MATCH NOTES
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 20 Purdue and Indiana continue a 44-year old tradition on Wednesday night with their annual Monon Spike match. The Big Ten contest is slated for 7 p.m. ET in Bloomington and marks the 102nd meeting between the two programs.
NO 20 PURDUE AT INDIANA
Wednesday, Oct. 9 | 7 p.m. ET
Monon Spike Match | Bloomington
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
SERIES INFORMATION
Purdue owns a 68-34 all-time record against Indiana since winning the first two meetings in the series, which began on Oct. 4, 1975. Indiana claimed eight of the next nine matches until 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 have won 11 straight since 2008, including season sweeps in 2008 and 2010-2018.
THE MONON SPIKE
The 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 traveling trophy, which is presented to the winning team after one of the two annual matches. The Spike match alternates locations each season.
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 33 "P" links and 12 "I" links.
*Purdue and Indiana match up twice a year, but the Monon Spike is only given out at one of the matches, alternating between West Lafayette and Bloomington each year.
SCOUTING INDIANA
- Indiana comes into Wednesday's match with a 12-5 overall record and a 1-3 Big Ten showing. The Hoosiers non-conference slate was highlight by victories over then-No.15
- The 2019 Indiana squad returns nine players, has nine new players and seven seniors.
- The Indiana volleyball team is directed by second-year head coach Steve Aird. In his first season with the Hoosiers, Aird took a team that had finished 1-19 in the Big Ten in 2017 to 7-13 in the conference, with a season sweep of Ohio State and win against No. 14 Michigan.
- The Hoosiers rank fifth in the Big Ten in blocking at 2.58 blocks per set. Indiana has recorded double-digit blocks in eight matches this season, including a season best of 17 blocks in their win over Kentucky.
-Freshman Haley Armstrong leads the Hoosiers in digs with 185 and 3.80 per set. Armstrong ranks eighth in the Big Ten and third among Big Ten freshmen in digs on the season. She has three matches this season with at least 20 digs. Armstrong has reached double-digit digs in 11 of her 13 matches this season.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 20 Purdue and Indiana continue a 44-year old tradition on Wednesday night with their annual Monon Spike match. The Big Ten contest is slated for 7 p.m. ET in Bloomington and marks the 102nd meeting between the two programs.
NO 20 PURDUE AT INDIANA
Wednesday, Oct. 9 | 7 p.m. ET
Monon Spike Match | Bloomington
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
SERIES INFORMATION
Purdue owns a 68-34 all-time record against Indiana since winning the first two meetings in the series, which began on Oct. 4, 1975. Indiana claimed eight of the next nine matches until 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 have won 11 straight since 2008, including season sweeps in 2008 and 2010-2018.
THE MONON SPIKE
The 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 traveling trophy, which is presented to the winning team after one of the two annual matches. The Spike match alternates locations each season.
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 33 "P" links and 12 "I" links.
*Purdue and Indiana match up twice a year, but the Monon Spike is only given out at one of the matches, alternating between West Lafayette and Bloomington each year.
SCOUTING INDIANA
- Indiana comes into Wednesday's match with a 12-5 overall record and a 1-3 Big Ten showing. The Hoosiers non-conference slate was highlight by victories over then-No.15
- The 2019 Indiana squad returns nine players, has nine new players and seven seniors.
- The Indiana volleyball team is directed by second-year head coach Steve Aird. In his first season with the Hoosiers, Aird took a team that had finished 1-19 in the Big Ten in 2017 to 7-13 in the conference, with a season sweep of Ohio State and win against No. 14 Michigan.
- The Hoosiers rank fifth in the Big Ten in blocking at 2.58 blocks per set. Indiana has recorded double-digit blocks in eight matches this season, including a season best of 17 blocks in their win over Kentucky.
-Freshman Haley Armstrong leads the Hoosiers in digs with 185 and 3.80 per set. Armstrong ranks eighth in the Big Ten and third among Big Ten freshmen in digs on the season. She has three matches this season with at least 20 digs. Armstrong has reached double-digit digs in 11 of her 13 matches this season.