Louisville Invitational on Deck

Louisville Invitational Tournament Schedule

Friday, September 9 | 7 p.m. ET
#9 Purdue at #4 Louisville 
ACCNx | WSHY 104.3 FM

Saturday, September 10 | 4 p.m. ET
#9 Purdue vs. Lipscomb or Xavier

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The undefeated No. 9 Purdue volleyball squad (6-0) heads south for the Louisville Invitational this weekend to face No. 4 Louisville (5-1) tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET before taking on either Lipscomb (2-4) or Xavier (5-1) on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

The Boilermakers started the season off with two straight tournament titles after winning the Tennessee Classic and the Reamer Club Xtra Special. 

Starting the Season Strong

• Purdue is off to a 6-0 start, the best start since 2018. It is the eighth time under HC Dave Shondell.
• Only 28 teams in the nation are left undefeated entering Week 3.
• Five Boilermakers are averaging 1.5 or more kills per set.

 
Purdue in the AVCA Rankings

• The team re-enters the top-10 at #9 in the latest poll. 
• It is Purdue's third straight season ranked at least #13 in the preseason poll.
• Purdue is ranked in the AVCA top-13 for 25 straight weeks (begins: March 8, 2021), a program-record. 
• The program has been ranked for 79 consecutive weeks (begins: preseason 2017), the longest active streak by any Purdue team, including men's basketball. 
• Purdue is coming off its highest final ranking in program history at #6, besting the team's previous record, #7 which was season the season before.
• The Boilermakers set their highest-ever ranking last year, checking in at #3 following the take-down of #3 Ohio State inside Holloway Gymnasium, 3-2 (9/24/21).

Big Ten Weekly Awards: Schermerhorn and Hudson

• Libero Maddie Schermerhorn received her first Big Ten accolade as Defensive Player of the Week following a Big Ten-leading 59 digs in Week 2.
• Eva Hudson won her second straight Freshman of the Week honor, leading the league with 29 total kiss and paving the way for all underclassmen with 4.83 points per match. This comes on the heels of Week 1's Big Ten Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors, where she led the entire Big Ten with 4.70 kills per set and 51 total points.
• Schermerhorn posted a career-best 26 digs vs. #RV Utah, tying as the most digs by a league player this season.
• The libero saw 45 receptions over the three matches, going perfect in the final two after allowing just one reception error vs. Bradley in the tournament's first match.

Making an Immediate Impact: Eva Hudson

• Hudson recorded a career-high 21 kills vs. Milwaukee, which also ties as the most by a Big Ten player in a four-set match this season. Furthermore, she did so at a .395 hitting clip. 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.

In Comparison: 2022 vs. Recent History

• The Boilermakers are serving tough, out-acing opponents 36-17. In the past 10 years, Purdue has only created as many aces through its first six matches two other seasons (2018 and 2015).

Defense Lives Here

• Purdue led the nation in total blocks last year with 372.5. 
• The Boilermakers have posted seven or more blocks in 31 consecutive matches.
• The Boilermaker block has gotten better year over year, not only ranking first or second in the Big Ten in total blocks the past three straight seasons, but among the top seven in the nation: (#1 in 2021, #5 in 2020, #7 in 2019).
• The team's 631 block assists in 2021 not only led the nation, but broke a 35-year-old program record.
• Purdue has out-blocked opponents 1.4 blocks per set last season, the largest margin for the program in 17 years.
• The Boilermakers averaged 15.17 digs per last season, a mark only reached four times in the program's last 17 seasons.