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On The Road Again
 
Volleyball travels to Dayton for final non-conference tournament.

 
Outside hitter Carrie Gurnell and the Boilermakers wrap up their non-conference slate in Dayton this weekend.
 
Outside hitter Carrie Gurnell and the Boilermakers wrap up their non-conference slate in Dayton this weekend.
 
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Sept. 16, 2008

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Week three of the No. 20 Purdue volleyball team's four week road swing takes the Boilermakers to Dayton, Ohio, for a trio of matches. The Boilermakers will face off with Louisville, Miami (Ohio) and the host Flyers at the Dayton Flyer Classic this weekend.

Series Information
Dayton (Dayton leads the series 3-2): The Flyers own a 3-2 advantage in the series which began on Oct. 15, 1977 in Oxford, Ohio. Dayton took the first two contests in the series. The Boilermakers won the next two, in 2005 and 2006. The Flyers, however, swept Purdue at the 2007 Mortar Board Premier.

Louisville (Purdue leads the series 4-0): The Boilermakers have taken all four previous meetings with the Cardinals in the series which began on Oct. 11, 1977. Purdue also two took contests in 1984 and one in 1985.

Miami (Ohio) (Purdue leads the series 5-2): The Boilermakers own a 5-2 edge in the series with the Redhawks which began on Oct. 15, 1977. Purdue won the first three meetings. Miami took the Sept. 14, 1991 contest, but the Boilermakers responded with wins in 1992 and 1996. The Redhawks won the most recent meeting, a Sept. 8, 2001 contest in Oxford, Ohio.

The Book on the Boilermakers
At First Glance: The No. 20 Purdue Boilermakers are 8-1 on the season, having suffered their lone loss of the season last weekend. Senior middle hitter Stephanie Lynch was MVP of the Utah Classic in Salt Lake City, while senior libero Kelli Miller and sophomore setter Jaclyn Hart garnered all-tournament team nods.

Last Time Out: The Boilermakers went 2-1 at the Utah Classic last weekend en route to the tournament title. Purdue topped Saint Louis and Utah, but fell to Utah State. Libero Kelli Miller became Purdue's career digs leader, while middle hitter Stephanie Lynch posted her 500th career block.

Statistically Speaking: Middle hitter Stephanie Lynch paces the Boilemaker offense with 3.76 kills on a team-best .450 hitting effort, while also leading the team at the net with 1.39 blocks per set. Outside hitter Danita Merlau follows with 3.47 kills to go with 1.97 digs per set. Middle hitter Kristen Arthurs tacks on 2.15 kills and helps out at the net with 1.12 blocks per set. In the backcourt, libero Kelli Miller racks up a team-best 4.62 digs per set, while defensive specialist Jessica Ullrich and outside hitter Mandy Nichols pull up 2.32 and 2.09 respectively. Setter Jaclyn Hart has dished out 10.00 assists per set, while adding 1.97 digs and 1.12 blocks per set. Purdue has served up 40 aces, paced by Ullrich's 11 and setter/outside hitter Sam Ainsworth's tally of 10.

Dishing About Dayton
At First Glance: The Dayton Flyers (6-3) snapped a five-match win streak at the Comcast Lady Vols Classic over the weekend. Setter Erin Schoreder was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week and defensive specialist Valerie Akerhielm garnered A-10 Rookie of the Week honors. Dayton is 3-0 at home and 2-0 against the Big Ten so far in 2008 under head coach Kelly Sheffield, who is in his first season with the team.

Last Time Out: Dayton went 2-1 at the Comcast Lady Vols Classic en route to the tournament title last weekend, topping Gardner Webb and then-No. 17 Illinois before falling to Tennessee.

Statistically Speaking: Six-foot-six middle hitter Lindsay Fletemier leads the Flyers with 3.14 kills and 1.00 blocks per set. Outside hitter Nicole Bateman (2.84), middle hitter Bethany Akerhielm (2.50) and outside hitter Tiffany Gaerke (2.13) also contribute to the offense. In the back court, Bateman leads the team with 4.13 digs per set, followed by setter Erin Schroeder (3.73), outside hitter/defensive specialist Mandy Robbe (3.05) and defensive specialist Valerie Akerhielm (3.00). Defensive specialist Chelsy Christoff adds 2.59 digs per set. Schroeder has dished out 10.40 assists and served up nine aces in addition to her digs tally. The Flyers have served up 34 aces as a team.

Learning About Louisville
At First Glance: The Louisville Cardinals (3-4) have lost four of their last five matches, including last weekend's efforts at the Chicago Classic. The Cardinals, in their 12th year under head coach Leonid Yelin, are 0-2 against the Big Ten so far in 2008, falling to Indiana and Penn State.

Last Time Out: Louisville posted a 1-2 mark at the Chicago Classic at Mother McAuley High School in Chicago last weekend. The Cardinals fell to Illinois State and No. 1 Penn State, while topping Illinois-Chicago.

Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Justine Landi (3.17) and outside hitter Tatyana Kolesnikova (3.03) pace the Cardinal offense. Outside hitter Anastasia Artemeva (2.26) follows. Kolesnikova is hitting at a team-best .340 clip, while Landi has served up eight aces. Defensively, libero Lindsey Mango has pulled up a team-best 3.61 digs per set. Landi (2.55) and defensive specialist Kristie Wtterer (1.86) follow. Middle hitter Lecia Brown and middle hitter Gwen Rucker lead the team at the net with 1.25 and 1.17 blocks per set. The Cardinals are averaging 2.76 blocks per set while limiting opponents to just 0.86 stuffs per stanza.

Reading About the Redhawks
At First Glance: The Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (6-3), snapped a six-match win streak at the Western Kentucky Lady Topper Invitational in Bowling Green, Ky., last weekend. The Redhawks, which are in their 26th year under head coach Carolyn Condit, were supposed to play a Tuesday match with Marshall, but the match was cancelled due to power outages in the area.

Last Time Out: Miami posted a 2-1 record at the Lady Topper Invitational last weekend, defeating Tennessee Tech and Western Kentucky, before falling to Furman in the tournament finale.

Statistically Speaking: Outside/middle hitter Emily Schroeder headlines a group of five Redhawk players averaging more than two kills per set. Schroeder has racked up 3.23 kills per set, followed by outside hitter Maria Leahy (2.77), middle hitter Megan Griffin (2.70), middle hitter Hallie Hanks (2.68), and middle hitter Michele Metzler (2.28). Griffin boasts a team-best .343 hitting effort and leads the team at the net with 0.93 blocks per set, while Metzler also is hitting over .300 at .324. Defensively, libero Melissa Zenz leads the way with 4.23 digs per set. Leahy (3.16) and setter Andrea Atteberry follow (2.17) follow. Hanks and Zenz each have served up a team-leading six aces.

Comparing the Teams 

Statistic     Purdue    Dayton    Louisville    Miami (Ohio)
Hitting %     .227      .211      .259          .257
Kills         13.12     13.90     11.79         11.00
Assists       11.47     12.60     11.03         10.18
Aces          1.18      0.89      1.21          0.68
Blocks        2.78      1.84      2.76          1.42
Digs          14.94     17.55     12.10         11.15

What a Difference a Win Makes...

If the Boilermakers top Dayton on Friday ...

• They will even the series with the Flyers at three matches apiece.

• They will move to 9-1 on the season, including a 3-0 mark in non-conference road matches.

• They will extend their current win streak to two matches.

• They will improve to 231-137 all-time when playing in the month of September and 88-69 all-time in non-conference road contests.

Rank And File
The Boilermakers fell five spots to No. 20 in this week's CSTV/AVCA Coaches' Poll after dropping their first match of the season last weekend. Purdue had steadily moved up the polls until this week, having held the No. 15 spot a week ago. The Bolermakers garnered the No. 18 ranking on Sept. 1, moving up seven spots from the No. 25 spot in the preseason coach's poll after knocking off then No. 14 Kansas State. The No. 15 ranking was the Boilermakers' highest since earning the No. 13 spot in the 2007 preseason listing.

Since rankings began in 1982, Purdue has been ranked in 83 polls, including preseason and postseason listings.

Against the Top 25
The Boilermakers are slated to face four ranked teams in 2008, based on the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll, including No. 14 Kansas State. During the Dave Shondell era, Purdue has beaten 14 Top 25 teams, including three Top 10 opponents. The Boilermakers posted wins over No. 10 Wisconsin and No. 9 Minnesota in 2005 and a victory over No. 9 Colorado State in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Purdue owns a 52-161 all-time record in matches against the Top 25.

Conference Honors
Middle hitter Stephanie Lynch and libero Kelli Miller were named Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week on Sept. 15 after leading the Boilermakers to their third straight tournament title and marking career milestones at the Utah Classic last weekend.

Lynch garnered offensive honors after earning MVP honors at the Utah Classic, racking up 4.1 kills, 1.4 blocks and 0.6 digs per set over the weekend. The senior totaled 19 stuffs in 14 sets to surpass the 500 blocks milestone, now with 510 in her career. The New Albany, Ind. native led the Boilermakers in kills in all three matches, recording 14 against St. Louis, 18 versus Utah State and a season-high 25 against Utah in the tournament's championship game. In all, Lynch tallied 57 total kills on a .533 hitting percentage, including a .564 mark against Utah in which she put down 10 hits in Set 4 alone. The award is the third of Lynch's career as she was also honored once as a junior (Nov. 5, 2007 Defensive) and once as a sophomore (Nov. 20, 2006).

On the defensive side, Miller became Purdue's all-time digs leader, tallying 76 saves over the weekend to total 1,602 in her career. The senior recorded 19 digs in the Boilermakers' opening match vs. Saint Louis before breaking the previous school record of 1,564 against Utah State with 23 saves. Miller tacked on 34 digs against Utah in the championship game of the Utah Classic, posting the Big Ten's third-highest single-match digs total this season. The effort was Miller's fifth career 30-dig effort, giving her three of the top five single-match totals in Purdue annals. On the weekend, Miller executed on 97 percent of her service reception opportunities and also recorded six assists and one ace in 14 sets. Behind Miller, the Boilermaker defense held opponents to just a .123 combined hitting percentage. The weekly honor is the fourth of Miller's career as she was recognized twice in 2006 (Sept. 4 and Oct. 9) and once last season (Oct. 22).

Among the Nation
The Boilermakers rank among the nation's top 50 in several team and individual statistical categories. As a team, Purdue ranks 16th in blocks per set (2.78). Individually, middle hitter Stephanie Lynch ranks eighth in hitting percentage (.450) and 18th in blocks per set (1.39). Libero Kelli Miller ranks 41st in digs per set with 4.62.

Block Party
Middle hitter Stephanie Lynch snapped Kim McConaha (2001-04)'s career record mark of 382 block assists against Tennessee State on August 30. She now owns the record with 417. Lynch surpassed the 500 total blocks milestone on Sept. 13 and ranks among the career top 10 in solo blocks (5th with 93) and total blocks (4th with 510).

Can You Dig It?
Libero Kelli Miller became Purdue's career digs leader on Sept. 13 against Utah State, surpassing Becky Kanitz (1985-88)'s mark of 1,564. Miller began her senior season with a tally of 1,445 and inched her way to the record in the team's opening eight matches. The Muncie, Ind., native moved into second place on the Purdue career digs list on Nov. 4, 2007.

Movin' On Up
Outside hitter Danita Merlau sits second in career attempts with 4,301, just 482 off the record. Merlau also ranks among the Top 10 in career kills with 1,446, a mark which ranks sixth.

Setter Jaclyn Hart is edging ever closer to the Purdue Top 10 in career assists with 1,335. She is just 133 helpers out of 10th place (1468).

Tale of the Century
Head coach Dave Shondell recorded his 100th collegiate coaching victory when the Boilermakers swept Tennessee State, August 30. His team's have posted a 106-67 mark in his five plus years as the Boilermaker boss.

Accumulating Accolades
The Boilermakers have been well represented on the all-tournament teams at each of its non-conference ventures this season. At the season opening Mortar Board Premier, senior outside hitter Danita Merlau garnered MVP honors, while senior middle hitter Stephanie Lynch and senior libero Kelli Miller earned all-tournament team nods. At the Active Ankle Challenge, Miller took MVP honors, while Lynch and Merlau were named to the all-tournament team. At the Utah Classic, Lynch brought home MVP accolades, while setter Jaclyn Hart and Miller garnered all-tournament team nods.

Lauds For Lynch
Senior middle hitter Stephanie Lynch was one of 12 players named to the preseason All-Big Ten team as announced by the conference on Aug. 14. The honor is the third straight for Lynch, who garnered honorable mention All-America, first team all-region and first team All-Big Ten acclaim in 2006 and 2007.

Lynch averaged 3.53 kills per game on a .318 hitting effort, while also posting 1.38 blocks per game in Purdue's 33 matches. In conference play, the New Albany, Ind., native tallied 3.24 kills per game on a team-best .289 hitting effort, while racking up 1.51 blocks per game. Lynch was a preseason All-Big Ten selection and also earned Defensive Player of the Week honors from the conference on Nov. 5.

Preseason Picks
The league's coaches have high expectations for the Boilermakers this season as Purdue was tabbed to finish fourth in the conference race in the Big Ten preseason poll. The Big Ten coaches chose defending national champion Penn State, which has won the conference title the past five seasons, to repeat as Big Ten champions, Minnesota was picked to finished second, followed by Wisconsin and Purdue.

In 2007, the Boilermakers finished tied for third with the Golden Gophers, marking their best conference placing since 1990.

Fresh Faces
Fans will notice five new faces on the court for the Boilermakers in 2008. Junior setter/outside hitter Sam Ainsworth (Stouffville, Ontario) joined the team in January after transferring from Syracuse. Four freshmen also add depth to the Purdue roster. Middle hitters Laura Boldig (Mattoon, Ill.) and Tiffany Fisher (Topeka, Ind.) could see time at the net, while Emily Ehlers (Mishawaka, Ind.) and Amanda Miller (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) look to make their marks in the back court.

Staff Additions
After completing her volleyball and basketball playing careers, former Boilermaker Brittany Dildine took on a new role this spring as the team's volunteer assistant coach. Dildine, who head coach Dave Shondell has credited as being a major part of the program's turn around, ranks fifth on Purdue's all-time career digs list with 1,243. She averaged 2.67 digs per game, while also tallying 142 aces and 226 kills in her time in the Old Gold and Black.

Katie McGuine, a native of Rochester, Minn., is in her first year as Director of Operations for the Boilermaker volleyball team after serving in the same position at the University of Iowa for the last two years.

Dig For A Cure
On October 4, Coach Shondell and the Boilermaker volleyball team will celebrate breast cancer awareness month with an opportunity for fans to donate to the cause for each dig the team tallies in the match vs. Minnesota. All funds will support the Komen Foundation. Cash or checks will be accepted. Wear pink and show your support for Purdue volleyball and breast cancer research!

In 2007, the Purdue volleyball team raised more than $1,200 as fans pledged fund for each dig the team tallied during its Dig for a Cure match against Michigan State on October 13. The Boilermakers wore pink ribbons and fans received pink rally towels to show support.

Mackey Madness
The Purdue volleyball team will host this free event in Mackey Arena in conjunction with a men's and women's basketball tip-off celebration on Oct. 17. Doors will open at 5 p.m. for the Boilermakers' 6 p.m. contest against nationally-ranked Wisconsin. The basketball celebration will follow the match. Seats are first come, first served, so be there early and stay late.

Kids Clinic
The Boilermaker team and coaching staff will host a free youth clinic open to children 13 and under on Saturday, October 18 from 10-11:30 a.m. E-mail name, age, and shirt size to boilerkids@purdue.edu by Oct. 1 to register. All skill levels welcome. Clinic includes a T-shirt and free admission to the game that night.

 

 

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