GAMEDAY INFORMATION
2019 NCAA Tournament Central | Tickets | Game Notes (PDF)
PURDUE AT BAYLOR
Friday, Dec. 13 | 12 p.m. ET
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 (Washington vs. Kentucky)
Saturday, December 14 | 4 p.m. ET
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No.14 Purdue volleyball team continues the NCAA Tournament in Waco, Texas this weekend with a regional semifinal match against No.1 Baylor on Friday. The Boilermakers and the Bears are set for a noon ET start at Baylor's Ferrell Center. The second regional semifinal match features No.9 Washington against No.11 Kentucky at 2:30 p.m. ET. Friday's winners will meet in the regional final on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
Friday's match will be televised on ESPNU and the ESPN app with Sam Gore and Katie George on the call. Purdue will also provide its regular live audio broadcast on purduesports.com and WSHY 104.3 FM.
QUICK HITS
• Purdue has won eight straight matches to improve its overall record to 24-7. The Boilermakers have reached 20 wins in 24 seasons, including 12 season with 25 wins. Purdue last reached 25 wins in 2005, when the Boilermakers went 25-9.
• The Boilermakers are making their 11th NCAA regional appearance in 21 trips to the NCAA tournament.
• Purdue has been to a regional eight times Dave Shondell's 17 seasons as head coach. The Boilermakers last advanced to the regionals in 2015.
• The 2019 Boilermaker squad is looking to become the first Purdue volleyball team to reach the final four in program history.
• Dave Shondell is 25-13 in the NCAA Tournament at Purdue.
• Purdue leads the Big Ten in total team blocks with 333.5 on the year. The marks ranks seventh in the NCAA and is a program best since the Boilermakers tallied 340.5 blocks in 2013. Purdue's most team blocks came in 1980, when the Boilermakers registered 458.
• The Boilermakers have held 19 of their 31 opponents under .200 hitting this year, and three have hit below .100.
• Purdue ranks second in the Big Ten and 59th national in aces per set at 1.54. Junior Jena Otec leads the team with 0.42 aces per set, which ranks first in the Big Ten and 38th in the nation. Otec has 50 aces this season, the most by a Boilermaker since Jill Whiteman registered 50 in 1990. Otec's 50 aces ranks 23rd in the nation.
• Redshirt sophomore setter has a team-best nine double-doubles and is averaging 10.76 assists per set and 2.08 digs per set. She is the only Boilermaker to record more than one double-double this season.
• Sophomore Grace Cleveland, redshirt senior Blake Mohler and junior Caitlyn Newton all were named AVCA All-Northeast Region first-team, marking only the third time in program history that Purdue has put three players on the AVCA All-Region first-team. The first came in 2015 with Annie Drews, Faye Adelaja and Danielle Cuttino all earning first-team accolades. The second came in 2017, when Cuttino, Ashley Evans and Sherridan Atkinson were named to the all-region team. Cleveland and Mohler were also selected to the 2019 All-Big Ten first-team, while Newton was named to the conference's second team.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
• Baylor is the No. 1 overall seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and is seeded for the second time in program history.
• Appearing in the NCAA Tournament for a school-record fourth consecutive season and eighth time overall, the Bears own an 8-7 NCAA postseason record.
• Baylor has advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time under McGuyre and first time in 10 years.
• Baylor is 0-2 against Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament with the losses coming in 1999 and 2011.
• Baylor has played 13 total games against 10 different NCAA Tournament teams in the regular season.
• BU was 12-1 against the 2019 NCAA Tournament field during the regular season – No. 4 and second-seeded Texas (1-1), No. 5 and fourth-seeded Wisconsin (1-0), No. 18 and 12th-seeded Hawaii (1-0), Marquette (1-0), Missouri (1-0), UCLA (1-0), Iowa State (2-0), Oklahoma (2-0), Creighton (1-0) and Texas State (1-0).
• Looking to advance to the NCAA Regional Final for the first time in program history, BU is on an 11-match winning streak and has won 12 straight matches against non-Big 12 opponents.
• BU is 59-17 all-time in home matches under head coach Ryan McGuyre, including a 15-0 showing this season.
• Yossiana Pressley leads the Baylor offense with 5.42 kills per set, second in the nation, and 5.81 points per set, fourth in the nation.
• The Bears rank seventh nationally as a team, handing out 13.65 assists per set, with Hannah Lockin leading the way at 11.43. Lockin's mark ranks first in the Big 12 and 11th the nation.
• The team is seventh in the nation in kills per set, at 14.57 and rank eighth with a .287 hitting percentage. The Bears allow opponents to hit .156 during the year, the 14th best number in the nation.
SCOUTING WASHINGTON
• This weekend marks Washington's 15th all-time appearance in the regional rounds, including seven trips to the sweet sixteen in the last eight seasons.
•The Huskies have gone 10-4 in the round of 16, and 4-6 in the quarterfinals, last winning their region in 2013.
• Last weekend, Washington opened the tournament at home with 3-0 wins over Winthrop and South Carolina. The Huskies played three tight sets, winning three of the six sets by two points each.
• Kara Bajema shined for the Husky offense with 18 kills in both matches, hitting .532 for the weekend.
• Overall, the Huskies are 26-6 on the season and finished the Pacific-12 season with a 15-5 record.
• Keegan Cook is in his fifth season as UW's head coach and has a 131-35 record.
• The Huskies are ranked ninth in both the NCAA RPI and the latest American Volleyball Coaches' Association top-25.
• Kara Bajema leads UW with 4.57 kills per set, which sets up for a great match-up with UK's Edmond, who is averaging 4.43 kills per set.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
• Kentucky is back in the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row and looking to punch its ticket to the Elite Eight for the second time in three years.
• In 2017, UK advanced past BYU in the Sweet 16 before falling to Nebraska in the regional final. Last year in Minneapolis, UK advanced into the Sweet 16 with a sweep of Purdue in the Lexington Sub-Regional.
• This season, UK has won all six of its NCAA Tournament sets, sweeping SEMO and Michigan inside of Memorial Coliseum this past weekend to advance to Waco.
• Senior Leah Edmond is a three-time All-American and won SEC Player of the Year this season for the second-straight year.
• Junior libero Gabby Curry won SEC Libero of the year for the second time, and junior setter Madison Lilley and sophomore outside hitter Alli Stumler were also named All-SEC.
• Kentucky went 16-2 in the SEC to share the title with Florida.
2019 NCAA Tournament Central | Tickets | Game Notes (PDF)
PURDUE AT BAYLOR
Friday, Dec. 13 | 12 p.m. ET
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 (Washington vs. Kentucky)
Saturday, December 14 | 4 p.m. ET
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No.14 Purdue volleyball team continues the NCAA Tournament in Waco, Texas this weekend with a regional semifinal match against No.1 Baylor on Friday. The Boilermakers and the Bears are set for a noon ET start at Baylor's Ferrell Center. The second regional semifinal match features No.9 Washington against No.11 Kentucky at 2:30 p.m. ET. Friday's winners will meet in the regional final on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
Friday's match will be televised on ESPNU and the ESPN app with Sam Gore and Katie George on the call. Purdue will also provide its regular live audio broadcast on purduesports.com and WSHY 104.3 FM.
QUICK HITS
• Purdue has won eight straight matches to improve its overall record to 24-7. The Boilermakers have reached 20 wins in 24 seasons, including 12 season with 25 wins. Purdue last reached 25 wins in 2005, when the Boilermakers went 25-9.
• The Boilermakers are making their 11th NCAA regional appearance in 21 trips to the NCAA tournament.
• Purdue has been to a regional eight times Dave Shondell's 17 seasons as head coach. The Boilermakers last advanced to the regionals in 2015.
• The 2019 Boilermaker squad is looking to become the first Purdue volleyball team to reach the final four in program history.
• Dave Shondell is 25-13 in the NCAA Tournament at Purdue.
• Purdue leads the Big Ten in total team blocks with 333.5 on the year. The marks ranks seventh in the NCAA and is a program best since the Boilermakers tallied 340.5 blocks in 2013. Purdue's most team blocks came in 1980, when the Boilermakers registered 458.
• The Boilermakers have held 19 of their 31 opponents under .200 hitting this year, and three have hit below .100.
• Purdue ranks second in the Big Ten and 59th national in aces per set at 1.54. Junior Jena Otec leads the team with 0.42 aces per set, which ranks first in the Big Ten and 38th in the nation. Otec has 50 aces this season, the most by a Boilermaker since Jill Whiteman registered 50 in 1990. Otec's 50 aces ranks 23rd in the nation.
• Redshirt sophomore setter has a team-best nine double-doubles and is averaging 10.76 assists per set and 2.08 digs per set. She is the only Boilermaker to record more than one double-double this season.
• Sophomore Grace Cleveland, redshirt senior Blake Mohler and junior Caitlyn Newton all were named AVCA All-Northeast Region first-team, marking only the third time in program history that Purdue has put three players on the AVCA All-Region first-team. The first came in 2015 with Annie Drews, Faye Adelaja and Danielle Cuttino all earning first-team accolades. The second came in 2017, when Cuttino, Ashley Evans and Sherridan Atkinson were named to the all-region team. Cleveland and Mohler were also selected to the 2019 All-Big Ten first-team, while Newton was named to the conference's second team.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
• Baylor is the No. 1 overall seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and is seeded for the second time in program history.
• Appearing in the NCAA Tournament for a school-record fourth consecutive season and eighth time overall, the Bears own an 8-7 NCAA postseason record.
• Baylor has advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time under McGuyre and first time in 10 years.
• Baylor is 0-2 against Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament with the losses coming in 1999 and 2011.
• Baylor has played 13 total games against 10 different NCAA Tournament teams in the regular season.
• BU was 12-1 against the 2019 NCAA Tournament field during the regular season – No. 4 and second-seeded Texas (1-1), No. 5 and fourth-seeded Wisconsin (1-0), No. 18 and 12th-seeded Hawaii (1-0), Marquette (1-0), Missouri (1-0), UCLA (1-0), Iowa State (2-0), Oklahoma (2-0), Creighton (1-0) and Texas State (1-0).
• Looking to advance to the NCAA Regional Final for the first time in program history, BU is on an 11-match winning streak and has won 12 straight matches against non-Big 12 opponents.
• BU is 59-17 all-time in home matches under head coach Ryan McGuyre, including a 15-0 showing this season.
• Yossiana Pressley leads the Baylor offense with 5.42 kills per set, second in the nation, and 5.81 points per set, fourth in the nation.
• The Bears rank seventh nationally as a team, handing out 13.65 assists per set, with Hannah Lockin leading the way at 11.43. Lockin's mark ranks first in the Big 12 and 11th the nation.
• The team is seventh in the nation in kills per set, at 14.57 and rank eighth with a .287 hitting percentage. The Bears allow opponents to hit .156 during the year, the 14th best number in the nation.
SCOUTING WASHINGTON
• This weekend marks Washington's 15th all-time appearance in the regional rounds, including seven trips to the sweet sixteen in the last eight seasons.
•The Huskies have gone 10-4 in the round of 16, and 4-6 in the quarterfinals, last winning their region in 2013.
• Last weekend, Washington opened the tournament at home with 3-0 wins over Winthrop and South Carolina. The Huskies played three tight sets, winning three of the six sets by two points each.
• Kara Bajema shined for the Husky offense with 18 kills in both matches, hitting .532 for the weekend.
• Overall, the Huskies are 26-6 on the season and finished the Pacific-12 season with a 15-5 record.
• Keegan Cook is in his fifth season as UW's head coach and has a 131-35 record.
• The Huskies are ranked ninth in both the NCAA RPI and the latest American Volleyball Coaches' Association top-25.
• Kara Bajema leads UW with 4.57 kills per set, which sets up for a great match-up with UK's Edmond, who is averaging 4.43 kills per set.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
• Kentucky is back in the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row and looking to punch its ticket to the Elite Eight for the second time in three years.
• In 2017, UK advanced past BYU in the Sweet 16 before falling to Nebraska in the regional final. Last year in Minneapolis, UK advanced into the Sweet 16 with a sweep of Purdue in the Lexington Sub-Regional.
• This season, UK has won all six of its NCAA Tournament sets, sweeping SEMO and Michigan inside of Memorial Coliseum this past weekend to advance to Waco.
• Senior Leah Edmond is a three-time All-American and won SEC Player of the Year this season for the second-straight year.
• Junior libero Gabby Curry won SEC Libero of the year for the second time, and junior setter Madison Lilley and sophomore outside hitter Alli Stumler were also named All-SEC.
• Kentucky went 16-2 in the SEC to share the title with Florida.