Game Notes
Saturday, Feb. 13 | 6 p.m. ET
BTN+ | WSHY 104.3
No. 11 Purdue at No. 24 Michigan
Friday, Feb. 6 | 5:30 p.m. ET
BTN | WSHY 104.3
No. 11 Purdue at No. 24 Michigan
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 11 Purdue volleyball team (2-4) is set to take on No. 24 Michigan (0-0) in a Saturday and Sunday matchup in Ann Arbor.
The Boilermakers and Wolverines are set to square-off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on BTN+ and return Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET for a second round on BTN.
Purdue Schedule Notes
- Purdue continues its loaded start to the 2021 season with its third top-25 opponent in four weeks.
- The Boilermakers have played a top-25 ranked opponent for five of the last six weeks, dating back to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Second Round (Dec. 7, 2019 vs. #16 Marquette).
Last Time Out vs. Michigan
- In 2019, the Boilermakers and Wolverines played in back-to-back matches (Nov. 23 and Nov 27). Purdue won both meetings:
11/23/19 | No. 17 Purdue 3, No. 23 Michigan 0
11/27/19 | No. 16 Purdue 3, No. 22 Michigan 2
- Extra points were needed in each of the matchups to decide the final set. In the Nov. 23 sweep, Purdue took the third set 29-27. On Nov. 27, wo sets went to extras in Ann Arbor: the first (26-24, Purdue) and the fifth (20-18, Purdue).
- There were 12 ties in the fifth set alone at Michigan (11/27).
- Caitlyn Newton recorded a career-best seven aces (tied for most in program history in a five setter) and eight blocks at Michigan (11/27).
- Purdue out-blocked Michigan 17-11 while Michigan held the edge in hitting %: .208 (60-28-154) - .218 (68-29-179).
Scouting No. 11 Purdue (2-4)
- The Boilermakers are coming off a 24-8 (14-6 B1G) record and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
- Purdue's No. 11 AVCA ranking is the highest program ranking since Sept. 19, 2019.
- As a team, Purdue owns 280 kills on 787 attempts and .227 attack %.
- The Boilermakers have out-served their opponents, 35-15 in aces and 1.59-0.68 in serve %.
- Purdue's defense is among the best in the Big Ten, ranking second in both digs per set (15.91) and opponent service aces (0.68 per set).
- Two of the team's three 2019 All-Americans returned: Grace Cleveland (third-team) and Caitlyn Newton (honorable mention).
Scouting No. 24 Michigan (0-0)
- The weekend will be the first competition of the 2021 season for the Wolverines, after their first week vs. Penn State was paused due to COVID-19 concerns, while the next two weeks (Michigan State and Northwestern) were postponed due to a department-wide pause on athletic activities.
- Michigan started the season ranked No. 23 in the AVCA polls, which they've held until the latest poll, which they dropped one spot to No. 24.
- Junior outside hitter Paige Jones was a 2019 AVCA All-America third team member and unanimous All-Big Ten first team honoree. Additionally, she was selected to the 2021 preseason All-Big Ten team as Michigan's lone representative.
- Top returners include Jones, Jess Robinson and May Pertofsky. Robinson returns as the most efficient offensive player, having produced a .316 attack % with 226 kills and 80 errors on 462 swings. Meanwhile Pertofsky was a 2019 All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree who registered 11 double-double performances.
- Six Wolverines joined the Michigan team for the 2021 season, featuring Michigan State transfer Hannah Grant and newcomer Jess Mruzik, the Gatorade National Player of the Year, Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and VolleyballMag.com's No. 2 recruit in the nation.
In 2019, Michigan was No. 4 in the conference with a .266 hitting percentage (Purdue hit a .245).
Caitlyn Newton: Playing her Best Volleyball in 2021
- Newton enters Week 4 as the only Big Ten player to rank among the top two in the league in kills per set (4.38), points per set (5.05) and aces (12).
- Newton put on two stellar performances against No. 6 Minnesota, totaling 53 kills on 159 attempts for a .226 hitting % and 5.75 points per set, while 20 digs over the 10 sets.
- The senior set career-highs in kills, attempts, points and digs vs. No. 6 Minnesota.
- Set the No. 1 and No. 2 Big Ten season-highs in attempts both nights – both surpassing her career-best of 65 heading into the week.
- Heading into last weekend, the most attempts allowed by No. 6 Minnesota was 39. Newton more than doubled it in the first match (2/5, 84 attempts) and was just three shy of doing it again the second night (2/6, 75 attempts). Additionally, the most points allowed by No. 6 Minnesota was 13.0. Newton more than doubled it night two and was just two kills shy of doubling it the first night.
- Newton is the lone Big Ten student-athlete to notch even 20 kills vs. Minnesota this season and Newton did it both nights (29 and 24).
Night One Highlights (2/5):
- Recorded a double-double with 24 kills and a career-high 14 digs.
- Posted 84 attempts, a career-best and the most by a Boilermaker since Ariel Turner's 76 vs. Minnesota (12/7/2012).
Night Two Highlights (2/6):
- Recorded a career-high 29 kills with nine errors on 75 attempts (.267 hitting %).
- Set the Big Ten season-best with 31.5 points.
- Her 75 attempts are the second-most in her career.
Grace Cleveland: Season Debut
- Junior Grace Cleveland made her season debut a week ago vs. No. 6 Minnesota, where she tallied 30 kills over the two matches.
Career Markers to Watch (Through matches of 2/12/21)
- Four Boilermakers nearing their 1,000th career kills/digs benchmark:
> Caitlyn Newton: 915 kills
> Jena Otec: 895 digs
> Marissa Hornung: 935 digs
> Grace Cleveland: 729 kills.
- Meanwhile, redshirt junior Hayley Bush looks for her 3,000 career assist: 2,944.
Saturday, Feb. 13 | 6 p.m. ET
BTN+ | WSHY 104.3
No. 11 Purdue at No. 24 Michigan
Friday, Feb. 6 | 5:30 p.m. ET
BTN | WSHY 104.3
No. 11 Purdue at No. 24 Michigan
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 11 Purdue volleyball team (2-4) is set to take on No. 24 Michigan (0-0) in a Saturday and Sunday matchup in Ann Arbor.
The Boilermakers and Wolverines are set to square-off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on BTN+ and return Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET for a second round on BTN.
Purdue Schedule Notes
- Purdue continues its loaded start to the 2021 season with its third top-25 opponent in four weeks.
- The Boilermakers have played a top-25 ranked opponent for five of the last six weeks, dating back to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Second Round (Dec. 7, 2019 vs. #16 Marquette).
Last Time Out vs. Michigan
- In 2019, the Boilermakers and Wolverines played in back-to-back matches (Nov. 23 and Nov 27). Purdue won both meetings:
11/23/19 | No. 17 Purdue 3, No. 23 Michigan 0
11/27/19 | No. 16 Purdue 3, No. 22 Michigan 2
- Extra points were needed in each of the matchups to decide the final set. In the Nov. 23 sweep, Purdue took the third set 29-27. On Nov. 27, wo sets went to extras in Ann Arbor: the first (26-24, Purdue) and the fifth (20-18, Purdue).
- There were 12 ties in the fifth set alone at Michigan (11/27).
- Caitlyn Newton recorded a career-best seven aces (tied for most in program history in a five setter) and eight blocks at Michigan (11/27).
- Purdue out-blocked Michigan 17-11 while Michigan held the edge in hitting %: .208 (60-28-154) - .218 (68-29-179).
Scouting No. 11 Purdue (2-4)
- The Boilermakers are coming off a 24-8 (14-6 B1G) record and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
- Purdue's No. 11 AVCA ranking is the highest program ranking since Sept. 19, 2019.
- As a team, Purdue owns 280 kills on 787 attempts and .227 attack %.
- The Boilermakers have out-served their opponents, 35-15 in aces and 1.59-0.68 in serve %.
- Purdue's defense is among the best in the Big Ten, ranking second in both digs per set (15.91) and opponent service aces (0.68 per set).
- Two of the team's three 2019 All-Americans returned: Grace Cleveland (third-team) and Caitlyn Newton (honorable mention).
Scouting No. 24 Michigan (0-0)
- The weekend will be the first competition of the 2021 season for the Wolverines, after their first week vs. Penn State was paused due to COVID-19 concerns, while the next two weeks (Michigan State and Northwestern) were postponed due to a department-wide pause on athletic activities.
- Michigan started the season ranked No. 23 in the AVCA polls, which they've held until the latest poll, which they dropped one spot to No. 24.
- Junior outside hitter Paige Jones was a 2019 AVCA All-America third team member and unanimous All-Big Ten first team honoree. Additionally, she was selected to the 2021 preseason All-Big Ten team as Michigan's lone representative.
- Top returners include Jones, Jess Robinson and May Pertofsky. Robinson returns as the most efficient offensive player, having produced a .316 attack % with 226 kills and 80 errors on 462 swings. Meanwhile Pertofsky was a 2019 All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree who registered 11 double-double performances.
- Six Wolverines joined the Michigan team for the 2021 season, featuring Michigan State transfer Hannah Grant and newcomer Jess Mruzik, the Gatorade National Player of the Year, Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and VolleyballMag.com's No. 2 recruit in the nation.
In 2019, Michigan was No. 4 in the conference with a .266 hitting percentage (Purdue hit a .245).
Caitlyn Newton: Playing her Best Volleyball in 2021
- Newton enters Week 4 as the only Big Ten player to rank among the top two in the league in kills per set (4.38), points per set (5.05) and aces (12).
- Newton put on two stellar performances against No. 6 Minnesota, totaling 53 kills on 159 attempts for a .226 hitting % and 5.75 points per set, while 20 digs over the 10 sets.
- The senior set career-highs in kills, attempts, points and digs vs. No. 6 Minnesota.
- Set the No. 1 and No. 2 Big Ten season-highs in attempts both nights – both surpassing her career-best of 65 heading into the week.
- Heading into last weekend, the most attempts allowed by No. 6 Minnesota was 39. Newton more than doubled it in the first match (2/5, 84 attempts) and was just three shy of doing it again the second night (2/6, 75 attempts). Additionally, the most points allowed by No. 6 Minnesota was 13.0. Newton more than doubled it night two and was just two kills shy of doubling it the first night.
- Newton is the lone Big Ten student-athlete to notch even 20 kills vs. Minnesota this season and Newton did it both nights (29 and 24).
Night One Highlights (2/5):
- Recorded a double-double with 24 kills and a career-high 14 digs.
- Posted 84 attempts, a career-best and the most by a Boilermaker since Ariel Turner's 76 vs. Minnesota (12/7/2012).
Night Two Highlights (2/6):
- Recorded a career-high 29 kills with nine errors on 75 attempts (.267 hitting %).
- Set the Big Ten season-best with 31.5 points.
- Her 75 attempts are the second-most in her career.
Grace Cleveland: Season Debut
- Junior Grace Cleveland made her season debut a week ago vs. No. 6 Minnesota, where she tallied 30 kills over the two matches.
Career Markers to Watch (Through matches of 2/12/21)
- Four Boilermakers nearing their 1,000th career kills/digs benchmark:
> Caitlyn Newton: 915 kills
> Jena Otec: 895 digs
> Marissa Hornung: 935 digs
> Grace Cleveland: 729 kills.
- Meanwhile, redshirt junior Hayley Bush looks for her 3,000 career assist: 2,944.