Oct. 7, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 18 Boilermaker volleyball team will face off with No. 23 Michigan and Ohio State on the road this weekend. The match with the Wolverines will be nationally televised on ESPN2, tape-delayed on Sunday, Oct. 12, with Beth Mowins and Karch Kiraly calling the action. The contest with Ohio State will be played at 2 p.m. Sunday due to the conflict with the Purdue/Ohio State football game on Saturday.
The Book on the Boilermakers
At First Glance: The No. 18 Purdue Boilermakers are 13-3 on the season, including a 2-2 mark in the Big Ten. Purdue won all four of its non-conference tournament titles and has been ranked among the nation's Top 25 throughout 2008.
Last Time Out: The Boilermakers split their conference matches over the weekend, sweeping Iowa and falling to No. 13 Minnesota in three.
Statistically Speaking: Middle hitter Stephanie Lynch paces the Boilermaker offense with 3.57 kills on a team-best .419 hitting effort, while also leading the team at the net with 1.29 blocks per set. Outside hitter Danita Merlau is right behind with 3.38 kills per set. Middle hitter Kristen Arthurs tacks on 1.97 kills and helps out at the net with 1.05 blocks per set. In the backcourt, libero Kelli Miller racks up a team-best 4.31 digs per set. Merlau adds 2.16 digs per set, while setter Jaclyn Hart and defensive specialist Jessica Ullrich pull up 2.00 and 1.98 respectively. Hart also has dished out 9.53 assists per set, while adding 0.86 blocks per set. Purdue has served up 59 aces, paced by Miller and Ullrich who each have tallied 13. Setter/outside hitter Sam Ainsworth has served up 12 aces.
Series Information
Michigan (Purdue leads the series 39-19): The series began with a 2-0 Boilermaker victory at the Big Ten Tournament on Oct. 31, 1975. Purdue won the next three before the first Wolverine win on Oct. 24, 1981. The Boilermakers won the next 19 from 1981 to 1990. The teams traded wins over the next several years, then Purdue won five straight from 1998 to 2000. Michigan answered with a four-match streak, which came to an end on Nov. 22, 2002. UM had won four in a row, before Purdue swept the 2005 meetings. The teams split the 2006 contests. Purdue swept the 2007 series.
Ohio State (OSU leads the series 40-29): The series began with a 2-1 Buckeye victory on Oct. 31, 1975, and stood at 7-6 Ohio State after the first 13 meetings. Purdue then won 17 of the next 20 matches including an eight-match streak from Nov. 21, 1980 to Nov. 4, 1983. Ohio State has won 30 of the last 35 meetings, dating to 1990. The teams split the 2003 and 2006 contests. Purdue took both 2007 meetings.
Words About the Wolverines
At First Glance: The No. 23 Michigan Wolverines (14-2, 2-2 Big Ten) won their first 13 contests of 2008 before hitting a buzzsaw in instate rival Michigan State on Sept. 27. The Wolverines are in their 10th year under head coach Mark Rosen.
Last Time Out: The Wolverines split weekend contests at No. 20 Wisconsin and Northwestern. Michigan fell to the Badgers in five sets, before sweeping the Wildcats.
Statistically Speaking:
Outside hitter Juliana Paz headlines a group of four Wolverines averaging more than 2.00 kills per set. Paz has racked up 3.27 putdowns, while middle hitter Beth Karpiak (3.07), outside hitter Megan Bower (2.60) and outside hitter Veronica Rood (2.08) follow. Karpiak is hitting at a team-best .409 clip, while Paz has served up 17 aces. Libero Kerry Hance paces the UM defense with 3.00 digs per set, followed by setter Lexi Zimmerman (2.84), defensive specialist Sloane Donhoff (2.64) and Bower (2.56). Middle hitter Karlee Bruck leads the team at the net with 0.91 blocks per set, followed by Karpiak's tally of 0.87 per set. The Wolverines have served up 88 aces, including double figure efforts from six players and 22 by Donhoff.
Buckeye Bits
At First Glance: The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-6, 1-3 Big Ten) are in their first season under head coach Geoff Carlston. The Buckeyes lead opponents in all major statistical categories, including blocks (2.79 to 1.77).
Last Time Out: The Buckeyes won a five-set match against Northwestern last Friday, before falling to No. 20 Wisconsin in three on Saturday.
Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Anna Szerszen paces the OSU offense with 3.54 kills per set. Outside hitter Katie Dull (3.34), middle hitter Kristen Dozier (3.05) and outside/middle hitter Kaila Calhoun (2.09) follow. Defensively, Calhoun leads the way with 3.08 digs per set. Defensive specialists Chelsea Noble (2.75) and Susan Halverson (2.47) are right behind. Noble also leads the team with 18 aces, while Halverson has added 10. Middle hitter Kelli Barhorst chalks up a team-leading 1.32 blocks per set, while Szerszen adds 1.00.
Comparing the Teams
Statistic Purdue Michigan Ohio State
Hitting % .217 .280 .233
Kills 12.41 14.56 13.00
Assists 10.95 13.31 12.14
Aces 1.00 1.60 1.27
Blocks 2.59 2.16 2.79
Digs 13.75 14.36 12.71
What a Difference a Win Makes...
If the Boilermakers top No. 23 Michigan on Friday ...
• They will post their third straight win over the Wolverines.
• They will have topped their second Top 25 foe of the season. Purdue defeated #14 Kansas State the first week of the season.
• They will move to 14-3 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play.
TV Time
The Boilermakers are slated to play in five nationally televised matches in 2008 beginning with Friday night's ESPN2 broadcast, which will air tape-delayed at 12:30 ET on Sunday, Oct. 12. Beth Mowins and Karch Kiraly will call the match.
Purdue will be featured on the Big Ten Network four times, including three at home on Belin Court. The Boilermakers' next TV match will be Oct. 22 at Illinois. The team's Nov. 1 rematch with Michigan, a Nov. 15 date with Penn State and a Nov. 19 contest with the Illini round out the television slate.
Among the Nation
The Boilermakers rank among the nation's top 50 in several team and individual statistical categories. As a team, Purdue ranks 27th in blocks per set (2.59). Individually, middle hitter Stephanie Lynch ranks seventh in hitting percentage (.419) and 24th in blocks per set (1.29).
Movin' On Up
Outside hitter Danita Merlau sits second in career attempts with 4,533, just 250 off the record. Merlau also ranks among the Top 10 in career kills with 1,517, a mark which ranks fourth.
Setter Jaclyn Hart moved into the Purdue Top 10 in career assists with 1,557.
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 442. Lynch surpassed the 500 total blocks milestone on Sept. 13 and ranks among the career top 10 in solo blocks (4th with 97) and total blocks (3rd with 539).
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. The overall record now stands at 1699. 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.
Rank And File
The Boilermakers remained at No. 18 for the second-straight week in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches' Poll. Purdue has been ranked among the top 25 throughout the 2008 season, beginning at No. 25 in the preseason poll. The team then moved up to No. 18 on Sept. 1 after knocking off then-No. 14 Kansas State. The Boilermakers continued to climb the rankings, landing at No. 15 on Sept. 8. The team's first loss dropped them to No. 20 in the Sept. 15 poll. However, the Boilermakers posted a 3-0 record the following week to move up a spot to No. 19.
The No. 15 ranking on Sept. 8 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 86 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. 23 Michigan. 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 52-163 all-time record in matches against the Top 25.
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 111-69 mark in his five plus years as the Boilermaker boss.
Dig For A Cure
On October 4, Coach Shondell and the Boilermaker volleyball team celebrated breast cancer awareness month with Dig for the Cure, a national initiative by college volleyball teams to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. The team raised $1,546 for the Indianapolis Affiliate of Komen for the Cure through dig pledges and a silent auction.
In 2007, the Purdue volleyball team raised more than $1,300 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.
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).
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. Lynch also was named MVP of the Dayton Flyer Invitational, while Miller and Merlau received all-tournament team recognition.
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.
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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