as she hit a season-high .524 on the night. Lin dsey Taatjes (Prinsburg, Minn.) had a career-high 19 digs to go with 47 assists on the night. Pau la Gentil (Forteleaza Ceara', Brazil) tallied 18 digs in the match. Nelson and Tri sha Bratford (Reseda, Calif.) also had nine kills apiece on the night.
Minnesota outhit Purdue .288 to .172 in the match. The Golden Gophers tallied 61 kills to 46 for the Boilermakers.
Purdue was led by Leah Wischmeier who had 14 kills and six digs. Kim McConaha had a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs for the Boilermakers.
Minnesota will face Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Sp
