PITTSBURGH, PA. (SMU) – SMU Volleyball fell to Purdue (27-6) in the NCAA Championship Regional Semifinal 3-1 with set scores of 25-16, 19-25, 22-25, 27-29. The Mustangs end the season 27-6, tied for the most wins in program history.   

Malaya Jones led SMU with her ninth double-double of the season, totaling 23 kills and 12 digs, hitting .333 Thursday night. Favor Anyanwu tied her career-high with 12 kills, swinging at a .476 clip. Kennedi Rogers joined the two in double-figures with 11 kills and four digs, hitting .324.  

Averi Carlson dished out 55 assists and added eight digs against the Boilermakers. Defensively, Jordyn Schilling dug 19 balls for the Mustangs and was joined in double-figures by Jones (12) and Christa Wilburn, who added 11 in the loss.   

SMU hit .295 as a team while Purdue hit .282 in the match. The Boilermakers out-blocked the Mustangs 12-7 and had a 6-2 advantage in service aces.   

MATCH NOTES         

• Jones reached the double-digit kill mark for the 27th time this season and for the 10th straight match. It marked Jones' 10th match with 20 or more kills. Her 23 kills are the most by a Mustang in an NCAA Tournament match. 
• Anyanwu. She finished with 526 kills this season, the second most all-time in a single season in program history. 
• Rogers recorded double-digit kills for the seventh time this season.        
• It marked Schilling's 23rd time in double-figures this season and for the sixth straight match.     
• Averi Carlson finished her senior season with 1,396 assists, the third most by a Mustang in the rally scoring era.   
• With three blocks against the Boilermakers, Anyanwu finished the season with 178 on the year, the second most all-time in a single season.     

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:        
SMU got off to a dominant start, going up 9-1 in the first set. Purdue put two short runs together later in the set, but SMU held firm to win the frame 25-16. The Mustangs swung at an efficient .414 clip in the first set and held Purdue to a .067 hitting percentage. The SMU offense was lights out, registering a 15-9 kill advantage.   
Purdue evened the match in the second set with a 25-19 win. SMU answered several Boilermaker runs with multiple stretches of its own, closing their deficit to one three different times midway through the set, the latest being at the 19-18 mark. However, after a timeout by Purdue, the Boilermakers closed the second frame, scoring on six of the final seven points to win the frame.    

Back and forth for a majority of the frame, Purdue took a 2-1 set score lead with a strong finish down the stretch. The Boilermakers controlled the red zone with a 5-2 run after a 20-20 score late in the third to win the frame 25-22. There were seven ties and three lead changes in the third.    

Up one (15-14) on a kill from Anyanwu, Purdue strung together four straight to go up 18-15, forcing SMU to take a timeout. Down 21-17, the Mustangs rallied for six of the next seven to jump ahead by one, 23-22. After a timeout, SMU fought off four consecutive match points but ultimately came up short, falling 29-27 in the fourth set.    

SMU LEADERS:          
SMU Kills Leader: Malaya Jones (23)    
SMU Assists Leader: Averi Carlson (55)   
SMU Digs Leader: Jordyn Schilling (19)    
SMU Blocks Leader: Favor Anyanwu/Madison Scheer (3)    
SMU Ace Leader: Malaya Jones/Maggie Croft (1)    
SMU Points Leader: Malaya Jones (25.5)