3 Thoughts From No. 10 Purdue Volleyball's Sweep Over Maryland to Open Big Ten Play
Tenth-ranked Purdue started Big Ten play off on the right foot on Thursday night inside Holloway Gymnasium. The Boilermakers posted a sixth-straight sweep, taking down Maryland 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-9) to start conference play with a 1-0 record.
Purdue hit .320 for the match and recorded eight blocks as a team. The Boilers were led by Addy Tindall, who recorded 15 kills in the match. Grace Heaney finished with 10, Mimi Mambu had eight and Taylor Anderson had six.
The Boilermakers also got 33 assists from Anderson and seven from Ryan McAleer. It was a dominant performance for Purdue from start to finish.
McAleer's big day
The junior libero had a huge night for the Boilermakers, digging every ball in sight. Her best moment came late in the first set with Purdue leading 20-15. McAleer laid out for a dig, and the ball flew over the net and landed in, a huge point for her team.
That epitomized McAleer's night on the floor. She closed out the match with 18 digs, seven assists, a service ace and a kill. Her contributions stretched far beyond the stat sheet, though. She chased down balls all night and really provided Purdue with an edge defensively.
Defense keeps Maryland in check
Purdue's attack was working early, especially with Grace Heaney and Addy Tindall. At one point, Heaney had six kills on seven attacks in the opening set, allowing the Boilermakers to pull away early. The Boilers had a strong hitting night, but they also kept Maryland's offense in check.
The Terrapins hit just .115 for the match. It felt like the Boilers were digging everything, aided by tips at the net. In addition to McAleer's big night, Purdue also got 10 digs from MaryKate Scheumann and 11 from Heaney. Anderson totaled seven.
On the block, Kate Hansen had six blocks, Heaney had three and Bianka Lulic had two. The Boilers finished with just eight blocks, but the defense was much better than the numbers might indicate.
Quality points from Lulic
Dior Charles struggled on Thursday night and Hansen had trouble hitting. Late in the second set, head coach Dave Shondell turned to Bianka Lulic at the middle blocker spot, and she stepped up in a big way.
With Purdue leading 22-21, Lulic stepped in and the Boilers won three of the next four points to take the second set.
Lulic delivered in the third set. She accounted for three kills on five swings, including the final point of the match. She was also responsible for a pair of kills. Putting her into the match late in the second set worked out for the Boilers in a big way.
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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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