5 Thoughts From No. 9 Purdue's 5-Set Loss to No. 13 Creighton
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A late rally in the fifth set was too little too late for No. 9 Purdue on Friday night. The Boilermakers dropped their season opener to No. 13 Creighton in Sioux Falls, 3-2 (25-19, 22-25, 23-25, 25-11, 11-15) despite a valiant effort.
The Boilermakers were already short-handed entering the match after All-American outside hitter Kenna Wollard announced she is battling an unexpected health issue. Purdue was dealt another blow in the second set, when All-American right-side hitter Grace Heaney left the contest with an apparent lower-leg injury.
Purdue started the match by winning the first set 25-19, then dropped the second and third sets. The Boilers bounced back in a big way in the fourth with a 25-11 victory, seemingly carrying all the momentum into the fifth.
Creighton got off to a tremendous start, though, building an 8-2 advantage. The Boilers chipped away, but they didn't have enough to complete the comeback.
Here are a few quick thoughts from Purdue's first match of the season.
Addy Tindall is the real deal
Shondell had spoken highly of Tindall throughout the offseason, and she lived up to the hype. The redshirt freshman stepped in and delivered at the outside hitter spot, finishing with 22 kills on 41 swings. She posted an impressive .463 hitting percentage and had just three errors.
Tindall also had three blocks in the match. Not a bad night for someone playing in her first regular-season match at the college level.
Tindall has a powerful swing and wasn't afraid of the moment. She opened the match with seven kills in the first set, then added another seven in the third set. The freshman was one of Purdue's top weapons all night, along with Mimi Mambu, who accounted for 19 kills on 58 attempts.
Serve-receive still needs some work
Purdue's consistency in the serve-receive department still needs some work. Creighton finished the match with seven service aces, which proved to make a big difference in a close match. The Boilers had some communication issues at times, leading to a few easy points for the Bluejays.
With Wollard out and Heaney missing the final four sets, this is a group that is still getting to know each other on the volleyball court. This is something that will improve over time, but those few mistakes were costly on Friday night.
A fighting mentality
Remember how Purdue continued to fight regardless of the score? That was still the case on Friday night against Creighton. Shondell's squad was down 15-13 in the first set before going on an 8-1 run to take control of the opening set.
After dropping the middle two sets, 25-22 and 25-23, the Boilers responded in a big way. They clobbered the Bluejays in the fourth set, 25-11. Middle blockers Kate Hansen and Dior Charles came alive in that fourth set, and Rachel Williams also made some important plays.
Purdue trailed 8-2 in the final set and clawed back within two points before Creighton pulled away to win the match. Just like last year's team, this group has a "never give up" mentality.
Block came alive late
Through the first three sets, Purdue's block was almost a non-factor. It had totaled just seven blocks, which allowed Creighton to take a 2-1 lead. Albeit a little too late, the Boilermakers were more effective at the net in the final two sets.
Purdue had six blocks in the fourth set and added three more in the fifth set, bringing its total to 16 for the match. The Boilermakers outblocked the Bluejays 16-12 for the night.
Charles, Hansen and Taylor Anderson were the most prolific at the net, but Tindall, Mamby and Williams provided some assistance, too.
Taylor Anderson is still doing Taylor Anderson things
It's hard not to mention Anderson's performance on Friday night. She was stellar from start to finish, putting Purdue in position to get a top-25 victory to open the season. The senior setter had a double-double by the end of the second set and finished the night with team highs in assists (44) and digs (17). She also had four timely kills in the match.
Purdue has wanted Anderson to be more aggressive offensively, and she did that at times throughout Friday night's match. She had some timely kills, taking advantage of openings deep in the court.
Anderson provided Purdue's offense with consistency all night and put her hitters in good position to make plays.
Update on Grace Heaney
Heaney did not return to the match after sustaining an apparent lower-leg injury in the second set. After getting further examination, she was on the Purdue bench with ice on her ankle and foot.
During the broadcast, it was reported that the injury isn't serious and she's expected to be back for Purdue soon. She did not want to risk further injury by returning to Friday night's match.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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