WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue volleyball freshman Eva Hudson rounds out the 2022 season as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Honorable Mention. Hudson is the first freshman in program history to receive an All-America nod.
The full-rotation outside hitter was also recently named AVCA Midwest Region Team honoree as well as regional Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten and a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection. Hudson closed out her inaugural season leading the Big Ten in total points (570.5). On the national stage, the Fort Wayne, Indiana, native ranks 14th in total points, seventh in total attacks and 15th in total kills.
Rising ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/uoF3pIYo4t
— Purdue Volleyball (@PurdueVB) December 14, 2022
Eva Hudson
AVCA All-America Honorable Mention
All-Midwest Region Team
Midwest Region Freshman of the Year
Big Ten Freshman of the Year
First Team All-Big Ten
Unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team
- First Purdue freshman to earn an AVCA All-America nod.
- First AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year in program history.
- First Purdue freshman to be recognized on the All-Region team since 1986.
- Second Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Purdue history (last: Debbie McDonald, 1986).
- First unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.
- Ranks T-No 5 in program history with 1,420 attacks this season. Not only is it the most-ever by a Purdue freshman, Hudson is one of only four Boilermakers to post as many attempts in a single-season (joins Ariel Turner: 2012, 2011, 2010,Collen DeMeyer: 1979 and Caitlyn Newton: 2021).
- Closed the season three kills shy of tying the 10th-most kills by a Boilermaker in a single season - a feat only four Boilermakers this century have managed - all of whom were All-Americans (Ariel Turner in 2011 and 2012, Sherridan Atkinson in 2018, Danielle Cuttino in 2016 and Annie Drews in 2015).
- As the Big Ten leader in points/set and kills/set for the first 10 straight weeks, Hudson has set the standard for Big Ten freshmen.
- Currently, Hudson leads the Big Ten in total points (546) and second in total kills (480). Meanwhile, on the national stage, she ranks No. 11 in total attacks (1,332), No. 17 in total points (546) and No. 18 in total kills (480) among all players.
- The Fort Wayne, Indiana native has reached double-digit kills in all but two matches this season.
- Hudson ranks No. 9 in program history with 1,332 attacks this season. That is the most by a freshman in school history (last Boilermaker to crack the top-10: All-American Sherridan Atkinson in 2018).
- In conference play, Hudson averaged 3.94 kills per set, 4.48 points per set and 2.11 digs per set.
- Hudson closed out the regular-season with a pair of double-doubles. Four of those came in a five-match-span, including her career-high 24 kills and 17 digs at Illinois.
- Number of 20+ kill matches: 6
- Number of 15+ kill matches: 21
- Number of matches hitting .300% or above: 11
- Number of matches hitting .350% or above: 8
- Number of matches hitting .400% or above: 6
- Matches hitting .500% or above: 1
- When reaching 20 kills in a match, Hudson has done so at some of her most efficient rates, including 23 kills with three errors on 50 swings (.400) in the NCAA First Round vs. Tennessee (12/2) and 21 kills with a .475% vs. Xavier (9/10), proof that when she gets going, she is even more difficult to stop. In the past seven years, only All-Americans Sherridan Atkinson, Grace Cleveland, Danielle Cuttino and Faye Adelaja have registered as efficient of a match while posting 20+ kills. Of those four Boilermakers, only Hudson has accomplished the feat as an underclassman.
- Hudson has won more Big Ten Player of the Week awards (three) as a freshman than anyone in the league's history. She started the season 5-for-7 on Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors in addition to being named Player of the Week three times. Moreover, she 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).
- Hudson is the first Boilermaker in program history to win both Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Week awards.
- She is the 11th player in Big Ten history to receive both Player and Freshman of the Week honors in the same week. Ten of those players went on to be named All-Americans during their career and/or Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
- Posted 36 attempts in the season-opener, the most touches by a freshman since before 2014. A feat she has continued to best and current stands at a season-high of 68 which came at Maryland (11/23).
- Hudson's 4.52 kills per set and 5.51 points per set are the most by a Boilermaker in non-con play for more than seven years. Annie Drews, who went on to win Olympic Gold in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, was the next closest with 4.91 points per set during her 2015 senior campaign.