#16 Purdue to Face Minnesota, Michigan State

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Fresh off a series sweep vs. Penn State, the No. 16 Purdue Boilermakers are set for a pair of matches this weekend at Minnesota and vs. Michigan State.

The Boilermakers, currently third in the Big Ten standings at 15-8 (9-5 Big Ten) will begin the weekend with a Friday night showdown at Minnesota, a team receiving votes in the AVCA/Taraflex poll. The matchup, set for a 7 p.m. ET first serve, will be streamed on B1G+. Then, Purdue returns home on Sunday as they take on Michigan State at 1 p.m. ET on B1G+ in Purdue's Military Appreciation match.
 
PURDUE AT A GLANCE

• Only three weeks remain with six regular-season matches on Purdue's slate, with an even 50% split between home and road.
• The last six of the team's seven matches came vs. an opponent ranked or receiving votes. The Boilermakers went 5-1 in those matches.
• The Boilermakers are 7-3 over the last 10 matches.
• Purdue is third in the Big Ten standings and rank as high as third in the Big Ten statistical rankings in hitting % (.248) and opponent blocks (1.96).
• Two Boilermakers rank first or second in the league: Raven Colvin (#1 with 130total blocks) and Maddie Schermerhorn (#2 with 4.37 digs per set). Meanwhile, Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine are among the top offensive players in the conference, ranking 4th and 7th, respectively in kills per set and 4th and 5th in total points.

 
LAST WEEK'S RECAP

• Purdue split the week with a loss at #2 Wisconsin (0-3) and a five-set winner vs. #16 Penn State (3-2).
• The win vs. Penn State marked the second series sweep in program history over the Nittany Lions (last: 1982) and gave Purdue the edge over Penn State for third place in the Big Ten standings.
• The team's 69 kills are the most in a Big Ten match in five years (last: 74 vs. Iowa on 11/17/18), besting the previous season-high of 66, set at Ohio State last month.
• Lourdès Myers recorded an errorless 9 kills on 11 attacks for an .818 hitting % vs. #16 Penn State, the fourth-highest hitting % in Purdue history and the record in a 5-set match (10-14 attempts).
• Maddie Schermerhorn totaled 27 digs vs. #16 Penn State and entered the Purdue record book once again, this time in career digs, securing 10th place with 1,297.

 
PURDUE VS. TOP-25 OPPONENTS

• The Boilermakers won matches against two teams ranked directly above them in the latest AVCA poll: #13 Kentucky (W, 3-2), and #14 Kansas (W, 3-2 on the road).
• This year, Purdue is 5-3 vs. top-25 teams and 9-4 vs. teams ranked or receiving votes.
• The Boilermakers have two matches remaining this season vs. top-25 opponents, plus one more vs. teams receiving votes.

 
LAST TIME OUT VS MINNESOTA (PURDUE 3, MINNESOTA 0)

• Purdue hit .390% in the match, a season-best and the highest since the team's .422 attack % last year vs. Xavier (9/10/22). Meanwhile, it was the best attack % by the program against a Big Ten team in two years (last: .405 vs. Rutgers, 10/2/21).
• Eva Hudson totaled a team-leading 17 kills with just three errors on 36 swings for a .389 attack %, just shy of her season-high (.394 set vs. Illinois).
• In Chloe Chicoine's 30 attempts, the freshman committed just one error, a season-best. Chicoine recorded 11 kills with a .333 hitting clip for the second straight match hitting above .300.
• Purdue out-blocked Minnesota, 8-1 in the match, the fewest allowed against a Big Ten opponent in more than four years (last: 1 allowed at Indiana, 9/30/17).
• Junior Ali Hornung reached 500 career digs in the match.

IN RECENT MATCHES VS. MINNESOTA

• The Boilermakers are 3-1 over the last two seasons vs. Minnesota, with Purdue's lone loss coming in Minneapolis.
• The last time Purdue swept Minnesota on the road was in 1995.
• Purdue will be looking to secure the series sweep vs. Minnesota, which would mark the first time in head coach Dave Shondell's tenure and the first for the program in 24 years (last: 1998).

 
SCOUTING THE MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

• This match marks the Gopher's 11th ranked match of the season, although it will only be the fifth played at Maturi Pavilion.
• Phoebe Awoleye leads the Minnesota defense at the net with 1.24 blocks per set, good for 6th in the Big Ten, while Kylie Murr leads the team in digs with 4.05 per set, ranking 6th in the Big Ten.
• Minnesota has two players in the top ten in the league in service aces: Taylor Landfair ranks 8th with 0.34 and Lydia Grote ranks 10th with 0.32.
• Landfair has only improved during Big Ten play, currently ranking 10th in the conference with 3.49 kills per set including 5 matches with over 15 kills.

SCOUTING THE MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

• Michigan State is 3-1 over its last four matches, a stretch that includes wins vs. #13 Penn State in five sets (set 5 score: 18-16), Maryland and Iowa.
• Taylah Holdem leads the offensive effort for the Spartans, averaging 3.87 points per set (9th in the Big Ten) and 3.43 kills per set.
• Although four setters have reached triple digits in assists this season, Julia Bishop (5.78 per set) and Cameron Berger (6.61 per set) lead the way. Bishop played in the last three matches, while Berger saw playing time most recently vs. Ohio State.
• As a team, Michigan State is averaging a .223 attack % while holding opponents to the third-lowest opponent hitting % in the Big Ten at .181. The Spartans check in at seventh in the Big Ten standings.
• Amani McArthur ranks 6th in the league with a .362 hitting % and Nalani Iosia is 4th in the league with 4.21 digs per set.