WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 17 Purdue volleyball team hits the road this weekend as it challenges the Iowa Hawkeyes in an 8 p.m. ET matchup on Saturday.
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No. 17 Purdue at Iowa
Saturday, October 13, 2018
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The Boilermakers own a 53-22 record over Iowa since first meeting in 1977. Purdue has claimed seven of the last ten meetings between the two team, including a 3-2 victory in 2017.
Scouting Iowa
Receiving votes in the AVCA poll for the first time since 2015, Iowa comes into the match with a 12-6 overall record and a 4-3 showing in Big Ten action. The Hawkeyes most recently defeated No. 6 Wisconsin in five sets for the team's first win over a ranked opponent this season. In the victory, Iowa was guided by junior Cali Hoye and sophomore Brie Orr, who registered a career-high 30 kills and 59 assists, respectively. Hoye leads the Hawkeyes with 3.93 kills per set and 106 kills in conference play. On the defensive end, senior Molly Kelly ranks among the best in the Big Ten with 4.93 digs per set. Overall, Kelly's 340 digs rank first in the conference.
Last Meeting vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes
In 2017, then-No. 22 Purdue fought with its back against the wall, hitting .400 in the final two stanzas to take down the Hawkeyes in five sets (25-20, 19-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-9) at Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Former Boilermakers Danielle Cuttino and Azariah Stahl and senior Sherridan Atkinson all finished with kill totals in double figures. Cuttino was sensational in the contest registering 27 kills on 43 swings with just four errors to hit .535 against the Hawkeyes. Atkinson followed with 16 kills, a .300 hitting percentage, three blocks, an ace and was just two digs shy of a double-double. Stahl continued to do it all for the Boilermakers as the senior finished with 11 kills, an ace, 18 digs and four blocks. Blake Mohler also added eight kills and six blocks. Defensively, Brooke Peters recorded a season-high 22 digs, while Jena Otec earned six digs and an ace.
AT THE NET
No. 17 Purdue at Iowa
Saturday, October 13, 2018
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
QUICK HITS
- Last time out: For a second-straight year, No. 17 Purdue took No. 9 Penn State to four sets, but it was not enough as the Nittany Lions defeated the Boilermakers, 3-1 (28-26, 24-26, 22-25, 21-25) on Wednesday night. Redshirt freshman Hayley Bush set the offense to 50 assists, while connecting with senior Sherridan Atkinson, freshman Grace Cleveland, sophomore Caitlyn Newton and redshirt junior Blake Mohler 53 times. Atkinson finished the match with 15 kills, seven digs and an ace, followed by Cleveland with 14 kills and two blocks. Newton added 13 putaways, while Mohler finished the night with 11 kills and a team-best .421 hitting clip. Senior libero Brooke Peters led the defense with a match-high 29 digs and an ace. Sophomore Jena Otec chipped in 11 digs to tie her career-high performance set against Wyoming (September 2) last season. Freshman Marissa Hornung rounded out the Boilermakers in double-digit digs with 10.
- Commanding Purdue's offense, redshirt freshman Hayley Bush guides the Boilermakers with 10.71 assists per set. While her average ranks fifth in the Big Ten, her mark of 728 assists is the most by any Big Ten setter this season. Bush is also effective defensively as she leads the Boilermakers with three double-doubles on the season and just nearly missed her fourth with a match-high 37 assists and nine digs against Michigan State (10/6). The rookie is third on the team with 132 digs.
- Redshirt junior Blake Mohler and freshman Grace Cleveland has established themselves as Purdue's double threat along the net. Together they have combined for 133 blocks for the Boilermakers. Mohler leads the squad with a team-best 80 blocks, ranking eighth in the Big Ten overall. Cleveland follows with 53 blocks, including a team-best 16 solo blocks.
- Defensively, libero Brooke Peters guides the Boilermakers with 336 digs on the year and averages 4.94, which is good for second among Big Ten opponents. Overall, she has tallied 1,184 digs to become the 19th Boilermaker to surpass the 1,000-dig mark. Her total also ranks 11th in program history for most digs. She is 59 digs away from tying former Boilermaker and current Wisconsin volleyball assistant coach Brittany Dildine in 10th place with 1,243 career digs.
The Boilermakers own a 53-22 record over Iowa since first meeting in 1977. Purdue has claimed seven of the last ten meetings between the two team, including a 3-2 victory in 2017.
Scouting Iowa
Receiving votes in the AVCA poll for the first time since 2015, Iowa comes into the match with a 12-6 overall record and a 4-3 showing in Big Ten action. The Hawkeyes most recently defeated No. 6 Wisconsin in five sets for the team's first win over a ranked opponent this season. In the victory, Iowa was guided by junior Cali Hoye and sophomore Brie Orr, who registered a career-high 30 kills and 59 assists, respectively. Hoye leads the Hawkeyes with 3.93 kills per set and 106 kills in conference play. On the defensive end, senior Molly Kelly ranks among the best in the Big Ten with 4.93 digs per set. Overall, Kelly's 340 digs rank first in the conference.
Last Meeting vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes
In 2017, then-No. 22 Purdue fought with its back against the wall, hitting .400 in the final two stanzas to take down the Hawkeyes in five sets (25-20, 19-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-9) at Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Former Boilermakers Danielle Cuttino and Azariah Stahl and senior Sherridan Atkinson all finished with kill totals in double figures. Cuttino was sensational in the contest registering 27 kills on 43 swings with just four errors to hit .535 against the Hawkeyes. Atkinson followed with 16 kills, a .300 hitting percentage, three blocks, an ace and was just two digs shy of a double-double. Stahl continued to do it all for the Boilermakers as the senior finished with 11 kills, an ace, 18 digs and four blocks. Blake Mohler also added eight kills and six blocks. Defensively, Brooke Peters recorded a season-high 22 digs, while Jena Otec earned six digs and an ace.