October 29, 1998
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Getting mad can only get you so far before you decide to get even. The Purdue volleyball team will be looking to square some business when it plays at No. 2 Penn State and at Ohio State on Oct. 30 and 31, respectively. The Penn State match will get underway at 7:30 p.m., while the match with the Buckeyes is slated to begin at 7 p.m. The Ohio State match will be televised (tape delayed) by Fox Sports Chicago on Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. EST. Both matches can be heard live on WAZY-1410 AM.
Purdue, which is now 11-8 (5-5 Big Ten), dropped three-game decisions to the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes earlier this season in West Lafayette. The memory of those losses is fueling the Boilers, who are coming off an emotional 3-2 win over 24th-ranked Minnesota on Oct. 23.
“The team is confident right now,” Purdue coach Joey Vrazel says. “But we won’t be able to rely on that this weekend. We want to compete better against Penn State and finish against Ohio State. Our goal every weekend, especially on the road, is to get a split. That is what we are shooting for.”
Judging by the national rankings, Purdue’s best chance at earning a split will be with a win in Columbus. But before the Boilers and Buckeyes square off, the Old Gold and Black must challenge a dominating Penn State team in Happy Valley.
The Lions, who are 20-0 overall, have not lost a conference match all season (10-0) and own a 51-match home win streak dating to 1995. Penn State leads the nation in hitting percentage at .362 and boasts three players -Bonnie Bremner, Emily Stout and Lauren Cacciamani – who rank in the top 15 in the country in that individual category (all above .400). Bremner, a setter and the 1997 Big Ten Player-of-the-Year, tops the nation in hitting with a .462 percentage. Cacciamani and Stout rank in the top six in the nation in blocks per game.
“We understand Penn State is strong in all areas of their game,” Vrazel says. “What will keep us competitive against them is eliminating our unforced errors and not giving them quick, easy points.”
St. John Arena, where Ohio State plays, has not been friendly to the Boilers, either. The last time Purdue defeated the Buckeyes in Columbus was in 1988. Ten years later, the 1998 squad hopes to turn the wheel of fortune around in order to keep Purdue in the conference race. Ohio State was 10-9 (3-7 Big Ten) heading into a match with Illinois on Oct. 29.
“A win at Ohio State is really key,” Vrazel says. “We definitely feel like they’re a team we can beat. They are strong and we will have to play good, solid volleyball all around in order to beat them, especially at their place.”
Purdue had a chance against the Buckeyes in the IAF on Oct. 3, but the Scarlet and Gray managed a 16-14, 15-12, 18-16 victory. The Boilers hit just .199 in that match compared to Ohio State’s .306, and had only three players reach double figures in kills.
“We did not have a balanced attack against Ohio State the first time around,” Vrazel says. “We need each position to contribute to our kill total in order to be effective. But we are stronger now, compared to then, and the addition of Aneska should help.”
Aneska Arosarena has emerged as Purdue’s not-so-secret weapon. The junior college transfer and Panama City native, Arosarena tallied a school-record 34 kills in the win against the Gophers in her first career start for the Boilermakers. Prior to that effort, Arosarena had recorded a total of five kills on the season in five games played. Arosarena did not see time against the Buckeyes in the first meeting.
“It’s a huge advantage to have Aneska contributing for us now, especially since almost no one has seen her play,” Vrazel says. “She’s the kind of hitter you need to prepare for. We need to continue to get her more court time so she gets even more comfortable. It will be interesting to see how she responds to her first real opportunity on the road.”
Purdue will also need the services of Bev Krupa, who leads the team in kills per game with 4.20, and Sarah Emke, who is averaging 2.81 kills per game. Krupa paces Purdue in digs (2.65), as well, while Emke leads the squad in blocks (0.91). Another key contributor could be Colleen Henican, an outside hitter that is looking to get back on the offensive attack. She is averaging 2.44 kills per game.
The Boilermakers, who received seven votes in the latest USA Today/AVCA national poll, have already proven they can defeat a top 25-ranked team (Indiana and Minnesota). Now Purdue hopes a win on the road against a perennial powerhouse will gain them even more recognition by the pollsters.
“We’ve won five matches in this conference but we still don’t think people have seen the best of us,” Vrazel says. “It’s exciting to be in this position and it is legitimate. People have to look at our record, our schedule and our wins and pay attention to that.”
