Volleyball Slated for Pair of Top-16 Matches

Thursday, November 10 | 7 p.m. ET
No. 15 Purdue vs. No. 6 Ohio State
B1G+ 
Hammer Down Cancer | Military Appreciation Night

Saturday, November 12 | 8 p.m. ET
No. 15 Purdue vs. No. 16 Penn State
BTN | WSHY 104.3
Boilermaker Blackout


WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - On a three-match winning streak, the No. 15 Purdue Boilermakers (18-6, 7-5 Big Ten) return home this weekend to take on a pair of top-16 foes inside a 48-hour window. 

First, Purdue will host No. 6 Ohio State at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday. The match, which will be streamed on B1G+, will also serve as Hammer Down Cancer and Military Appreciation Night. For a limited time, fans have the opportunity to bid on a team-issued jersey in a silent auction, which is open now until 10 p.m. ET on Thursday night. The matchup vs. the Buckeyes will be the only one of the regular season.

Then, Purdue will face No. 16 Penn State on Saturday night. The match, which is set to air on Big Ten Network at 8 p.m. ET, will be a blackout match. All fans in attendance are encouraged to wear black.

A LOOK AT THE #6 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Series History: 46-47 (OSU leads) | Last Meeting: 10/15/21 (L, 1-3 in Columbus)

• Ohio State is 6-5 against ranked teams and 8 of those matches were against current top ten teams in which they went 3-5
• The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in assists per game with 13.04, with Mac Podraza contributing a team high 10.82
• Ohio State also tops the Big Ten in kills per set and ranks 21th nationally with 14.01.  They are led by a trio of players that are averaging over 3.00 kills per set: Gabby Gonzales, Jenaisya Moore, and Emily Londot
• Kylie Murr is one to watch on the defensive side, totaling 4.23 digs per set and ranking 3rd in the Big Ten
• The Boilermakers have won four straight matches in Holloway against the Buckeyes dating back to 2018

A LOOK AT THE #16 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Series History: 9-58 (PSU leads) | Last Meeting: 10/17/21 (W, 3-2 in West Lafayette)

• The Nittany Lions are 2-4 against ranked teams this season, including 0-4 against Big Ten teams.
• Purdue is looking for their first back to back wins against Penn State since they won two in a row in 1984 and 1987.
• The Boilermakers have had some recent success against the Nittany Lions going 3-2 in their last 5 matches.
• Kashauna Williams leads the team in kills per set with 3.30 on .230 hitting percentage.
• Penn State features 4 players averaging over 0.9 blocks per set, including a team leading 1.42 from Allie Holland which ranks 5th in the Big Ten.
• Seleisa Elisaia ranks 3rd in the Big Ten in assists per set tallying 10.32.

PROGRAM-HIGH 13 BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS

• Maddie Schermerhorn was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and Eva Hudson Freshman of the Week on Monday.
• Purdue's 13 awards sets a program-best, marking the third consecutive season the team has set or matched a program-best (previous-high: nine first set in 2020).
• Season's Big Ten weekly awards breakdown: Eva Hudson: 9, (Player & Freshman) Maddie Schermerhorn: 2 (Defensive), Ali Hornung 1 (Defensive), Grace Balensiefer: 1 (Setter).
• Hudson holds a Big Ten record with three Player of the Week awards as a freshman. Furthermore, she ranks No. 2 in Big Ten history for most total weekly awards in league history (3 Player of the Week, 6 Freshman). Dana Rettke holds the record with 10 total honors (1 Player of the Week, 9 Freshman).
• Hudson ties for No. 2 in Big Ten history for most Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors (ties Minnesota's Samantha Seliger-Swenson six in 2015; record is nine by Wisconsin's Dana Rettke in 2017).
• Schermerhorn is the sixth Boilermaker in Purdue history to be named Defensive Player of the Week multiple times in a single season.

CHINN TAKING OFF 

• Senior Maddy Chinn is playing the best volleyball of her career over the last two weeks.
• For three straight matches (at Northwestern then vs. Indiana and at Michigan State), Chinn set at least one career-high.
• 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.

SHONDELL WELCOMES NO. 3 RECRUITING CLASS ON SIGNING DAY

• On Wednesday, Purdue signed six newcomers for the 2023 season, making up the No. 3 recruit class in the nation: Chloe Chicoine, Grace Heaney, Taylor Anderson, Rachel Williams, Kenna Wollard and Julia Kane
• The class ties 2014 as the highest-ranked recruit class during the Shondell era
• The class is made up of one setter (Anderson), two outside hitters (Chicoine and Wollard), one opposite/right side (Heaney) and two defensive specialists (Kane and Williams)
• The incoming class includes four players ranked among the top 63 in the nation, including the program's first No. 1 overall-ranked recruit in Chicoine. Heaney checks in at No. 17 overall, followed by Anderson at No. 38 and Wollard at No. 6