Michigan State, Michigan on Deck for No. 14 Purdue

Friday, Nov. 4 | 6 p.m. ET
No. 14 Purdue at Michigan State
BTN | WSHY 104.3

Sunday, Nov. 6 | 2 p.m. ET
No. 14 Purdue at No. RV Michigan
B1G+ | WSHY 104.3
 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 14 Purdue volleyball squad heads north this weekend for a pair of road matches at Michigan State and #RV Michigan this weekend.

The Boilermakers will first take on the Spartans on Friday night at 6 p.m. ET. The match, which will air on Big Ten Network, will be played in the Breslin Center – marking the first time Purdue has played in the arena.

Then, Purdue will travel to Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. Michigan, currently receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll, has consistently been recognized over the last few weeks, and are set to take on the Boilermakers in front of a sold-out crowd in Cliff Keen Arena. The match is set to be streamed on B1G+.

Purdue Week 10 Highlights

• The Boilermakers posted back-to-back 16+ block matches at Northwestern then vs. Indiana, the first time for the program in more than eight years.
• Four hitters recorded an attack % over .356 vs. IU. Moreover, three of those players hit over .430% - the first time as many Boilermakers have done so since the early 2020 season (vs. Iowa, 1/30/21).
• The Boilermakers snapped a four-match losing streak on Sunday vs. Indiana (3-1) with a dominant final three sets, playing their best volleyball of the year. Purdue averaged a .509 attack over the final three sets, and out-blocked the Hoosiers, 17-4.

Schedule Notes

• Purdue faced three top-9 teams in the span of five matches during October and will face another gauntlet in November, with four top-15 opponents in the last six matches of the regular season.
• The Boilermakers have four remaining home matches and five road matches.
• The month of November will be the team's toughest stretch of the year, with six of the team's eight matches (75%) against opponents receiving a nod in the AVCA poll. Of those six, four are top-15 programs. They are split with two at home and two on the road.
• Holloway Gymnasium is sold out for the remainder of the season. In fact, Purdue sold out every match this season except for its 10 a.m. win vs. Bradley on Sept. 2 - a match that came 315 tickets short of a sell-out.
• Meanwhile, the student section, the Block Party, sold out their season tickets in under two hours of going on sale.

A Look at the Michigan State Spartans
Series History: 52-32 (PUR Leads) | Last Meeting: 10/20/21 (L, 2-3 in West Lafayette)

• Michigan State is looking for their second win in Big Ten play this season after beating Maryland back in September.
• The Boilermakers have split the last six meetings with the Spartans, including winning all three away matches but dropping the three at Holloway.
• Zoe Nunez leads the Spartans with 7.92 assists per set, which ranks 8th in the Big Ten.
• The Michigan State defense is led by Nalani Iosia, who is averaging 3.83 digs per set which ranks 8th in the Big Ten.
• The match will take place in the Breslin Center, the first time Purdue has played in the venue.

A Look at the #RV Michigan Wolverines
Series History: 53-27 (PUR Leads) | Last Meeting: 11/19/21 (W, 3-1 in West Lafayette)

• Michigan's Big Ten schedule was frontloaded, with seven matches vs. top-10 opponents in the first half to the conference season. The team enters the week 1-6 vs. ranked opponents, having taken down then-No. 9 Penn State in State College during opening weekend of Big Ten play (9/24) in sweeping fashion. 
• Jess Robinson and Jess Mruzik are the focal points of the Michigan attack.  Robinson leads the Big Ten in hitting % at .461, the next highest being .394. Jess Mruzik leads the Wolverines with 3.61 kills per set. 
• Defensively, Hannah Grant leads the Wolverines in digs per set, averaging 4.17.  Three players, Robinson, Jacque Boney, and Jenni Liu, average at least 1.00 blocks per set.
• Sunday's match is sold out.

Blocks on Blocks on Blocks

• Last week, Purdue led all Power 5 teams with 34 total blocks (including 58 block assists) last week (16 at Northwestern and 17.5 vs. Indiana).
  •     1. Purdue, Big Ten: 34 TB
  •     2. Florida, SEC: 29 TB
  •     T-3. North Carolina, ACC: 28 TB
  •     T-3. Colorado, Pac-12: 28 TB
  •     5. Iowa State, Big 12: 21 TB
• It marked the first time in more than seven years the Boilermakers have posted back-to-back 16+ block performances.
• Senior Maddy Chinn posted a career-high seven blocks (1 solo, 6 assisted) vs. Indiana.
• Sophomore Raven Colvin registered nine block assists at Northwestern, setting a season-high.
• The Boilermakers 17.5 blocks vs. Indiana mark just the third time in more than seven years Purdue has recorded as many blocks in a single match (most: 19 at Ohio State 10/15/21).
• The team's 17.5 blocks rank as No. 19 in all of Division I for most blocks in a match this season.
• The weekend led to a jump in the national rankings, from No. 48 to No. 26 in team blocks per set.

Playing Their Best Volleyball: Career/Season-Highs Last Week

• Five players recorded season or career-bests last week.
• Maddy Chinn registered career-bests in three categories: Kills (12 at Northwestern), blocks (7 vs. Indiana) and attacks (37 at Northwestern).
• Middle Raven Colvin recorded a season-high nine blocks at Northwestern (0-9).
• Megan Renner had the most sound match of the season, recording a career-best six blocks at Northwestern and aced the Hoosiers twice, a career-high.
• Defensive Specialist Emily Brown served up a trio of aces at Northwestern, a career-high.
• Eva Hudson tied her career-best one solo block vs. IU.

Chinn Taking Off

• Maddy Chinn played the best volleyball of her career last weekend both at Northwestern and vs. Indiana.
• Chinn totaled four career or season-bests over the two matches.
• The senior recorded a personal-best seven blocks, including six block assists against the Hoosiers, one shy of tying teammate Raven Colvin for the most on the team.
• Against Indiana, Chinn posted the second-highest hitting % at a .438 clip, committing just one error with eight kills on 16 swings.
• Two nights prior, Chinn tallied a career-best 12 kills after taking the most swings in her career (37) and contributed the most points for Purdue behind Hudson.

The Anchor: Maddie Schermerhorn

• Libero Maddie Schermerhorn is the Big Ten leader with 4.46 digs per set this season.
• Number of 15+ dig matches: 9
• Number of 20+ dig matches: 5
• Schermerhorn set a career-high 26 digs vs. #RV Utah (9/2).
• During Big Ten play, Schermerhorn is averaging 4.10 digs per set.
• Schermerhorn missed three straight matches this year due to injury: at Iowa (9/25), at Illinois and vs. Rutgers (10/2).
• The senior played in her 100th career match with the start at Indiana (10/14).