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Feb. 6, 2008
Continuing to climb. That is the buzz surrounding the Boilermaker volleyball program after a season which brought the team its fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a third-place finish in the perennially tough Big Ten Conference. The 2007 campaign featured several highlights, but the Boilermakers' 19-14 showing is just another step in their climb to national prominence. "I think our momentum has continued," head coach Dave Shondell said. "Just because we had a few more losses and did not advance as far in the NCAA Tournament than we had in the previous couple of seasons, that does not dimish our drive and the mission that this program is on to get to the next level. It was a season that was very challenging, but one that I am very proud of. I think everyone associated with our program recognizes that is was a tough year from an injury standpoint and that we ran into a buzzsaw in Cal Poly in the NCAA second round." Chief among the 2007 squad's accomplishments was a third-place Big Ten finish. To put things in perspective, the third-place spot, courtesy of an 11-9 mark, was Purdue's best Big Ten showing since 1990 and illustrated the continued improvement of the Boilermaker program. In 2002, the season prior to Shondell's arrival, Purdue finished tied for 10th in the conference standings. Under Shondell, the Boilermakers have gradually scaled the league rankings, moving up to eighth in 2003 and sixth in 2004, before spending two seasons in fifth place in 2005 and 2006 en route to the third-place spot this season. "We knew it was going to be very tough, but we set our goal of finishing third, which meant every match was crucial," Shondell said. "I think finishing third was one of the better accomplishments we have had since we have been at Purdue. This was probably the most impressive team we have had from a mental toughness standpoint, because everyone was competing so hard in the Big Ten this year, fighting for position and fighting for their NCAA lives even down to the very end. It was a great feeling after our final conference match to know that we had finished third."
The accomplishment was especially sweet for the Boilermakers, who had seen a handful of players succomb to injuries, because of the way they wrapped up the conference campaign. Purdue won five of its last seven league matches, completing season sweeps of Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern and Ohio State in the process. The sweep of the Buckeyes was Purdue's first since 1988. "One of the goals that we had was that we wanted to finish the Big Ten season strong, because we really had never done that before," Shondells said. "We wanted to finish strong and have some momentum going into the tournament. I though we did that for the first time and hopefully that is a trend that will continue." Upon receiving their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament berth, the Boilermakers headed to Athens, Ohio, to face a 19th-ranked Ohio Bobcat team that had lost just once on its home court in the previous five seasons. Purdue proved to be up to the challenge, defeating the Bobcats, 3-1, to advance to the second round for the fourth-straight year. No. 17 Cal Poly ended the Boilermakers' tournament run the following day. "We didn't get to the Sweet 16 this year, but Cal Poly was the best team we have ever had to play outside of Hawai'i in the second round," Shondell said. "They were a quality opponent that was well coached and had a lot of great ball control players. We have to get to the point where we are the team that is seeded 11 or 12 or better, so that we do not having to fight for our lives to get out of the first or second round. Ultimately, that is going to make us work harder and do some things differently." The Boilermakers may approach things differently, but their future outlook remains bright. "There is no doubt that we have shoes to fill, but we are going to have an experienced team back," Shondell said. "This group has been through the wars. But, it is going to take a special group of players and a special brand of leadership to take us to a level that we haven't been before at Purdue. I think the players are ultimately going to be responsible for whether or not we get to that next level, and it starts with the senior class. I know they want to go out with a bang and they will have the opportunity to do that." Honor Roll During the season, Lynch, senior defensive specialist Anne Mastandrea and junior defensive specialist Kelli Miller each were honored by the Big Ten with Defensive Player of the Week accolades. Excelling In The Classroom "All Big Ten schools can stake a claim that they have great academics, but I think Purdue sets itself apart from several of them with the environment for academics," Shondell said. "I am really pleased that every year we have been here we have done very well academically. I think that is an indication of the type of players that we are recruiting." Drawing A Crowd The Numbers Game Junior middle hitter Stephanie Lynch ranked among the Top 10 in the league in blocks per game (5th with 1.38), hitting percentage (8th with .318) and point per game (10th with 4.45). Her stuffs tally ranked her 42nd nationally. In the back court, junior Kelli Miller and senior Anne Mastandrea ranked sixth and 10th respectively among conference players in digs per game with 4.63 and 3.74. In conference play, Miller average 5.20 digs per game to rank third. Three players, senior outside hitter Samantha Mader, junior outside hitter Danita Merlau and junior middle hitter Stephanie Lynch, reached the 1,000-kill milestone for their careers, while Miller and Mastandrea surpassed the 1,000-dig mark. In The Record Books Junior middle hitter Stephanie Lynch made her mark on the blocking record book. She moved into second all-time with 1.30 blocks per game, while also ranking third in career block assists (376), fourth in total blocks (464) and fifth in solo blocks (88). In 2007, Lynch ranked among the single-season Top 10 in block assists (tied for 4th with 129), total blocks (6th with 166) and solo blocks (tied for 10th with 37). Junior outside hitter Danita Merlau took 1,351 swings in 2007, ranking her second on the single-season attempts list. Merlau also moved into the career Top 10 in total attempts (2nd with 3,939), kills per game (3rd with 3.71) and kills (8th with 1,328). Senior defensive specialist Anne Mastandrea pulled up 449 digs in 2007, an average of 3.74 digs per game. Both tallies rank her eighth on the single-season lists. Mastandrea also wrapped up her career ranked third all-time in digs (1,356) and fourth in digs per game (3.33). |
 Purdue Volleyball Facilities Tour
Purdue vs. Iowa Match, Oct. 3, 2008
Coach Shondell's Video Blog, Oct. 6, 2008
All In The Family For The Shondells
2008 Volleyball Season Preview
2007 Volleyball Season Highlights
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