No. 8 Purdue Travels to Mp/4 Penn State To Open Week 13

In the penultimate week of the regular-season, No. 8 volleyball will begin at No. 4 Penn State on Thursday before hosting No. 21 USC for Senior Night on Saturday.

The Boilermakers (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) enter the week winning 13 of their last 15 matches and are set to tak eon a 25-2 (15-1 Big Ten) Nittany Lions team and an 18-8 (10-6 Big Ten) Trojans team.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Only four matches (two weeks) remain in the regular-season, with three on the road.
• Every match remaining will be vs. teams ranked or receiving votes, with three on the road: at #4 Penn State (11/21), vs. #23 USC (11/23), at #11 Oregon (11/27) and at receiving votes (RV) Washington (11/29).
• It is the toughest schedule to end the regular-season in Purdue volleyball history.
• Purdue had a stretch of five top-16 foes in six matches, which included three straight top-10 showdowns. 
• Not only are 100% of Purdue’s losses to current top-11 teams, 60% (4 of 5) are to current top-6 teams.

PURDUE’s 13-3 BIG TEN RECORD

• The team entered November with just three Big Ten losses, marking the second straight year and seventh time Purdue has had such few losses under Shondell that far into league play.
• In comparison with Purdue’s seasons with the fewest Big Ten losses under Dave Shondell (2023’s 15-5 record, 2021’s 15-5 record and 2011’s 16-4 record), the 2024 season and 2011 season are the only years the team has had three losses heading into its final four matches of the regular season.

SERIES HISTORY VS. PENN STATE AT A GLANCE

• In the last three years, Purdue owns a 3-3 record vs. Penn State. 
• Purdue swept the series vs. Penn State last year: W, 3-2 at home on 11/5/23 and W, 3-1 on 10/22/23.
• Last season, both teams reached the NCAA Regional Semifinals in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Penn State was #12 and Purdue #13 in the AVCA final poll.
• Penn State’s sweep in Holloway earlier this season was the first 3-0 result between the two teams since 2016.

LAST WEEK’S NEED-TO-KNOW

• Purdue has improved to its sixth-straight win and 13-2 over its last 15 matches after sweeps vs. Rutgers (25-14, 25-14, 25-16) and vs. Illinois (2517, 25-20, 25-19).
• The Boilermakers had one of the best offenses last week in the league, leading the way in kills per set and assists per set, ranking second in hitting % and with three separate Boilermakers topping the charts on the individual side: Lizzie Carr (.600%), Ali Hornung (5.17 digs per set) and Taylor Anderson (13.17 assists per set).
• Raven Colvin reached her 600th career block, the second Boiler in program history to reach the benchmark.
• The Boilers allowed just one lead change total last week (Set 2 vs. Illinois).
• Purdue hit .370% vs. Rutgers, led by Chloe Chicoine’s team-leading 16 kills on a .542 clip and just one dig away from a double-double.
• Taylor Anderson’s 44 assists vs. Illinois was just the second time a setter has posted as many in a 3-setter in the last seven years (other: Hayley Bush, 45 vs. Washington, 9/3/21).

PURDUE: QUICK HITS

• Eva Hudson was named an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist, one of 14 in the nation to receive the honor. Chicoine was also included on the watch list released in September.
• Purdue is 27-6 in sets won over the last 10 matches.
• The team is riding a six-match winning streak and has won 13 of its last 15 matches. This season, Purdue’s only losses come to top-11 programs, with four in the top-6 in the nation.
• The team ranks in the top-14 in the nation in four different categories: kills/set, assists/set, hitting % and blocks/set.
• In seven of the last nine matches, Purdue has held opponents under a .200 attack %. In those matches, Purdue’s hit above .300 in six and above .340 in three.
• Three Boilers are averaging more than 2.0 kills per set: Hudson (4.68), Chicoine (3.18) and Colvin (2.46).
• Purdue is 70-25 in sets won this season.
• Purdue’s hitting % (.283) would rank as #3 in Purdue single-season history if things were to end today. It would be just the second time this century the Boilers have hit so efficiently.
• Since Big Ten play started, Purdue is averaging two more digs per set compared to their non-con action.
• Freshman DS Ryan McAleer has recorded a perfect reception % in 20 matches including the last nine straight. Moreover, she recorded six aces at then-#16 Minnesota, tying as the most-ever by a Purdue freshman.
• Eva Hudson has stepped up in the biggest matches of the season. She set a season-high 26 kills on a .349% at #2 Nebraska (and matched it with 26 kills on .350% at Indiana, 11/8), 17 kills vs. now-#7 Wisconsin and nearly had an errorless match at now-#12 Kansas, committing just one attack error in the final points of the match. This season, she is averaging 4.63 kills per set and 5.06 points per set this season.

Big 4th Leads Women’s Hoops to Win

Down eight with five minutes to play in the third quarter, the women’s basketball team rallied to a 78-67 win over Bellarmine on Monday night in Mackey Arena. Purdue (3-1) sealed the win with a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter.

A pair of Boilermakers recorded double-doubles for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Reagan Bass led Purdue with her second straight 20-point performance, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Lana McCarthy recorded her second double-double in four games with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go with two assists.

Rashunda Jones fueled the Boilermakers in the second half to tally 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, while Sophie Swanson hit a trio of 3-pointers for the second straight game to finish with 13 points.

Purdue finished the game with a 47.8% shooting percentage with five 3-pointers.

Defensively, the Boilermakers held Bellarmine (3-2) to a 34.7% from the field, 20.7% from distance, and turned 15 turnovers into 22 points.

TOP STATS
Bass shot 8-of-11 from the field, 1-of-1 from distance and 4-of-6 from the line for her second straight 20-point outing. Bass grabbed three of her 11 points on the offensive end, scoring twice.

Purdue committed 22 turnovers, but its defense conceded just 12 points off the miscues.

The Boilermakers put the game away with stout defense and fast offense to outscore the Knights 20-11 in the fourth quarter. Jones was 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line to score 11 points. Purdue shot 8-of-14 (57.1%), while Bellarmine was 4-of-17 (23.5%), including 12 straight misses during the Boilermakers’ run.  

KEY MOMENTS
• The Boilermakers started the game on a 14-2 run, McCarthy and Bass powered Purdue with the first 11 points, before Swanson connected on her first triple of the game.
• The Knights punched back on an 8-2 swing late in the first to cut the gap to six, but jumpers from McCarthy and Mahri Petree extended the lead back to 10 points.
• Swanson and Collier connected on back-to-back-to-back triples midway to start a 13-3 run for the Boilermakers to open a 17-point advantage with 5:49 to play in the half.
• Purdue tallied two field goals the remainder of the half, as the Knights trimmed the gap down to five points at the break.
• Bellarmine stormed out the break to go on a 13-point run, opening up a 47-39 lead. The total run for the Knights was 25-0 between the second and third quarters. 
• The Boilermakers did not use a timeout during the run, before Kendall Puryear gave Purdue its first points of the half with an and-one with 4:47 to play in the third.
• Bass scored seven straight late in the third to pull Purdue within one, before Amiyah Reynolds knotted the game at 52-52 on a made free throw.
• Jones powered the Boilermakers on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of her 11 fourth quarter points during the streak. The Boilermakers went 7-of-8 from the field on the run.

NOTES
• Monday was the first meeting between the two programs.
• Bass and McCarthy were the first Boilermaker duo to record double-doubles in a game since Fatou Diagne and Ae’Rianna Harris teamed up in the Big Ten Tournament against Michigan State in 2019-20.
• Purdue won the rebounding battle 50-34. The 50 boards matched the previous high of the Gearlds era against Michigan State last season.
• Swanson has made three or more 3-pointers in six of her 30 career games.
• The Boilermakers recorded 40 points in the paint.
• Purdue has been 3-1 or better through four games in all four of Katie Gearlds‘ seasons.
• Monday marked the second time Purdue surrendered a 25-point run and won the game, joining a 27-point run by Florida State when Purdue won 66-61 in the 2021 St. Pete Showcase.
• Purdue scored 19 or more points in every quarter, while holding Bellarmine to 12 and 11 in the first and fourth quarters, respectively.
• The Boilermakers are 20-6 under Gearlds when four players reach double figures.

UP NEXT
Purdue will close out its five-game homestand to start the year with a 1 p.m. tip against UT Arlington on Sunday. The Boilermakers will welcome home Leroy Keyes Hall of Fame inductee and current Lady Mavs head coach Shereka Wright.

Gallardo Guevara Falls in NCAA Singles Tournament

Purdue senior Carmen Gallardo Guevara saw her run in the NCAA Singles Championship come to an end in the Round of 64 in a 6-4, 6-1 defeat to No. 32 DJ Bennett from Auburn.

The Spanish international held leads of 2-1 and 4-3 in the first set, before Bennett was able pull away in the opening frame. Bennett jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second set to set up the straight sets victory.

Gallardo Guevara was the first Boilermaker to reach the NCAA Singles Championship since Silvia Ambrosio in 2019. It was the sixth appearance by a Boilermaker in the singles tournament.

The senior from Madrid will open her spring dual campaign with the Boilermakers tied for 14th in career singles victories with 68, with a chance to rocket up the leaderboard by the end of the season.

Condon Added for 2025 Softball Season

Softball head coach Magali Frezzotti announced the addition for the upcoming 2025 season. Outfielder/first baseman Maura Condon out of Ottawa, Illinois, is set to graduate early and join the squad in January.

“I am thrilled to welcome Maura to the Purdue family this Spring,” Frezzotti said. “Maura swings a hot bat and is a versatile player who plays with no fear. She approaches every challenge with a winning mentality and I cannot wait to see the impact she will have on Purdue Softball.”

Purdue Announces 2024-25 Indoor Track & Field Schedule

Indoor track & field has announced its 2024-25 indoor schedule that consists of eight regular season meets, across 13 different competition days, prior to Big Ten and NCAA Indoor Championships.

The indoor season begins on Dec. 13 at the Blue Demon Holiday Invitational in Chicago and marks Purdue’s only meet in the 2024 portion of the schedule.

After nearly a month between meets, Purdue begins the 2025 portion Jan. 10-11 at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invite in Louisville, Ky. The following weekend the Boilermakers head to another one-day meet at the Simmons-Harvey Invite in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Boilermakers then split the squad Jan. 24-25 for two separate meets. The team will participate at the Crossroads of America Invite in Indianapolis, Ind. and the Fighting Illini Challenge & Combined Events in Champaign, Ill.

After the split weekend, Purdue has back-to-back weekends in Indianapolis for a two-day meet Jan. 31-Feb. 1 in the Midwest Classic and a one-day meet on Feb. 8 for the Fairgrounds Invitational.

The 2024-25 regular season schedule concludes at the Tiger Paw Invite in Clemson, S.C. from Feb. 14-15. After a two-week break, Purdue heads back to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Indoor Championships Feb. 28-March 1.

Qualified Boilermaker athletes then wait another two weeks before concluding the season at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, Va. March 14-15.

The men’s program returns both NCAA Championship qualifiers from last indoor season, Praise Aniamaka (triple jump) and Cameron Miller (200-meter). Aniamaka finished ninth to earn All-America status and Miller advanced to the final. On the women’s side, Bryanna Craig returns for her junior season after she finished second at Big Tens in the pentathlon, while Alexia Smith returns for her sophomore season after an eighth place finished in the 400-meter.

Prior to the start of the 2024-25 indoor season, the 2024 cross country season concludes on Saturday, Nov. 23 with Douglas Buckeridge competing in the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Make it a Dozen: Boilers Set to Host 12th Edition of Purdue Invite

Swimming & Diving competes at home again for the annual midseason showcase as the 12th edition of the Purdue Invitational features three full days of action at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

The three-day, six-session meet runs from Thursday morning through Saturday evening. Swimming prelims begin daily at 10 a.m. ET. Springboard diving prelims get underway at 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Platform diving will be contested as a finals-only event Saturday at 1 p.m. Finals sessions are set for 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There is not expected to be much downtime Saturday with swimming prelims in the morning, platform diving in the afternoon, the first heat of the mile at approximately 3 p.m. and the finals session that night.

Admission is free for all sessions of the meet at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

This year’s field features 10 teams representing six universities. Grand Canyon, McKendree, Southern Illinois join Purdue with full co-ed representation. Women’s teams from Florida International and Illinois State will also be in attendance. None of the teams are newcomers to the meet this year.

The Boilermakers have won the Purdue Invitational 10 times – six by the men and four by the women. One of Purdue’s teams has won the meet each of the last three years, with the women’s victory last season representing their first since 2015. That was also the only year in which the Boilermakers swept the team titles at the Purdue Invite. The three-day meet debuted as a men’s only event in November 2003 and evolved into a co-ed midseason showcase two years later. There could be as many as 38 nations represented at the meet this year.

Ten swimmers on the Purdue men’s team have qualified for USA Swimming’s Toyota U.S. Open the week of Dec. 4-7 in Greensboro, N.C., in turn opting to tailor their training and rest schedule in preparation for that national meet. The group includes Andy Kelly, Lance Lesage, Evan Mackesy, Idris Muhammad, Dom Mazurek, Blake Rowe, Brady Samuels, Nathaniel Thomas and Raymond Whittaker – all of whom are still racing this week at the Purdue Invite.  Additionally, Matheo Mateos (Paraguay) and Thomas (Jamaica) are also planning to represent their countries at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) Dec. 10-15 in Budapest, Hungary.

Among active Boilermakers, 46 student-athletes (25 women, 21 men) have scored at the Purdue Invitational during their careers. Brady Samuels (2021 & 2022), Maggie Love (2021, 2023), Caitlin Hurley (2023) and Maddie Phillips (2023) have all scored in four individual events in one year at a Purdue Invite.

Sophie McAfee (1-meter and 3-meter diving), Max Miller (1-meter diving), Jordan Rzepka (3-meter diving), Daryn Wright (platform diving), Samuels (50 and 100 free, 100 back), Love (200 IM) and Hurley (1650 free) all won individual events at the Purdue Invitational last season. Samuels and Rzepka both have five career event wins at the meet and opportunities to become four-year event winners this week. McAfee has swept the springboard events at the Purdue Invite each of the last two years. In 2022, Rzepka became the first diver to win all three events at the Purdue Invite since David Boudia (in 2010). Dating back to 2021, women’s 1-meter in 2021 is the only diving event the Boilermakers have not won at the meet.