WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - With a 5-0 start underneath its belt, the No.19 Purdue volleyball team is set to host the annual Stacey Clark Classic at Holloway Gymnasium, Sept. 7-8.
The two-day event will see talent from throughout the Midwest as well as Tennessee. Joining the field in this year's tournament is Lipscomb, Louisville and Xavier. Purdue looks to remain undefeated and improve to 8-0, a task that has not been accomplished since 2011, when Purdue went 14-0 to start the season.
AT THE NET – STACEY CLARK CLASSIC
Purdue vs. Xavier
Friday, Sept. 7 | 10 a.m.
Live Stats | Live Stream | Free Audio | Tickets
Purdue vs. Lipscomb
Friday, Sept. 7 | 7:30 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Stream | Free Audio | Tickets
Purdue vs. Lousiville
Saturday, Sept. 8 | 7:30 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Stream | Free Audio | Tickets
QUICK HITS
• Purdue is off to a 5-0 start for the second-straight year
• Senior Brooke Peters is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week
• Purdue is first in the Big Ten and ninth nationally in aces per set (2.12)
• Purdue will be playing at home in Holloway for the third-consecutive weekend, marking the first time in program history that the Boilermakers have opened a season with eight home matches
• The Boilermakers have a combined 15-1 record against Lipscomb, Louisville and Xavier (1-0 vs. Lipscomb | 11-1 vs. Louisville | 3-0 vs. Xavier
• Purdue is ranked 19th in this week's AVCA poll with 450 points. The Boilermakers were previously ranked No. 23 (Aug. 8) and No. 20 (Aug. 28)
• Purdue's lineup has already seen a number of players make an impact on the year as senior Sherridan Atkinson (4.71) as well as sophomore Caitlyn Newton (2.65), redshirt junior Blake Mohler (2.53) and freshman Grace Cleveland (2.41) all lead the Boilermkaers in kills per set
• Atkinson's 4.71 kills per set lead the Big Ten conference and rank eighth nationally
• The Boilermakers also possess a lethal setter in Hayley Bush, who averages 11.47 assists per set, which is good for first in the Big Ten and 13th in the nation
• Head coach Dave Shondell is in his 16th season with the Boilermakers
• Purdue's first sellout crowd of the season came against Notre Dame (Sept. 2) with 2,415 fans in attendance. The Boilermakers currently rank eighth in the nation in attendance
Series History
The Boilermakers are 15-1 all-time against the tournament field:
Xavier: 3-0
Lipscomb: 1-0
Louisville: 11-1
Scouting Xavier
Xavier started the 2018 season 1-4 with losses against Missouri, Towson and Arizona State in Puerto Rico. The Musketeers were swept by Missouri (19-25, 21-25, 21-25) and Towson (20-25, 25-27, 17-25). Xavier took the second set from Arizona State, 25-13, but eventually fell 3-1 (13-25, 25-13, 23-25, 21-25). Paving the way for Xavier is senior outside hitter Laura Grossman, who owns a team-best 58 kills while also recording 39 digs. Senior libero Meredith Klare leads the defensive efforts for Xavier with a team-top 61 digs. The Musketeers are led by head coach Christy Pfeffenberger.
Last Meeting vs. the Musketeers
The last meeting between the two teams was Sept. 17, 2016 at Holloway Gymnasium. The Boilermakers swept the Musketeers by scores of 25-21, 25-21 and 25-11. Senior Sherridan Atkinson tallied seven kills while redshirt junior Blake Mohler tallied one of Purdue's four blocks in the match. Friday's contest marks Xavier's third visit to Holloway, having first visited in 2005 for the Mortar Board Premier.
Scouting Lipscomb
The Bisons travel to West Lafayette with an overall record of 3-2, coming off a sweep of San Diego State at the Cactus Classic. Lipscomb's other two wins were over SMU (3-0) and Iowa (3-2), while its losses were against Arizona (0-3) and Pacific (1-3). Overall, the Bisons are hitting .223, fueled with a team-best 76 kills from senior Carlyle Nusbaum on 183 attempts. Defensively, Lipscomb's efforts are paced by Lauren Anderson with a team-high 59 digs and 20 blocks from Ca'Layci Coffey. The Bisons are led by head coach Brandon Rosenthal.
Last Meeting vs. the Bisons
Friday night's matchup is only the second meeting between the Boilermakers and the Bisons. The teams first met on Sept. 3, 2010, when Purdue swept Lipscomb 25-15,25-18 and 25-23 in the Pitt Invitational.
Scouting Louisville
The Cardinals enter the tournament 4-2, enduring their first two losses of the season to No. 4-ranked Florida and No. 7-ranked USC during the Bubly Invitational. In the two losses, Louisville hit .203 against the Gators and .121 against the Trojians, its lowest marks of the 2018 season. Guiding the Cardinals are Melanie McHenry, Molly Sauer and Jasmine Bennett. McHenry has energized Louisville's offense with a team-best 62 kills, while Sauer and Bennett pace the defense with 82 digs and 20 blocks, respectively. The Cardinals are led by head coach Dani Bushboom Kelly.
Last Meeting vs. the Cardinals
Purdue and Louisville last met on Sept. 7, 2012, when the then-ranked No. 24 Cardinals claimed their only win against the Boilermakers. Snapping Purdue's 11-match win streak, Louisville claimed the match by scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-23.
Peters Named B1G Defensive Player of the Week
The No. 19 Purdue volleyball team picked up another Big Ten weekly award, this time senior libero Brooke Peters was honored with the Defensive Player of the Week for her performances against Oakland and Notre Dame. Peters posted a career-high 30 digs in the 3-1 victory against the Irish after delivering 10 vs. the Golden Grizzlies this past weekend. The veteran has tallied double-digit digs in Purdue's last 10 matches. Her performance in the back row helped the Boilermakers limit Oakland's offense to a .161 hitting percentage and Notre Dame's to a .168 mark. The honor is the first in her career and the first defensive recognition for Purdue since Amanda Neill on Nov. 17, 2014.
Tough Serve
Through their first five matches the Boilermakers have registered 36 aces, which is good for first among Big Ten opponents and ninth in the nation. Leading the nationally ranked effort is sophomore Julianna Reisinger with 11 aces, followed by Peters with nine and Atkinson with eight. All three rank in the top-75 nationally for aces per set with Reisinger checking in at 18, Peters at 28 and Atkinson at 74.
The two-day event will see talent from throughout the Midwest as well as Tennessee. Joining the field in this year's tournament is Lipscomb, Louisville and Xavier. Purdue looks to remain undefeated and improve to 8-0, a task that has not been accomplished since 2011, when Purdue went 14-0 to start the season.
AT THE NET – STACEY CLARK CLASSIC
Purdue vs. Xavier
Friday, Sept. 7 | 10 a.m.
Live Stats | Live Stream | Free Audio | Tickets
Purdue vs. Lipscomb
Friday, Sept. 7 | 7:30 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Stream | Free Audio | Tickets
Purdue vs. Lousiville
Saturday, Sept. 8 | 7:30 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Stream | Free Audio | Tickets
QUICK HITS
• Purdue is off to a 5-0 start for the second-straight year
• Senior Brooke Peters is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week
• Purdue is first in the Big Ten and ninth nationally in aces per set (2.12)
• Purdue will be playing at home in Holloway for the third-consecutive weekend, marking the first time in program history that the Boilermakers have opened a season with eight home matches
• The Boilermakers have a combined 15-1 record against Lipscomb, Louisville and Xavier (1-0 vs. Lipscomb | 11-1 vs. Louisville | 3-0 vs. Xavier
• Purdue is ranked 19th in this week's AVCA poll with 450 points. The Boilermakers were previously ranked No. 23 (Aug. 8) and No. 20 (Aug. 28)
• Purdue's lineup has already seen a number of players make an impact on the year as senior Sherridan Atkinson (4.71) as well as sophomore Caitlyn Newton (2.65), redshirt junior Blake Mohler (2.53) and freshman Grace Cleveland (2.41) all lead the Boilermkaers in kills per set
• Atkinson's 4.71 kills per set lead the Big Ten conference and rank eighth nationally
• The Boilermakers also possess a lethal setter in Hayley Bush, who averages 11.47 assists per set, which is good for first in the Big Ten and 13th in the nation
• Head coach Dave Shondell is in his 16th season with the Boilermakers
• Purdue's first sellout crowd of the season came against Notre Dame (Sept. 2) with 2,415 fans in attendance. The Boilermakers currently rank eighth in the nation in attendance
Series History
The Boilermakers are 15-1 all-time against the tournament field:
Xavier: 3-0
Lipscomb: 1-0
Louisville: 11-1
Scouting Xavier
Xavier started the 2018 season 1-4 with losses against Missouri, Towson and Arizona State in Puerto Rico. The Musketeers were swept by Missouri (19-25, 21-25, 21-25) and Towson (20-25, 25-27, 17-25). Xavier took the second set from Arizona State, 25-13, but eventually fell 3-1 (13-25, 25-13, 23-25, 21-25). Paving the way for Xavier is senior outside hitter Laura Grossman, who owns a team-best 58 kills while also recording 39 digs. Senior libero Meredith Klare leads the defensive efforts for Xavier with a team-top 61 digs. The Musketeers are led by head coach Christy Pfeffenberger.
Last Meeting vs. the Musketeers
The last meeting between the two teams was Sept. 17, 2016 at Holloway Gymnasium. The Boilermakers swept the Musketeers by scores of 25-21, 25-21 and 25-11. Senior Sherridan Atkinson tallied seven kills while redshirt junior Blake Mohler tallied one of Purdue's four blocks in the match. Friday's contest marks Xavier's third visit to Holloway, having first visited in 2005 for the Mortar Board Premier.
Scouting Lipscomb
The Bisons travel to West Lafayette with an overall record of 3-2, coming off a sweep of San Diego State at the Cactus Classic. Lipscomb's other two wins were over SMU (3-0) and Iowa (3-2), while its losses were against Arizona (0-3) and Pacific (1-3). Overall, the Bisons are hitting .223, fueled with a team-best 76 kills from senior Carlyle Nusbaum on 183 attempts. Defensively, Lipscomb's efforts are paced by Lauren Anderson with a team-high 59 digs and 20 blocks from Ca'Layci Coffey. The Bisons are led by head coach Brandon Rosenthal.
Last Meeting vs. the Bisons
Friday night's matchup is only the second meeting between the Boilermakers and the Bisons. The teams first met on Sept. 3, 2010, when Purdue swept Lipscomb 25-15,25-18 and 25-23 in the Pitt Invitational.
Scouting Louisville
The Cardinals enter the tournament 4-2, enduring their first two losses of the season to No. 4-ranked Florida and No. 7-ranked USC during the Bubly Invitational. In the two losses, Louisville hit .203 against the Gators and .121 against the Trojians, its lowest marks of the 2018 season. Guiding the Cardinals are Melanie McHenry, Molly Sauer and Jasmine Bennett. McHenry has energized Louisville's offense with a team-best 62 kills, while Sauer and Bennett pace the defense with 82 digs and 20 blocks, respectively. The Cardinals are led by head coach Dani Bushboom Kelly.
Last Meeting vs. the Cardinals
Purdue and Louisville last met on Sept. 7, 2012, when the then-ranked No. 24 Cardinals claimed their only win against the Boilermakers. Snapping Purdue's 11-match win streak, Louisville claimed the match by scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-23.
Peters Named B1G Defensive Player of the Week
The No. 19 Purdue volleyball team picked up another Big Ten weekly award, this time senior libero Brooke Peters was honored with the Defensive Player of the Week for her performances against Oakland and Notre Dame. Peters posted a career-high 30 digs in the 3-1 victory against the Irish after delivering 10 vs. the Golden Grizzlies this past weekend. The veteran has tallied double-digit digs in Purdue's last 10 matches. Her performance in the back row helped the Boilermakers limit Oakland's offense to a .161 hitting percentage and Notre Dame's to a .168 mark. The honor is the first in her career and the first defensive recognition for Purdue since Amanda Neill on Nov. 17, 2014.
Tough Serve
Through their first five matches the Boilermakers have registered 36 aces, which is good for first among Big Ten opponents and ninth in the nation. Leading the nationally ranked effort is sophomore Julianna Reisinger with 11 aces, followed by Peters with nine and Atkinson with eight. All three rank in the top-75 nationally for aces per set with Reisinger checking in at 18, Peters at 28 and Atkinson at 74.