The No. 8 Gophers volleyball team lost in four sets to No. 9 Purdue Sunday afternoon at the Pav. Minnesota was riding a 6-game win streak heading into a top-10 Big Ten match-up but struggled against a well-rounded Boilermakers team.
The first set wasn’t too friendly for the Gophers who found themselves down six points early. Head coach Hugh McCutcheon called a timeout with his team down 9-3. Minnesota held strong over the next 16 points, but Purdue was able to extend its lead to eight at 18-10.
McCutcheon called his second timeout of the set in hopes of getting a late push from the Gophers. That didn’t do much as the Boilermakers ended the set on a 7-2 run and took the first set 25-12.
Minnesota woke up in the second set and did to Purdue what they did to Minnesota in the first. The Gophers opened up with a 7-2 run to get the momentum on their side. Purdue called a timeout down six at 10-4. After a small pushback by the Boilermakers, Minnesota went on a 5-0 run to open things back up.
Purdue failed to make things closer the rest of the second set and Minnesota tied the match up at 1-1 with a 25-14 win.
The Gophers got off on the right foot to start the third set as they grabbed an early 8-4 lead. It was looking good for Minnesota, but a 4-0 run by Purdue tied the third set. Purdue went on to score seven of the next 12 points to take a lead into the media timeout.
The Boilermakers extended their lead to four before McCutcheon burned a timeout. That didn’t stop the bleeding and Purdue continued to extend its lead. A 13-3 run to close out the third set left Minnesota trailing 2-1 after a 25-16 win for Purdue.
With their backs against the wall, the Gophers gave Purdue a fight in the fourth set, but they came up short.
It was Purdue who got off to an early lead courtesy of a 5-2 run to break away from a 4-4 tie. McCutcheon burned a timeout, which the Gophers used to regroup and go on a 6-3 run to tie the fourth set at 12-12.
The Gophers finally grabbed a lead at 16-15 and would retake the lead 19-18 after Purdue went on a 3-1 run. The Gophers even grabbed a two-point lead at 22-20 trying to force a fifth set. The Boilermakers scored the next five points to close out the set and the match 25-22.
Minnesota is back in action Friday when they host Rutgers at home looking to bounce back.
