A week after Indiana knocked off No. 15 Purdue in Bloomington, the Hoosiers traveled to West Lafayette on Wednesday for their final regular season match against the in-state rival. The Hoosiers were looking to sweep the Boilermakers for the first time since 2002 but dropped the match 3-1.
In front of a sold-out crowd in Holloway Gymnasium, the Boilermakers got off to a quick 9-3 lead. Out of the timeout, the Hoosiers responded with two kills and a solo block from senior outside hitter Morgan Geddes. Purdue continued to pace the opening set leading 17-10, forcing Indiana to take its second timeout.
Out of the timeout, Indiana sophomore outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles rattled off two straight kills to pull the Hoosiers closer. Indiana fended off four straight set points before losing 25-22. Alonso-Corcelles led all attackers with seven kills on 10 swings and no errors.
The second set began just like the first with Purdue going on a run up 9-3. The Hoosiers eventually fought back, pulling to within three, down 20-17, prompting a Purdue timeout. After fighting back at the end of the set, the Hoosiers weren't able to pull ahead, losing the set 25-22. Indiana struggled offensively, hitting only .056 with 12 kills and 10 errors.
A back-and-forth beginning to the third set ensued as a result of strong serving from both sides. Junior outside hitter Mady Saris had a block assist and two consecutive kills to help give the Hoosiers a 12-8 lead.
A run from the Boilermakers pulled them within one, prompting an Indiana timeout that was followed with a kill from freshman middle blocker Ava Vickers and an ace from sophomore outside hitter Avry Tatum, giving the Hoosiers a three-point lead. An error from the Boilermakers helped Indiana close out the third set, winning 25-21. Saris came up big for the Hoosiers with nine kills on 14 swings through three sets.
Purdue controlled the beginning of the fourth set, leading 10-4 heading into Indiana’s first timeout. Indiana struggled offensively, hitting -0.182 in the set with three kills and seven errors, finding itself down 15-6. It was all Purdue all set long, winning 25-13 to clinch the victory. The Boilermakers hit .205 with 14 kills in the fourth set compared to -.025 from Indiana.
Alonso-Corcelles led the Hoosiers with 15 kills as Saris and Rammelsberg added 11 kills apiece. Vickers ended with a career-high seven kills, hitting .667 and totaling four blocks. Haworth ended the match with a double-double, totaling 43 assists and 10 digs.
After splitting the season series with the Boilermakers, Indiana will return home to face Ohio State at 8 p.m. on Saturday. The Homecoming weekend match will be televised on Big Ten Plus.
Follow reporter Michael Livingston (@mblivingston_) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
