Boilermakers Primed for Reamer Club Xtra Special Premier

REAMER CLUB XTRA SPECIAL VOLLEYBALL PREMIER SCHEDULE
Friday, 8/27 | 6 p.m. ET
B1G+ | WSHY 104.3
LMU at #8 Purdue
 
Saturday, 8/28 | 2 p.m. ET
LMU vs. Purdue
 
Sunday, 8/29 | 2 p.m. ET
B1G+ | WSHY 104.3
RV Kansas at #8 Purdue
 
 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 8 Purdue is set to open the season with the Reamer Club Xtra Special Volleyball Premier on Friday at 6 p.m. ET.

The Boilermakers will host LMU and RV Kansas in a round-robin style tournament. No. 8 Purdue will play LMU in the season-opener Friday at 6 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, LMU and Kansas will play Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, before the Boilermakers and Jayhawks face Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

Schedule Notes

• Five of Purdue's nine non-conference opponents were recognized in the AVCA preseason poll, including #18 Washington State and #13 Louisville.
• Purdue will be on TV nine times this season, first appearing on the linear network in the Big Ten opener vs. #11 Ohio State (BTN) at 7 p.m. ET.
• Number of days since Purdue fans have filled Holloway: 629
• Last time fans were admitted to Holloway Gymnasium: Dec. 7, 2019 (NCAA Second Round vs. #16 Marquette).

 
LMU Lions
Series History: First Meeting

• Two Lions: Kari Geissberger and Megan Rice were selected to the Preseason All-WCC Team.
• LMU was selected to finish in the top four of the conference.
• Geissberger, a sophomore, recorded a .309 hitting % and 3.73 kills per set in 2020.
• Rice, who's last collegiate volleyball season came on the beach, led the outdoor team to back-to-back conference championships.
• Mary Shroll, a redshirt freshman, led the team in digs (254) and tallied a .939 reception rate.
• LMU hit .252 last season while holding opponents to a .232 mark, but trailed in its reception rate, .913 vs. .923.

 
RV Kansas Jayhawks
Series History: 3-3 | Last Meeting on Sept. 8, 2017 at Kansas: L, 3-1

• Caroline Crawford and Jenny Mosser were selected for the preseason All-Big 12 Team, while Caroline Bien was named Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
• Mosser, a fifth-year senior, was an All-Big 12 First Team honoree last season. Mosser started in every match she played in (18), leading Kansas in kills (229), kills per set (3.37) and tallied 12 matches with double-digit kills.
• Crawford, a middle blocker, was named to the U.S. U20 national team. Starting all 22 matches for the Jayhawks, she named All-Big 12 First Team and All-Big 12 Rookie Team. Additionally, Crawford garnered AVCA All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention.
• Despite being out-hit 1084-1033 in kills, Kansas was more efficient than its opponents, .239-.204, in hitting % last season.
• The Jayhawk block saw 200 total blocks, more than 21.5 more than its opponents.

The Purdue Roster at a Glance

• The 21-woman roster is the largest in program history.
• Purdue is the most experienced team in the Big Ten with 13 players having at least two years of experience (over half at 61%).
• The entire 2020 roster returns for the fall, including fifth year returners AVCA Third Team All-American Caitlyn Newton and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Jena Otec.
• There is a program-record four All-America recognized players on the roster: First Team All-American Grace Cleveland, Third Team All-American Newton and Honorable Mentions Hayley Bush and Otec.
• Four newcomers join the ranks with Raven Colvin (2020 Under Armour All-America Honorable Mention), Ali Hornung (2020 Under Armour First Team All-America and Gatorade State Player of the Year for Indiana), Emily Rastovski (2019 Under Armour All-America) and Sydney Yim (Gatorade State Player of the Year for Massachusetts).

 
Record setting season

• The Boilermakers recorded the highest final ranking in program history at No. 7 this spring.
• A program-record four players were recognized in the AVCA All-America honors, while a team-best five were named to the AVCA All-Region team.
• The Big Ten postseason awards featured five Boilermakers, a program-best: First Team All-Big Ten Grace Cleveland, Caitlyn Newton, Hayley Bush and Jena Otec. Moreover, Taylor Trammell was named to the All-Freshman Team.
• Libero Jena Otec was selected as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, the first Boilermaker to ever be chosen for the honor.
• Middle blocker Taylor Trammell set the Purdue single-season record with 1.63 blocks per set.
• Five Boilermakers accounted for a total of nine Big Ten weekly award accolades, a program-best (Bush, Cleveland, Johnson, Otec and Trammell). The honors were capped off with Purdue's first sweep of the recognitions following the pair of victories at #9 Ohio State.
• Four players made the season top-10 list, tying the 2008 team as a program-high.

 
Purdue in the AVCA Rankings

• Purdue's No. 8 ranking matches the highest preseason ranking in program history, matching the 2014 squad.
• The Boilermakers t ranking ever in program history, with its highest at No. 7 (last: Sept. 1, 2014).
• Purdue has spent 7 straight weeks ranked in the top-10, dating back to March 8, 2021. It ties 1983 as the longest streak.
• The Boilermakers are ranked for 62 consecutive weeks (Preseason 2017-2021).