WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Following a pair of productive weeks at home, the No.15 Boilermakers head east for contests at Rutgers and No.8 Penn State. The Boilermakers open the weekend with a 7 p.m. ET match against the Scarlet Knights on Friday, followed with a 7 p.m. contest against the Nittany Lions on Saturday.
No. 15 Purdue vs. Rutgers
Friday, Nov. 8 | 7 p.m. ET
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No. 15 Purdue vs. No.8 Penn State
Saturday, Nov. 9 | 7 p.m. ET
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SERIES HISTORY
The Boilermakers are 17-56 all-time against this weekend's field:
Rutgers: 10-0
No. 8 Penn State: 7-56
QUICK HITS
•The Boilermakers are looking to bounce back from a four-set loss to then-No.6 Minnesota on Nov. 3. The Gophers won the match 25-23, 16-25, 25-17, 25-19 at Holloway Gymnasium, snapping a four-game winning streak for the Boilermakers.
• Junior Caitlyn Newton and sophomore Grace Cleveland lead Purdue's offensive charge with 272 kills apiece. Newton also guides Purdue with 3.74 kills per set, good for fifth in the Big Ten and 75th in the NCAA. Cleveland follows with 3.35 kills per set, ranking 10th in the league.
• Redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush leads the Boilermakers with six double-doubles on the season. In addition to registering a team-best 871 assists, Bush is third on the team with 168 digs. Last season, the setter also paced Purdue with a team-high six double-doubles as a freshman.
• Redshirt senior Shavona Cuttino tops Purdue with 1.33 blocks per set, which is good for third in the Big Ten and 27th in the NCAA. Fellow senior Blake Mohler follows with 1.24 blocks per set, ranking sixth in the league, while sophomore Grace Cleveland ranks 10th with 1.11. As a team, the Boilermakers are first in the Big Ten and 12th in the NCAA with 2.81 blocks per set.
• Tallying seven aces through Purdue's last four matches, Jena Otec guides the Boilermakers with 34 service aces. Averaging 0.42 aces per set, the Missouri native ranks second in the Big Ten and 49th in the NCAA. As a freshman, Otec directed Purdue with 33 aces in 2017. Overall, Otec owns 99 career aces. The last Boilermaker to reach 100 aces was Brooke Peters, who concluded her collegiate career with 112 (2018). Otec is 46 aces away from breaking into Purdue's top-10 career list. She would tie Jill Whiteman, who collected 145 aces from 1987-90.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
• Rutgers comes into the weekend 8-15 overall and 2-10 in Big Ten play after picking up two of its last three matches with a five-set victory over Northwestern and a straight-set win at Iowa last week.
• Rutgers' victory over Northwestern on Oct. 27 marked its first Big Ten win since a 3-2 victory over Maryland on Oct. 21, 2015. In the contest, four Scarlet Knights picked up double-digit kills led by outside hitter Tali Marmen with 14, while setter Inna Balyko collected a new career best in assists (52).
• Tali Marmen leads the Scarlet Knights with 2.35 kills per set (167 total) and is hitting.120 on the season.
• As a team, Rutgers is fourth in the Big Ten in blocks (2.54) and is one of six teams in the league to have at least two players ranked among the top 15. Merle Weidt is currently eighth in the conference (1.19), while Rutgers all-time block assist leader Jasmine Stackhouse is tied for 10th with 1.11 blocks per set.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
• Penn State is looking to regroup from last week's five-set loss to then-No.8 Nebraska last weekend. The extra-set defeat snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Nittany Lions.
• Following the loss, Penn State moves to No. 8 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions have been ranked in 453consecutive polls dating back to the end of the 1988 season.
• Penn State ranks fourth in the Big Ten with a .262 hitting percentage in conference matches.
• A two-time Big Ten Setter of the Week, Gabby Blossom paces Penn State's .262 hitting percentage with 11.16 assists per set. Her performance ranks fourth in the league and 23rd in the nation.
• Jonni Parker leads the team with 3.54 kills per set. Overall, Penn State deliver 13.39 kills per set.
• Kaitlyn Hord is averaging 2.61 kills per set on a .422 hitting percentage, which ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation.
No. 15 Purdue vs. Rutgers
Friday, Nov. 8 | 7 p.m. ET
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
No. 15 Purdue vs. No.8 Penn State
Saturday, Nov. 9 | 7 p.m. ET
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
SERIES HISTORY
The Boilermakers are 17-56 all-time against this weekend's field:
Rutgers: 10-0
No. 8 Penn State: 7-56
QUICK HITS
•The Boilermakers are looking to bounce back from a four-set loss to then-No.6 Minnesota on Nov. 3. The Gophers won the match 25-23, 16-25, 25-17, 25-19 at Holloway Gymnasium, snapping a four-game winning streak for the Boilermakers.
• Junior Caitlyn Newton and sophomore Grace Cleveland lead Purdue's offensive charge with 272 kills apiece. Newton also guides Purdue with 3.74 kills per set, good for fifth in the Big Ten and 75th in the NCAA. Cleveland follows with 3.35 kills per set, ranking 10th in the league.
• Redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush leads the Boilermakers with six double-doubles on the season. In addition to registering a team-best 871 assists, Bush is third on the team with 168 digs. Last season, the setter also paced Purdue with a team-high six double-doubles as a freshman.
• Redshirt senior Shavona Cuttino tops Purdue with 1.33 blocks per set, which is good for third in the Big Ten and 27th in the NCAA. Fellow senior Blake Mohler follows with 1.24 blocks per set, ranking sixth in the league, while sophomore Grace Cleveland ranks 10th with 1.11. As a team, the Boilermakers are first in the Big Ten and 12th in the NCAA with 2.81 blocks per set.
• Tallying seven aces through Purdue's last four matches, Jena Otec guides the Boilermakers with 34 service aces. Averaging 0.42 aces per set, the Missouri native ranks second in the Big Ten and 49th in the NCAA. As a freshman, Otec directed Purdue with 33 aces in 2017. Overall, Otec owns 99 career aces. The last Boilermaker to reach 100 aces was Brooke Peters, who concluded her collegiate career with 112 (2018). Otec is 46 aces away from breaking into Purdue's top-10 career list. She would tie Jill Whiteman, who collected 145 aces from 1987-90.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
• Rutgers comes into the weekend 8-15 overall and 2-10 in Big Ten play after picking up two of its last three matches with a five-set victory over Northwestern and a straight-set win at Iowa last week.
• Rutgers' victory over Northwestern on Oct. 27 marked its first Big Ten win since a 3-2 victory over Maryland on Oct. 21, 2015. In the contest, four Scarlet Knights picked up double-digit kills led by outside hitter Tali Marmen with 14, while setter Inna Balyko collected a new career best in assists (52).
• Tali Marmen leads the Scarlet Knights with 2.35 kills per set (167 total) and is hitting.120 on the season.
• As a team, Rutgers is fourth in the Big Ten in blocks (2.54) and is one of six teams in the league to have at least two players ranked among the top 15. Merle Weidt is currently eighth in the conference (1.19), while Rutgers all-time block assist leader Jasmine Stackhouse is tied for 10th with 1.11 blocks per set.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
• Penn State is looking to regroup from last week's five-set loss to then-No.8 Nebraska last weekend. The extra-set defeat snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Nittany Lions.
• Following the loss, Penn State moves to No. 8 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions have been ranked in 453consecutive polls dating back to the end of the 1988 season.
• Penn State ranks fourth in the Big Ten with a .262 hitting percentage in conference matches.
• A two-time Big Ten Setter of the Week, Gabby Blossom paces Penn State's .262 hitting percentage with 11.16 assists per set. Her performance ranks fourth in the league and 23rd in the nation.
• Jonni Parker leads the team with 3.54 kills per set. Overall, Penn State deliver 13.39 kills per set.
• Kaitlyn Hord is averaging 2.61 kills per set on a .422 hitting percentage, which ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation.