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Olympic Sports player-of-the-Week: val nichol volleyball works its way back into ncaa picture BY BRANDAN ALFORD BrandanAlford@gmail.com I t had been three weeks since the 20th-ranked Boilers won a match. Four straight road contests resulted in four losses and the Boilers were suddenly reeling. A return to West Lafayette and Belin Court was just the remedy for what had been ailing Purdue through the past few weeks. It may have been somewhat unexpected, but a 3-0 rout of No. 6 Nebraska got the Boilers back on track and may have solidified Purdue's spot in next month's NCAA Tournament. Purdue (1811 overall, 9-9 Big Ten) needed only three games to dispatch of one of the nation's best and earn a season sweep over the Cornhuskers; and the Boilers did it going away. After a tightly contested 26-24 first set, Purdue earned a 25-21 win in Set 2 before disposing of Nebraska (22-5, 15-3) with a 25-16 final set. "Anytime you beat a team with that sort of history and reputation, it's more than routine," Coach Dave Shondell said. "We certainly didn't anticipate winning the way we did: winning going away in that final set. "That win was as badly needed of a win as we have had here." Purdue added another win a night later, defeating Iowa (11-19, 2-16) in four sets as Val Nichol's 14 kills led a balanced Purdue offense that included four players in double-figures. "Against Iowa we weren't quite as sharp," Shondell said. "They played at a high level, but we were able to put a good match together and get two wins on the weekend. "Right now, we're squarely where we want to be." For weeks, Shondell has talked about the importance of his team's defensive performances, namely the play of his two middle blockers, Faye Adelaja and Junior outside hitter/setter Val Nichol led Purdue to a pair of important victories over the weekend, pacing Purdue's offensive attack in wins over Nebraska and Iowa. Nichol finished with 12 kills with 20 assists and five digs in the upset of the sixthranked Cornhuskers. A night later, she nearly posted a triple-double, finishing with a team-high 14 kills on .286 hitting with 23 assists, nine digs. She also added four bocks Purdue and four aces in a win. Ranking second on the team in kills per Val Nichol 14 kills led Purdue to a win over Iowa a victory that helped Purdue's NCAA résumé. set (2.75) and assists per set (6.0), Nichol has provided a dual-threat weapon for Purdue. Kierra Jones. In two matches the Boilers needed, the duo came up big, combining for 6.5 blocks against Nebraska and four more over the Hawkeyes. "Going into the Nebraska match, they GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 12 • 38