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The Slate
Big Ten Week 4
Holloway Gymnasium - West Lafayette, Ind.
Friday, Oct. 17: 8 p.m. vs. Penn State
TV: Big Ten Network
PxP - Mike Wolf; Color - Audrey Flaugh
Radio - purduesports.com
Live Stats - purduesports.com
Saturday, Oct. 18: 7 p.m. vs. Ohio State
Video $ - BTN Plus on BTN2GO.com
Radio - purduesports.com
Live Stats - purduesports.com
The Book on the Boilermakers
At First Glance: The No. 14 Boilermakers (16-2, 6-0 Big Ten) take an eight-match win streak into the weekend's matches against No. 7 Penn State and No. 22 Ohio State. 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.
Last Time Out: The Boilermakers sit atop the league standings at 6-0 after posting a pair of wins over in-state rival Indiana last week. Purdue won the Monon Spike travelling trophy match in a sweep on Wednesday and wrapped up the Governor's Cup point with a four-set win on Saturday.
Statistically Speaking: Junior Annie Drews paces the Boilermaker offense with 4.18 kills per set, while redshirt sophomore Faye Adelaja (2.33), junior Sam Epenesa (2.25) senior KiKi Jones (2.05) and freshman Azariah Stahl (1.89) follow. Jones leads the Boilers at the net with 1.12 blocks per set, while Adelaja, freshman Danielle Cuttino and senior setter Val Nichol have put up 0.88, 0.84 and 0.80 stuffs per stanza.
Defensively, libero Amanda Neill has pulled up 3.70 digs per set, while redshirt freshman Ashley Evans (2.41), Nichol (2.34) and redshirt sophomore Kate Workman (1.84) follow. As a team, Purdue has hit at a .293 clip and served up 84 aces, including 18 by Nichol, 15 each by Evans and freshman Lydia Dimke, 11 by Neill and 10 by Drews.
Series Information
Penn State (PSU leads the series 50-6): The Boilermakers won five of the first six contests with the Nittany Lions in the series which began on Nov. 7, 1981. Since 1988, Penn State had won 42 straight, including 36 in 3-0 sweeps, before Purdue took a five-set decision on Oct 8, 2010. The win marked the first Purdue win over PSU since Dec. 4, 1987. PSU has won the last seven contests, including season sweeps in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Ohio State (OSU leads the series 43-38): The teams split the first 14 matches in the series which began on Oct. 31, 1975. The last of those contests kicked off an eight-match streak for the Boilermakers. Purdue went on to win 17 of the next 20 in the series, including the eight straight victories from 1980 to 1983. Ohio State posted 29 wins in 32 attempts from 1990 to 2005. Purdue has won 11 of the last 14, including seven of the last nine. Each team won on its home court in 2013.
What a Difference a Win Makes...
If the Boilermakers top #7 Penn State on Friday:
- They will move to 17-2 to start the season, which would match the 1985 start for the best since the 1982 season, when the Boilers started 19-0.
- They will start the conference season 7-0 for the first time since 1983.
- It would extend their current win streak to nine matches, which would be the team's longest since a 10-match stretch from Oct. 15 to Nov. 18, 2011.
- They will have beaten their second ranked foe of the season (also No. 14 San Diego).
- They will have beaten at Top 10 team for the first time since defeating No. 4 Missouri on Dec. 7, 2013, in the NCAA Second Round. It would mark Purdue's 12th Top 10 win under Coach Shondell and the ninth Top 10 win since defeating then No. 4 Penn State on Oct. 8, 2010.
- They will improve to 271-199-1 all-time when playing in the month of October, including a 12-5-1 mark when playing on Oct. 17.
News About The Nittany Lions
At First Glance: The No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions (16-3, 4-2 Big Ten) play their sixth ranked opponent in the last seven matches on Friday when they face the Boilermakers. The Nittany Lions return eight letterwinners, including four starters, from the 2013 team which posted a 34-2 record, won the Big Ten and the NCAA championship. PSU is coached by Russ Rose, who is in his 36th year with the team.
Last Time Out: The Nittany Lions split home contests with No. 24 Northwestern and No. 15 Illinois last week, sweeping the Wildcats and falling to the Fighting Illini in four sets.
Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Ali Frantti leads a group of five PSU players averaging more than two kills per set. Frantti turns in 3.30 kills per set, while hitting at a .319 clip, serving up 13 aces and chipping in 1.55 digs per set. Outside hitter Megan Courtney (2.67), outside hitter Aiyana Whitney (2.65), middle blocker Nia Grant (2.65) and outside hitter Simone Lee (2.18) round out the group. Grant is hitting at a team-best .473 clip and puts up a team-leading 0.92 blocks per set, while Whitney is hitting .374 and adds 0.85 stuffs per set. Courtney puts up 0.71 blocks per set and also contributes 2.06 digs per stanza.
Defensively, libero Dominique Gonzalez leads the way with 3.71 digs per set. Courtney (2.06), setter Micha Hancock (1.92), defensive specialist Lacey Fuller (1.70) and Frantti (1.55) follow. Hancock also has dished out 11.41 assists per set and served up 66 aces. As a team, Penn State is hitting at a .352 clip and has served up 123 aces.
An Overview Of Ohio State
At First Glance: The No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-5, 4-2 Big Ten) bring a four-match win streak into their Friday match at Indiana. The Buckeyes return 10 letterwinners, including five starters, from the 2013 team which went 18-14 and finished 10th in the Big Ten. Ohio State is coached by Geoff Carlston, who is in his seventh season with the team.
Last Time Out: The Buckeyes earned a pair of Top 25 wins at home last weekend, topping No. 15 Illinois in five sets and No. 24 Northwestern in four sets.
Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Erin Sekinger and middle blocker Taylor Sandbothe headline the OSU offense with 3.18 and 3.04 kills per set respectively, while four other players add nearly two kills per set. Outside hitters Katie Mitchell (2.78), Elizabeth Campbell (2.21), Luisa Schirmer (1.96) and Kylie Randall (1.93) round out the group. Sandbothe is hitting at a team-best .353 clip and also puts up a team-leading 1.32 blocks per set. Schirmer adds 2.71 digs per set and a team-best 14 aces, while Campbell has served up 12 aces and adds 1.41 digs per set.
Defensively, libero Valeria Leon leads the way with 3.62 digs per set. Schiermer (2.71), defensive specialist Alyssa Winner (2.33), setter Taylor Sherwin (2.030) and Campbell (1.41) follow. Leon also adds 11 aces to the team tally. As a team, OSU is hitting at a .229 clip and has served up 86 aces.