5 Thoughts From No. 14 Purdue's Dominant Sweep of IU Indy

After dropping Sunday's match to No. 11 TCU, Purdue needed to regain its confidence before heading to the Bahamas. The 14th-ranked Boilermakers got it all back on Wednesday night, dominating IU Indy 3-0 (25-10, 25-9, 25-16) to get back on the right side of .500 for the year.

Purdue had a distinct size and talent advantage, which was evident from the start. The Boilermakers opened the match with a 7-0 lead in the first set, which set the tone for the rest of the night. Although IU Indy put up a much better fight in the third set, the outcome was never in doubt.

Addy Tindall led Purdue with eight kills on 17 swings and also had three blocks. Grace Heaney had a perfect hitting night, getting five kills on five swings. Dior Charles totaled six blocks and four kills and Bianka Lulic, Mimi Mambu and Lily Bosworth all had three kills.

Here's what we learned from Purdue's sweep of IU Indy.

Purdue Redshirt Freshman Sienna Foster (6) serves. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Bianka Lulic's big night

Head coach Dave Shondell decided to roll with Lulic as a starter for Wednesday's match, and she certainly delivered. The middle blocker opened the match with a kill, then helped Purdue build a 7-0 lead from behind the service line, accounting or a pair of service aces in that stretch.

Lulic's 6-foot-5 frame caused problems for IU Indy, who didn't have a player taller than 6-foot-1 on the roster. She finished the contest with three kills, four aces, three blocks and a dig. She had an impressive night, especially for someone who hasn't seen much time on the court early in the season.

A strong service night

Lulic had the best night behind the service line with four aces, but she wasn't the only one who had success. The Boilermakers ended the night with 11 aces, a team high for the season.

Taylor Anderson, MaryKate Scheumann and Ryan McAleer each recorded a pair of aces and Elle Schara ended the evening with one. Purdue's service placement was outstanding from the opening serve, giving IU Indy trouble throughout the night.

Grace Heaney bounces back

Heaney struggled in Purdue's loss to TCU on Sunday, but she responded in an impressive way on Wednesday. She had a 1.000 hitting percentage, accounting for five kills on five swings. But that wasn't all she did to help the Boilers get the victory.

The opposite hitter was also responsible for seven digs, three blocks and an assist. Heaney has been battling a lower-leg injury since the season opener against Creighton. She's had some early-season struggles through the first five matches, but Wednesday might have been her top performance of the year.

Purdue's block was too much

Purdue has 12 active players on the roster who are listed at 6 feet or taller. IU Indy only had one player listed at 6-foot-1. The Boilermakers had a significant size advantage at the net, and they made the most of it.

The block was working all night in Holloway Gymnasium, as Shondell's squad racked up 13 blocks on the night. Purdue totaled five blocks in the first set, five more in the second and closed with three in the third. Charles led the way with six blocks, and Tindall, Heaney, Lulic and Anderson each had three.

IU Indy was held to a -.052 hitting percentage for the match.

Several Boilers get into the match

Because of the lopsided outcome, Shondell was able to get several Boilers into Wednesday night's match. It's an opportunity to get younger players some experience before the schedule strengthens up again this weekend.

In addition to starting Lulic, Purdue also got middle blocker Lily Bosworth, defensive specialist Sienna Foster, setter Isabelle Bardin, opposite hitter Rachel Williams, middle blocker Morgan Williams and outside hitter Sydni VIce into the match.

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