WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue is taking an active role in providing aid to the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. The Athletics Department has designated the Feb. 20 men’s basketball game versus Illinois and the Feb. 25 women’s game against Michigan State as an opportunity for fans to donate.

Team chaplain Marty Dittmar will take a team of 24 Purdue student-athletes to build homes in Haiti in May.

Team chaplain and FCA advisor Marty Dittmar will be taking a team of 24 Purdue student-athletes to Haiti in May to help build homes for the approximately one million Haitians left homeless by the quake. To help raise funds for the construction of these homes, members of Purdue’s football, basketball, volleyball, golf, baseball, tennis and swimming and diving teams will be at the exits of Mackey Arena with green collection buckets at the conclusion of the two games.

Although no specific fundraising goal has been set, each home built will cost approximately $3,700 and Dittmar and his team would like to build as many homes as possible to offset the loss of the nearly 250,000 domiciles destroyed by the earthquake.

Dittmar has been taking Purdue students to Haiti for 17 years, often making two or three trips a year. He has had student-athletes on the mission trip the last five years and has taken teams comprised primarily of student-athletes the last two years. For more information on Dittmar’s 2009 FCA mission trip to Haiti, click here.

The first donation opportunity will occur when fourth-ranked men take on Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 4p.m. in Mackey Arena and also will be accepted at women’s basketball’s senior night versus Michigan State on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.

Fans unable to attend either contest may drop off or mail a check to the Purdue men’s basketball office, women’s basketball office or the football office anytime before or after the collection dates. All checks should be made out to EBM and a tax-deductible receipt will be mailed if a name and address are provided.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Thirty-nine Purdue student-athletes spanning five sports were honored with Academic All-Big Ten accolades, the conference announced on Tuesday.

The soccer team led the way with 14 honorees, while the football team added 12 honorees. Eight women’s cross country runners, four men’s cross country runners and one volleyball player rounded out the group.

Sophomore linebacker Joe Holland and sophomore cross country runner Kara Conflenti were two of eight student-athletes singled out by the conference for boasting a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

Junior defensive end Ryan Kerrigan received second team Academic All-America honors and CoSIDA Academic All-District V accolades earlier in the year. The math major, who also was named first team All-Big Ten by the media for his work on the field, was the first Boilermaker football player to earn Academic All-America honors since punter Jared Armstrong was a second team selection in 2007.

Senior soccer players Jessica Okoroafo and Katie Seeger were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team presented by ESPN The Magazine. Okoroafo, a forward, was named to the first team, while Seeger, a midfielder, garnered second-team recognition. The pair were part of a senior class which compiled the most wins in program history, 58, while Okoroafo boasts school records for goals (35), game-winning goals (16), games played (91) and shots (250).

Arthurs, a middle blocker, was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team for volleyball. The Preseason All-Big Ten selection, posted an NCAA and Big Ten record 1.000 hitting percentage with 10 kills on 10 attempts in the season opener against Ball State. The speech/language and hearing sciences major is a two-time Academic All-District selection.

Academic All-District awards for cross country are not awarded until spring.

A total of 704 student-athletes were honored for their work in the classroom this fall. The student-athletes met the criteria of being at least a second-year student and carrying a minimum grade-point average of 3.0.

Purdue honorees

Football
Kyle Adams, Jr.
Adam Brockman, Jr.
Chris Carlino, So.
Dan Dierking, Jr.
Joey Elliott, Sr.
Joe Holland, Jr.
Andy Huffman, Sr.
Dennis Kelly, So.
Ryan Kerrigan, Jr.
Robert Maci, So.
Chris Summers, Sr.
Jason Werner, Sr.

Men’s Cross Country
Cale Allen, So.
Dominic DeSantis, So.
Ladd Mercer, So.
Caden Shields, Jr.

Soccer
Katie Becker, Jr.
Carianne Betts, Jr.
Kaitlyn Blacha, So.
Alex Jenkins, So.
Katie Leinert, So.
Lauren Montenegro, So.
Jessica Okoroafo, Sr.
Kellie Phillips, So.
Loredana Riverso, Sr.
Brookley Rogers, So.
Liz Secue, Jr.
Katie Seeger, Sr.
Alexis Tryba, So.
Lauren Varnau, So.

Volleyball
Kristen Arthurs, Jr.

Women’s Cross Country
Stephanie Bonk, So.
Kara Conflenti, So.
Katie Conrad, So.
Maggie Daly, Jr.
Danielle Eagan, Sr.
Sarah Klaczynski, Sr.
Katie Morrical, Sr.
Kristin Phillips, Sr.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Boilermaker volleyball team battled back from a two-set deficit and fought off two Hawkeye match point attempts to tie the score in the fifth set, before falling to Iowa 3-2 Friday night. The Hawkeyes won the match 25-20, 25-21, 18-25, 16-25, 16-14.

Senior Carrie Gurnell put up a match-high 19 kills to pace the Purdue offense, while freshman Ariel Turner and junior Kristen Arthurs chipped in 10 kills apiece. Freshman Anna Drewry put down eight kills to go with her team-high nine blocks.

Redshirt sophomore Blair Bashen pulled up 24 digs to lead the Purdue defense, while freshman Carly Cramer added 16 and sophomore Emily Ehlers tallied 11. The Boilermakers served up six aces, three by Bashen, two by Cramer and one by Ehlers. Purdue also led every major statistical category except hitting percentage in the match, outdigging the Hawkeyes 72-60, outblocking Iowa 13-10 and putting up 59 kills to Iowa’s 57.

Gurnell put down a kill to start Set 5, then Drewry and junior Jaclyn Hart added a pair to knot the score at 3-3. Iowa went up 7-4, but Purdue scored four of the next five to tie things up at 8-8. A Turner kill and three Hawkeye errors helped the Boilermakers even the score. UI countered with a 4-1 run of its own to go ahead 12-9 and force Purdue to use both of its timeouts. Gurnell put the team on her shoulders, tallying three kills, including one to thwart match point, making it 14-13. A block by Drewry and Hart nullified Iowa’s next shot at the match, evening the score at 14, but a Becky Walters kill and a Purdue hitting error gave the Hawkeyes the 16-14 win.

Gurnell posted five kills in seven swings providing a bright spot in an otherwise error-riddled Set 1. The Hawkeyes took an early 5-2 lead and led by three again at 9-6, before Purdue mounted a comeback. Trailing 9-6, the Boilermakers scored five straight, including kills by Gurnell and Turner and an ace by Ehlers, to go up 11-9. Iowa answered with three straight to regain the lead, one which they would not relinquish, allowing Purdue just ties at 12 and 13. The Hawkeyes led by as many as four, but the Boilermakers pulled within two at 20-18 and 22-20 after kills by Gurnell and Drewry. Iowa, however, scored three straight to close out the 25-20 win.

The Boilermakers looked to have turned things around, starting Set 2 with a 9-6 advantage. Bashen served up an ace and five different players contributed kills in the early rally. Iowa turned the tables with a 9-0 run of its own, erasing the three point deficit and going ahead by a 15-9 score. Purdue countered with 11 of the next 16 points, knotting the score at 20-20. Iowa contributed four errors to the Boilermaker tally, while Drewry added two blocks and a kill and Gurnell chipped in two putdowns. The Hawkeyes scored five of the next six to take the 25-21 win and a two set lead into intermission.

Iowa led 4-3 early in Set 3, but the Boilermakers scored four straight to go up 7-4 and would hold the advantage the rest of the way. Turner and Arthurs tallied kills and Bashen served up an ace to give Purdue the lead. The Boilermakers would boost their lead to six at 16-10, thanks to a trio of Arthurs putaways and another Bashen ace. The teams split the next eight points, before a block by Drewry and Gurnell made it a seven-point game at 21-14. Kills by Drewry and Gurnell and a Hawkeye service error put Purdue on the hill at 24-18, before a stuff from Arthurs and Turner clinched the 25-18 Boilermaker win. Purdue hit .344 in the stanza, led by four Arthurs’ putways. Turner and Gurnell each chipped in three kills.

The Hawkeyes scored five of the first seven in Set 4. Purdue strung together six straight points, including a pair of aces by Cramer, to go up 8-5. Iowa pulled within one at 8-7 and 9-8, but could not break through as the Boilermakers cruised to the 25-16 win. An 11-3 run, featuring four Iowa errors and a trio of Gurnell kills, put Purdue up 20-12. The Boilermakers were up by eight again at 23-15 after an overpass kill by Drewry and another Arthurs putaway. An overpass kill from Arthurs made it 24-16, then a Turner putdown sent the match to a deciding fifth set. The Purdue defense held Iowa to a .028 hitting effort in the stanza and put up five blocks.

The Boilermakers (13-17, 5-14 Big Ten) wrap up their 2009 season in Madison, Wis., against the Wisconsin Badgers at 8 p.m. ET Saturday night. Live statistics will be available at purduesports.com. Live audio will be available at purduesports.com and on WSHY 1410 AM in Lafayette.

EVANSTON, Ill. — Sophomore Tiffany Fisher racked up a match-high 17 kills, while hitting .481 on the night, and redshirt sophomore Blair Bashen pulled up 33 digs, but Purdue wound up on the short end of another five set match Saturday night. Northwestern edged the Boilermaker volleyball team 25-18, 17-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-6 to drop Purdue to 9-8 overall and 1-5 in Big Ten play.

Fisher led the offense with 17 putaways, while senior Carrie Gurnell and freshman Ariel Turner added 13 apiece. Redshirt junior Lisa Pierce tacked on nine kills in the effort. Defensively, Bashen led the way with 33 saves, while freshman Carly Cramer and sophomore Emily Ehlers each added nine. Junior Jaclyn Hart pulled up eight and added three solo blocks to the team’s tally. Junior Kristen Arthurs paced Purdue at the net with four stuffs.

Northwestern started the fifth and deciding set with six straight points. A pair of Wildcat hitting errors put Purdue on the board. The Boilermakers used a pair of blocks, including a solo effort by Hart, to help close the gap to three at 8-5. From there, however, Northwestern rattled off seven of the next eight to take the match. Arthurs provided the lone Boilermaker kill in the final stretch of the 15-6 loss.

The Wildcats led Set 1 from start to finish, save ties at four and five. Trailing 3-0, Purdue clawed back to the first tie with help from three Fisher putaways. After the second knot up, Northwestern pushed its margin to five at 11-6 after a string of Boilermaker miscues. A kill by Turner and a block by Turner and freshman Anna Drewry cut the deficit to two at 11-9, but the Wildcats responded with eight of the next 10 points to go up 19-11. Purdue would get no closer than six the rest of the way, despite thwarting two NU set point chances after falling behind 24-16. A Boilermaker hitting error capped the 25-18 win for the Wildcats. Fisher had seven of Purdue’s 13 kills in the stanza.

Purdue bounced back in Set 2, however, taking an early 8-3 lead in the stanza, prompting a Northwestern timeout. The Boilermakers capitalized on a trio of Wildcat hitting errors and a pair of blocks by redshirt junior Lisa Pierce and Arthurs en route to a 14-6 advantage. Northwestern narrowed the gap to four at 18-14, but Purdue finished the set with seven of the next 10 points. Two kills each by Pierce and Gurnell brought the Boilermakers to set point at 24-17. Fisher pounded down the final point in the 25-17 win.
The teams split the first 12 points of the third set, before Northwestern went ahead 7-6. After losing the lead, Purdue rattled off seven straight points to go up 13-7. Gurnell tallied two kills and a block in the stretch, while Northwestern contributed three errors. The Wildcats used a 7-2 run to cut pull within one at 15-14, but Purdue used a block and a kill by Fisher and an ace by freshman Courtney Gosewisch to push the margin back to three at 18-15. Northwestern countered with four straight to take a 19-18 lead. The Boilermakers fought back with four of the next six points to regain the advantage at 22-21 on a block by Drewry and Pierce. The Wildcats snagged the set away with four of the next five points in the 25-23 win.

Northwestern led 9-6 in Set four, but Purdue scored six of the next eight to push into the lead at 12-11 on a Gurnell putdown. The teams tied at 12, 13, 14 and 15, before the Wildcats recaptured the advantage at 16-15 on a Boilermaker hitting error. Purdue responded with four straight points, including two kills each by Gurnell and Pierce, to go up 19-16. Northwestern made it 20-18, but the Boilermakers posted three of the next four points, including two Gurnell kills, to get their first shot at the set at 24-19. NU thwarted the first effort, but a Turner putaway extended the match with a 25-20 Purdue win. Gurnell posted seven kills in the stanza, while Pierce and Turner each added five.

The Boilermakers return to action at 7 p.m. Friday when they take on the Wisconsin Badgers in West Lafayette.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tickets are on sale now for all 15 of the Purdue University volleyball team’s home matches.

Adult season tickets are $70 for general admission seating and $84 for premium (chair back) seating. Student season tickets are $35 for general admission and $49 for premium seating. Single game tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students, or $9 and $6 for premium seating (if available). The priority order deadline is Friday, August 7, 2009.

Tickets to see the 2009 Boilermakers play their 15 home games are on sale now.

A family four pack of tickets, including two adults and two youth general admission tickets, can be purchased on the day of game only for $20.

Groups of 15 or more are just $5 per ticket.

Tickets can be purchase by calling 1-800-49-SPORT or by stopping by the Athletic Ticket Office in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility.

The Boilermakers open the 2009 season with their own Mortar Board Premier tournament, which features matches with Ball State, Coastal Carolina and Dayton.

The Purdue Active Ankle Classic on Sept. 18 and 19 pits the Boilermakers against Ohio and Louisville. Both matches are designated as team nights, during which pre-registered youth teams can purchase $2 tickets. Email sportspromo@purdue.edu for details.

Tickets for volleyball matches falling on football game days, Sept. 19 and Oct. 17, are just $2 with a football ticket stub.

The Boilermakers will welcome home alumnae on Sept. 27. The 1 p.m. match with Michigan also has been deemed Girl Scout Day.

The Sept. 30 match with Indiana will be the season’s Boiler Blackout match, while fans can enjoy fireworks at the Slayter Center on Oct. 2 after the match as part of Homecoming festivities.

Oct. 17 features the Dig Pink for breast cancer research event. Wear pink to support breast cancer research.

The Boilermakers will host a free Youth Skills Clinic on Nov. 21 for children 13 and under. Email boilerkids@purdue.edu by Nov. 1 to register for the clinic, which includes a T-shirt and a redeemable ticket voucher for the night’s match with Ohio State. The match, which will mark Purdue’s final home game of the season, also will be a celebration for the team’s two seniors.