Regular Season Finale on Deck for No. 8 Purdue

Game Notes

Friday, April 2 | 7 p.m. ET
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Illinois at No. 8 Purdue

Saturday, April 3 | 1:30 p.m. ET
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Illinois at No. 8 Purdue 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - In the final weekend of the regular season, No. 8 Purdue volleyball (13-5) is slated for a pair of matches versus Illinois (6-10).

The Boilermakers, who are coming off their first series sweep over a top-10 opponent since 2013, return home for the first time since February 28 to end its 33-day road streak.

With matches scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET start Friday and 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, fans can watch live on Big Ten Network or listen in online HERE.


Schedule Notes

• Friday will mark 33 days since Purdue's last home match, having played six straight matches on the road. The last time the Boilermakers played in Holloway was February 28 (vs. IU).
• Entering the final week of the regular season, Purdue has faced more matches vs. ranked opponents than not. (10 matches vs. top-25 and eight vs. non-ranked teams).
• The Boilermakers own a 5-5 record vs. top-25 opponents.
• Purdue had a loaded start to the 2021 season with three top-25 opponents in the opening four weeks (including the No. 1 and No. 6 teams in the nation).

Scouting No. 8 Purdue (13-5)

• Purdue has gone 11-1 over its last 12 matches, including 5-1 against top-25 opponents.
• For just the second time since 2007, three Boilermakers notched double-doubles in a single match (at Ohio State, 3/26): Grace Cleveland (17 kills, 11 digs), Caitlyn Newton (13 kills, 11 digs) and Hayley Bush (49 assists, 11 digs).
• Purdue recorded the most kills in a match at No. 9 Ohio State (3/26) since playing Minnesota (2/26), which was a five set match.
• Purdue owns the best defense in the Big Ten, ranking first with 0.91 opponent service aces allowed and 15.86 digs per set and second with 2.94 blocks per set. 
• Over the last six matches, Purdue has totaled 85.5 blocks, which leads the Big Ten.
• 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.
• Purdue leads the Big Ten in total blocks over the last six matches, accumulating 59.5 In comparison, Illinois totaled 47.5. The Boilermakers are the only program with three ranking among the league's top-10 (Taylor Trammell, Grace Cleveland, Jael Johnson).
• Two of the team's three 2019 All-Americans returned: Cleveland (third-team) and Caitlyn Newton (honorable mention). 

Scouting Illinois (6-10)

• Illinois is on a 4-0 game winning streak, having secured series victories against Indiana (3/26-27) and Maryland (3/19-20).
• The Fighting Illini are coming off a 15.5-block effort in the 3-0 win vs. Indiana (3/27), a season-high.
• Sophomore middle blocker Kennedy Collins averaged over a .500 hitting clip vs. Indiana with 15 kills over the two days.
• The Illinois schedule is grueling, having faced ranked or receiving votes opponents for five consecutive weeks, with four of the opponents all ranked in the top nine in the nation.
• Illinois took a match against then-No. 9 Penn State and then-No. 5 Minnesota to five sets, losing to Minnesota 15-12 in the final set.
• The Illini take more swings than their opponents, however trail in hitting percentage, .175-.221.

Purdue in the AVCA Rankings

• Purdue's No. 8 ranking is the second-highest ranking ever in program history, with its highest at No. 7 (last: Sept. 1, 2014).
• Purdue's four straight weeks among the top-10 ties as the second-longest streak in program history. It is only the second time this century the Boilermakers have done so in consecutive fashion: 2011 (4 weeks), 1983 (8 weeks), 1982 (4 weeks).
• The Boilermakers are ranked for 59 consecutive weeks (Preseason 2017-2021).

The Breakdown: Purdue vs. Top-25 Opponents

• Purdue owns a 5-5 record vs. top-25 teams this season.
• Purdue has out-defended its opponents in blocks (2.64 per set vs. 1.98) and reception % (.952 vs. .945).
• The Boilermakers have out-served opponents: 45 aces vs. 39 (.938 serve % vs. .919).
• Not only has libero Jena Otec recorded more digs per set against top-25 programs compared to her season average, Otec's reception percentage has increased (.967 vs. .961). 
• The offense is showing up on the big stage, with four Boilermakers averaging more kills per set vs. ranked opponents compared to their season averages: Caitlyn Newton (4.05 vs. 3.95), Taylor Trammell (1.48 vs. 1.38), Grace Cleveland (3.38 vs. 3.33) and Maddy Chinn (1.96 vs. 1.92).