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The Slate
Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational
E.A. Diddle Arena; Bowling Green, Ky.
Live Stats - purduesports.com
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Tournament central: Here
Friday, Sept. 12:
1 p.m. vs. Austin Peay
7 p.m. at Western Kentucky
Saturday, Sept. 13:
1 p.m. vs. Western Michigan
The Book on the Boilermakers
At First Glance: The No. 8 Boilermakers (6-0) hit the road for the second straight weekend, travelling to Bowling Green, Ky., for the Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational. Purdue returns eight players, including four starters, from its 2013 Elite Eight team and adds one redshirt freshman and seven true freshmen. Head coach Dave Shondell is in his 12th season with the team.
Last Time Out: The Boilermakers moved to 6-0 with sweeps of UNC-Asheville, Elon and Kennesaw State en route to the KSU Owl Invitational title. In 2013, the Boilermakers (23-12) advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in four years after finishing sixth in Big Ten play.
Statistically Speaking: Junior Annie Drews paces the Boilermaker offense with 3.71 kills per set, while redshirt sophomore Faye Adelaja (2.93), senior KiKi Jones (2.13), junior Sam Epenesa (2.12), freshman Azariah Stahl (2.00), and redshirt freshman Ashley Evans (1.89) follow. Jones leads the Boilers at the net with 1.13 blocks per set, while Adelaja has put up 1.07 stuffs per stanza.
Defensively, libero Amanda Neill has pulled up 3.28 digs per set, while senior Val Nichol (2.61)Evans (2.44) and redshirt sophomore Kate Workman (1.94) follow. As a team, Purdue has hit at a .288 clip and served up 33 aces, including seven by Nichol and six each by Drews, Evans and freshman Lydia Dimke.
Outside hitters Val Nichol (2.75), Sam Epenesa (2.36) and Annie Drews (1.80) and middle blockers KiKi Jones (2.11) and Faye Adelaja (1.34) return from the 2013 team. Jones hit at a team-best .380 clip, served up 25 aces and put up 1.21 blocks per set. Defensively, libero Amanda Neill pulled up 1.93 digs per set and served up 32 aces in 2013, while Nichol added 1.79 digs per set. As a team, Purdue hit .241 and served up 146 aces.
Series Information
Austin Peay: This is the first meeting between the Boilermakers and the Lady Govs.
Western Kentucky (WKU leads the series 3-1): The Lady Toppers have won three of the four previous meetings with the Boilermakers in the series which began on Sept. 16, 1994, in Louisville, Ky. The last three contests have taken place in West Lafayette, with WKU winning in five sets in 2002 and 2013 and Purdue taking a sweep in 2010.
Western Michigan (Purdue leads the series 13-9-1): Purdue has won 13 of the 23 meetings with the Broncos in the series which began on Sept. 27, 1975. The Boilers won four of the first six contests. The teams split the next six meetings from 1983 to 1985. WMU won four in a row in 1986 and 1987, but Purdue has taken six of the last seven contests from 1988 to 2006. The teams last contest was a 3-0 sweep for the Boilers on Sept. 9, 2006, in West Lafayette.
What a Difference a Win Makes...
If the Boilermakers top Austin Peay on Friday:
- They will move to 7-0 to start the season, marking the eighth time in 40 years the team has done so and the fifth time in the Shondell era. (also 1981 12-0; 1982 33-0; 1985 13-0; 2005 11-0; 2006 9-0; 2007 7-0; 2011 14-0)
- They will move to 99-70 all-time in non-conference matches.
- They will improve to 281-147 all-time when playing in the month of September, including a 12-5 mark when playing on Sept. 12.
A Look at the Lady Govs
At First Glance: The Austin Peay (3-5) Lady Govs play their third straight weekend on the road, travelling to Bowling Green, Ky., after weekends in South Carolina and Ohio. The Lady Govs posted a 13-22 record and second place West Division finish in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2013. Eleven letterwinners, including five starters, return from that team. Austin Peay is coached by Taylor Mott, who is in her third year with the team.
Last Time Out: The Lady Govs went 2-2 at the Akron Invitational last weekend, falling to Drake and host Akron and topping Binghamton and Bryant.
Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Jada Stotts paces the APSU offense with 3.42 kills per set, while also registering a team-best 3.22 digs per set and five aces. Middle blocker Hillary Plybon follows with 2.11 kills per set, while five other players contribute offensively. Outside hitter Christina White (1.96), middle blocker Liz Landon (1.81), outside hitters Samantha Strother (1.53), Samie Ebright (1.44) and setter Aubrey Marsellis (1.11) make up the group. Plybon is hitting at a team-best .280 clip and has posted a team-leading 0.67 blocks per set. Marsellis has dished out 6.00 assists per set and served up 10 aces.
Defensively, Stotts (3.22) leads the way followed by defensive specialists Syd Litchfield (2.92) and April Adams (2.57) and White (2.09). As a team, Austin Peay is hitting .178 and has served up 33 aces.
Talking About The Lady Toppers
At First Glance: The Western Kentucky Lady Toppers (7-2) played a Tuesday contest at Lipscomb before returning home to host the Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational this weekend. The Lady Toppers posted a 27-6 record and won the Sun Belt Conference title in 2013. WKU returns seven letterwinners, including four starters, from that team. Western Kentucky is coached by Travis Hudson, who is in his 20th year with the team.
Last Time Out: The Lady Toppers have won six straight matches including their Tuesday tilt with Lipscomb, including a 4-0 mark at the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational in Springfield, Mo., last weekend. WKU topped Incarnate Word, Missouri State, UW-Milwaukee and Oral Roberts at the event. The team swept Lipscomb on Tuesday to move to 7-2.
Statistically Speaking: Four players are averaging more than two kills per set to lead the WKU offensive attack. Outside hitters Alyssa Cavanaugh (2.96) and Haley Bodway (2.62), and middle blockers Noelle Langenkamp (2.41) and Heather Boyan (2.41) make up the group. Langenkamp is hitting at a team-best .329 clip, while also chipping in 0.83 blocks per set and five aces. Boyan puts up a team-leading 1.07 blocks per set, while middle blocker Sydney Engle adds 0.86 stuffs per set.
Defensively, libero Georgia O'Connell leads the way with 4.69 digs per set. Setter Jessica Lucas (2.66) and defensive specialist Kaelin Grimes (2.62) also add more than two digs per set. As a team, Western Kentucky is hitting .257 and has served up 34 aces, led by Jackie Scott's nine.
Words About Western Michigan
At First Glance: The Western Michigan Broncos (4-2) hit the road for the second straight weekend, trekking to Kentucky after spending last weekend in South Bend, Ind. The Broncos posted a 17-14 record and finished fourth in the Mid-American Conference West Division in 2013. WMU returns seven letterwinners, including three starters, from that team, including All-MAC performers Ave Stout and Lexie Pawlik, and also adds four freshmen and two transfers to the mix. The Broncos are coached by Colleen Munson, who is in her 10th year with the team.
Last Time Out: The Broncos went 2-1 at the Golden Dome Invitational last weekend, topping IUPUI and host Notre Dame, but falling to Washington State.
Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Alaysia Baznik leads a group of five WMU players averaging more than two kills per set. Baznik has put down 3.29 kills per set and also adds 3.00 digs per set to the team's tally. Outside hitters Ali Gossen (2.62) and Sierra Hubbard-Neil (2.62) and middle blockers Olivia Kofie (2.31) and Ave Stout (2.07) follow. Stout is hitting at a team-best .333 clip and also adds 1.00 blocks per set, while Gossen (.308) also is hitting over .300. Middle blocker Sydney LeMay chips in 1.57 kills and a team-leading 1.10 blocks per set.
Defensively, Kaycee Acree and Caroline Rose lead the way with 4.31 and 4.04 digs per set respectively. Hubbard-Neil (3.17), Baznik (3.00) and setter Lexie Pawlik (2.67) also aid the team with more than two digs per set. Pawlik also has served up a team-best four aces. As a team, WMU is hitting at a .229 clip and has served up 14 aces.
Poll Position
The Boilermakers dropped a spot to No. 8 in this week's AVCA Coaches' Poll after matching a program-best ranking at seventh in last week's poll. The Boilers were No. 8 in the preseason rankings, marking the highest in program history, ahead of the No. 9 listing to start the 2012 season. Last week's No. 7 ranking matched the highest in program lore, duplicating the team's poll position on Nov. 14, 1983, and on Aug. 27, 2012.
Purdue was ranked in the Top 25 throughout the 2013 season, peaking with the No. 8 ranking in the final poll, and has been ranked in 51 consecutive polls dating to Nov. 29, 2010. This week's ranking is Purdue's 147th all-time since the AVCA polls began in 1982, including preseason and postseason listings.
Among The Nation
The Boilermakers rank among the nation's top 30 in four different statistical categories. Purdue ranks 20th in hiiting percentage (.288), 25th in aces per set (1.83), 27th in kills per set (14.33) and 29th in assists per set (13.17).
Individually, redshirt sophomore middle blocker Faye Adelaja ranks eighth in hitting percentage (.486) and senior setter Val Nichol ranks 46th in assists per set (10.72).
Strong Starts
The Boilermakers have won their season opening match 11 of the last 12 years and 32 times in the program's 39-year history. Purdue has won its season opening Mortar Board Premier tournament 10 times since 1990, including 2011, 2012 and 2014. Dave Shondell's teams have been 3-0 after opening weekend six times since 2004, and started the year 6-0 or better four times: 14-0 in 2011, 7-0 in 2008, 9-0 in 2006 and 11-0 in 2005.
Awards & Honors
Redshirt freshman Ashley Evans was named MVP of the Mortar Board Premier, while senior Val Nichol and junior Annie Drews garnered all-tournament team honors. Nichol went on to be named Big Ten Setter of the Week for her efforts. Junior Sam Epenesa was named MVP of the KSU Owls Invitational, while Nichol, junior Amanda Neill and redshirt sophomore Faye Adelaja garnered all-touranment team accolades.