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The Slate
Big Ten Week 2
Holloway Gymnasium - West Lafayette, Ind. ~ University Gym - Bloomington, Ind.
Live Stats - purduesports.com
Radio - purduesports.com; WSHY 1410 AM
Video $ - BTN Plus on BTN2GO.com
Saturday, Oct. 11: 7 p.m. at Indiana
Promotions
Wednesday - Boiler Blackout. Wear your favorite black Boilermaker attire and help black out Holloway Gymnasium as we aim to beat the Hoosiers to secure the Monon Spike for the seventh straight season.
The Book on the Boilermakers
At First Glance: The No. 14 Boilermakers (14-2, 4-0 Big Ten) take a six-match win streak into week three of the Big Ten season which will pit the team against travel partner Indiana in a pair of matches. Purdue returns eight players, including four starters, from its 2013 Elite Eight team, which posted a 23-12 record and finished sixth in the Big Ten, and adds one redshirt freshman and seven true freshmen. Head coach Dave Shondell is in his 12th season with the team.
Statistically Speaking: Junior Annie Drews paces the Boilermaker offense with 4.25 kills per set, while redshirt sophomore Faye Adelaja (2.37), junior Sam Epenesa (2.21) senior KiKi Jones (2.15) and freshman Azariah Stahl (1.83) follow. Jones leads the Boilers at the net with 1.13 blocks per set, while Adelaja and freshman Danielle Cuttino have put up 0.77 stuffs per stanza.
Defensively, libero Amanda Neill has pulled up 3.56 digs per set, while redshirt freshman Ashley Evans (2.47), senior Val Nichol (2.37) and redshirt sophomore Kate Workman (1.88) follow. As a team, Purdue has hit at a .296 clip and served up 76 aces, including 16 by Nichol, 14 by freshman Lydia Dimke, 12 by Evans and 10 each by Drews and Neill.
The Monon SpikeThe rivalry between Purdue and Indiana on the volleyball court began in 1975. In 1981, a little incentive was added to the series with the creation of the Monon Spike travelling trophy, which is presented to the winning team after one of the two annual matches. The Spike match alternates locations each season. This year's spike match is Wednesday in West Lafayette.
The trophy idea was the brain child of Donna Hardesty and Anne McMenamy, seniors on the 1981 Purdue team. They chose the Spike from the Monon Railroad, which originated in Indiana the late 19th century, to be a reminder of the competition on the court as well as the tradition of the state of Indiana.
As with its sister trophies, the Old Oaken Bucket (football) and the Golden Boot (soccer), a "P" or an "I" link is added to the chain signifying the season's winner. The Spike currently has 28 "P" links and 12 "I" links.Series Information
Indiana (Purdue leads the series 58-34): The Boilermakers won the first two meetings in the series with the Hoosiers, which began on Oct. 4, 1975, but Indiana took eight of the next nine. Purdue launched a 24-match win streak on Sept. 20, 1978, which lasted through the end of the 1985 season. The teams split the next 14 matches. The Hoosiers took 16 of the next 21 contests from 1992 to 2002. The Boilermakers swept the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons. An IU win in Bloomington snapped the streak, but Purdue has won 11 of the last 13, including season sweeps in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013.
If the Boilermakers top Indiana on Wednesday:
- They will move to 15-2 to start the season and extend their current win streak to seven matches. The 15-2 start would match the 2011 and 2006 teams for the best under Dave Shondell. It also would match the 1985 start for the best since the 1982 season, when the Boilers started 17-0.
- They will start the conference season 5-0 for the third time since 1983 (also 1990 and 1983).- They will secure the Monon Spike travelling trophy for the seventh straight year and move the link count to 29 P links and 12 I links.
- They will move their current series win streak over the Hoosiers to four matches (beginning 11/21/12) and nine of the last 10.- They will move to 178-129 all-time in conference home matches, including 72-41 under Shondell.
- They will improve to 269-199-1 all-time when playing in the month of October, including a 10-8 mark when playing on Oct. 8.Hearing About The Hoosiers
At First Glance: The Indiana Hoosiers (12-4, 3-1 Big Ten) bring a three-match win streak into Wednesday's match. The Hoosiers return 11 letterwinners, including four starters, from the 2013 team which posted a 9-22 record and finished 12th in Big Ten play. Indiana is coached by Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan, who is in her eighth year with the team.
Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Amelia Anderson leads a group of four Hoosier hitters averaging more than two kills per set. Anderson turns in 3.16 kills per set, while outside hitters Taylor Lebo (3.03) and Morgan Leach (2.82) and middle blocker Awele Nwaeze (2.12) follow. Lebo also adds 2.74 digs per set and a team-best 35 aces, while Nwaeze puts up a team-leading 1.30 blocks per set.
Defensively, libero Courtney Harnish leads the way with 4.45 digs per set. Lebo (2.74), outside hitter Allison Hammond (1.97), setter Megan Tallman (1.94), and defensive specialist Kyndall Merrit (1.92) also contribute nearly two digs per set. As a team, Indiana is hitting at a .214 clip and has served up 101 aces.