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GoldanDBlack express • volume 25, express 4 • 37 BY TRAVIS BAUGH TBaugh@Purdue.edu A fter opening the season with an 18-set and six-match win- ning streak, No. 11 Purdue suffered its first set and match loss Friday at the hands of Western Kentucky. Yet, Coach Dave Shondell still felt like the weekend was a step in the right direction for the Boiler- makers, who beat Austin Peay and Western Michigan. "We played better in those three matches than we had played in the three matches the weekend before and the weekend before that," Shondell said. "I was pleased with the way we bounced back af- ter being down two games to zero. We came back and won the next two and were fairly in control." Purdue fell behind early 9-3 in Game 1 behind five errors and was unable to recover in a 29-27 loss. Western Kentucky broke a 9-9 tie in Game 2 with 12 of the next 17 points to take a controlling 21-14 lead and finish with a 25-20 win. Purdue rallied to win the next two sets before Western Kentucky finished off the Boilermakers in Game 5 with a 16-14 victory. "We were pretty disappointed with the loss mainly because we were in control of the match and we just had too many errors," se - nior Val Nichol said. "It's early in the season, we have young players, and I think that two or three weeks from now we won't be having that problem. It was a learning experience and we're going to take it as that and move forward. " For a Boilermaker squad with several freshmen con- tributors, it was their first taste of defeat in college. Nichol said it's better for the newcomers to get a glimpse of adversity before Big Ten play begins if it can be used as a learning tool. "A loss early in the season shows you're not invincible," she said. "You go into the Big Ten knowing you are beatable and there are teams who have beaten you. You keep those things in mind and keep in mind your weaknesses that were exposed in that match. I think it'll definitely benefit us in the long run." Purdue recovered from the shondell witnesses progress despite loss Purdue Annie Drews and the Boilermakers lost for the first time this season last weekend to Western Kentucky. 2014 Volleyball schedule Date Opponent Time/Result Aug. 29 USF W, 3-0^ No. 14 SAN DIEGO W, 3-0^ Aug. 30 LSU W, 3-0^ Sept. 5 vs. UNC-Asheville W, 3-0 Sept. 6 vs. Elon W, 3-0 at Kennesaw State W, 3-0 Sept. 12 vs. Austin Peay W, 3-0 at Western Kentucky L, 2-3 Sept. 13 vs. Western Michigan W, 3-1 Sept. 19 SAINT LOUIS 10 a.m.% MOREHEAD STATE 7:30 p.m.% Sept. 20 NOTRE DAME 8 p.m. % Sept. 26 MICHIGAN 7 p.m. Sept. 27 MICHIGAN STATE 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Rutgers 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at Maryland 1 p.m. Oct. 8 INDIANA 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at Indiana 7 p.m. Oct. 17 PENN STATE 7 p.m. Oct. 18 OHIO STATE 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at Northwestern 8 p.m. Oct. 25 at Illinois 8 p.m. Oct. 29 WISCONSIN 7 p.m. Nov. 1 MINNESOTA 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at Nebraska 8 p.m. Nov. 8 at Iowa 8 p.m. Nov. 12 MARYLAND 7 p.m. Nov. 15 NORTHWESTERN 7 p.m. Nov. 19 RUTGERS 7 p.m. Nov. 22 at Minnesoa 8 p.m. Nov. 26 at Michigan State 7 p.m. Nov. 28 at Wisconsin 8 p.m. ^ Mortar Board Premier, West Lafayette * KSU Owls Invitational, Kennesaw, Ga. # Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational, Bowling Green, Ky. % Active Ankle Challenge, West Lafayette Purdue Senior Val Nichol said an early-season loss isn't a bad thing — and she thinks it can help especially young Boilermakers gain perspective.