Friday, March 19 | 4 p.m. ET
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No. 10 Purdue at Rutgers
Saturday, March 20 | 4 p.m. ET
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No. 10 Purdue at Rutgers
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After a week off, the Purdue volleyball team (9-5) returns to play this weekend at Rutgers (2-12) in College Ave Gym. The Boilermakers and Scarlet Knights are set for 4 p.m. ET matches streamed on Big Ten Network Plus on Friday and Saturday.
Purdue Schedule Notes
- The Boilermakers last played at Penn State (March 5-6). Their scheduled series vs. Michigan State was postponed due to COVID concerns within the Spartan program.
Last Time Out vs. Rutgers
- Purdue played Rutgers twice in 2019, winning in three sets in both matches. In fact, Purdue has swept Rutgers nine of the 12 times the teams have faced off.
2019 Results:
11/8/19 | at Rutgers | W, 3-0
11/20/19 | vs. Rutgers | W, 3-0
- In their last match, the Boilermakers took the second set 25-4, tying the program's largest margin of victory. It was also the largest margin of victory Purdue has claimed in Holloway Gymnasium.
- Current sophomore Madeline Koch registered a career-best seven kills in the win.
- Purdue notched a .319 hitting clip while holding Rutgers to -.021.
Scouting No. 11 Purdue (9-5)
- Purdue, which had an off week due to COVID-19 concerns within the Michigan State program, last played a split weekend at Penn State, taking the first match in four sets.
- Purdue has been ranked in the top-10 for two weeks. It is the seventh Boilermaker team in program history to rank among the top-10 in consecutive weeks (2021, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2006, 1983, 1982).
- Purdue is the best receiving team in the Big Ten with 0.86 opponent service aces allowed.
- Purdue ranks third in the league behind Maryland and Minnesota with 2.68 blocks per set. Additionally, the Boilermakers' 24 solo stuffs are good for second-most in the conference.
- Purdue ranks 20th in the nation in blocks per set (2.68) and 45th in the nation with a .251 hitting %.
- The Boilermakers are ranked for 57 consecutive weeks in the AVCA Polls (Preseason 2017-2021).
- Purdue committed no reception errors in the sweep vs. Indiana (2/28), marking the first perfect match since the 2019 NCAA First Round vs. Wright State (12/6/19) and the fifth time since the start of the 2018 season.
- Five Boilermakers are registering a .270 or higher hitting % (minimum: 30 or more kills): freshman Taylor Trammel (.412), junior Jael Johnson (.351), junior Grace Cleveland (.314), redshirt junior Hayley Bush (.289), and sophomore Maddy Chinn (.274).
- Four Boilermakers have earned Big Ten weekly awards this season, tying Wisconsin as the most in the league: Jael Johnson (Player of the Week, 2/1), Hayley Bush (Setter of the Week, 2/15), Taylor Trammell (Defensive Player of the Week, 2/15 and Freshman of the Week, 3/8) and Grace Cleveland (Defensive Player of the Week, 3/8).
- The Boilermakers tallied 32 blocks in Week Four at then-No.24 Michigan, including 17 in the first night - which ties the 2019 and 2018 season-bests. It is the most combined blocks by a Purdue team in back-to-back matches in over six seasons.
- Two of the team's three 2019 All-Americans returned: Cleveland (third-team) and Caitlyn Newton (honorable mention).
Scouting Rutgers (2-12)
- The Scarlet Knights produced a win vs. Indiana (1/29) at home in four sets in addition to its latest win, a five-set thriller at Iowa on 2/20.
- Rutgers has had one week of play postponed due to COVID-19 (Week 7 vs. Michigan, 3/5-6).
- Rutgers pushed currently ranked No. 9 Ohio State to five sets on Feb. 27, Beka Kojadinovic led the Knights with 16 kills.
- Kojadinovic and Anastasiia Maksimova lead the team with 127 and 120 kills, respectively. Defensively, Shea Mcnamara owns a team-leading 43 stuffs and Madyson Chitty registered 131 digs.
Purdue at Penn State Look-Back
- Purdue split the series at then-No. 10 Penn State to exchanging four-set victories.
- In the Friday night victory, Purdue came back in the second set after trailing 23-24 to win the decision.
- Purdue's 11-point win margin in the fourth set stands as the most decisive single-set victory over the Nittany Lions in the modern 25-point era.
- Three Boilermakers recorded double-digit kills in the win: Newton (16 kills), Jael Johnson (career-high 14 kills) and Grace Cleveland (11 kills).
- Cleveland was one dig and one block shy of a triple threat in the first match.
- Marissa Hornung recorded her 1,000th career dig in the final match, becoming the 21st Boilermaker to accomplish the feat.