WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 3 seed Purdue Boilermakers are set to take on the No. 2 seed Oregon Ducks in the Regional Semifinals tomorrow in Madison, Wisconsin. The future Big Ten matchup is slated for a 9:30 p.m. ET start on ESPNU, with the winner to face No. 1 seed Wisconsin or No. 5 seed Penn State on Saturday night in the Regional Finals.
FAMILIAR FOES
• Purdue has faced both Wisconsin and Penn State twice each during the regular season. The Boilermakers went 3-1 in those matches. The last time Oregon and Purdue met was the Regional Semifinals in Spring 2021.
• Oregon, a future Big Ten member (August 2024), essentially makes the Regional entirely made up of Big Ten teams.
LEAVING IT ALL ON THE COURT
• The Boilermakers have set at least one program record during each of the First & Second Round matches last week:
• In the opening round vs. Fairfield, Purdue recorded a .478 attack %, the highest attack % in an NCAA match in program history, besting the previous record of .454%, set in 2016 vs. Iowa State.
• In the Second Round vs. #6 seed Marquette, Taylor Anderson set a program record 60 assists, besting the 18-year-old record of 59 assists set by Renata Dargan vs. Colorado State on 12/2/04).
• Maddie Schermerhorn bested her own Purdue NCAA tournament record she set a year ago with her 25-dig performance vs. Marquette. The 5th year also served up the match-winning point with an ace to win Set 4, 26-24.
• The Boilermakers are averaging a .342 attack % in the NCAA tournament, with Eva Hudson averaging 6.14 kills per set and a .360 hitting %, Chloe Chicoine 4.49 attack % and a .324 hitting %, Taylor Anderson averaging 13.14 assists per set and Maddie Schermerhorn 5.43 digs per set.
SCOUTING THE OREGON DUCKS
• Unlike Purdue's young team, Oregon is a seasoned squad with eight seniors on their roster.
• Oregon swept both Southeastern Louisiana and Hawai'i in the First & Second Round on their home court.
• The team is 5-3 vs. top-25 opponents, including a 3-2 win at then-#8 Pitt (9/14) and a 3-1 win vs. then-#24 USC (11/21). Meanwhile, they lost to then-#10 Minnesota (2-3) on 9/8.
• The team ranks #5 in the nation for total blocks, including #1 in the Pac-12 (328). Meanwhile, they hold opponents to a .149 hitting %, 7th-best in the nation.
• Setter Hannah Pukis is one of the top setters in the nation, checking in at 9th in the nation with 10.89 assists per set and fifth in total assists (1,296). The Boilermakers faced her two years ago at the UNLV Invitational when she was with Washington State.
• Middle Kara McGhee leads the team and ranks 7th in the nation with a .423 attack %. Over the last four matches, McGhee has hit at least .400% half of the time, including a .455 attack % in the
• Mimi Colyer, 2022 National Freshmen of the Year, leads the team in total points and kills.
• Oregon's balanced team includes four players averaging at least two kills per set and five averaging at least 2 points per set.
• The Ducks average a .284 attack % while holding opponents to 1.51.
BATTLE ON THE HORIZON: EVA HUDSON & MIMI COLYER
• Eva Hudson and Oregon's Mimi Colyer were the top two freshmen in the nation last year.
• Although Mimi Colyer was selected National Freshmen of the Year following an impressive Oregon run in the NCAA tournament, Eva Hudson led the nation's freshmen in kills per set. Meanwhile, Hudson led in points per set (until 11/20/22), total kills and total points (until 12/8/22) - both of which were eclipsed due to a farther NCAA tournament run.
THE COMPARISON: PURDUE, OREGON, WISCONSIN & PENN STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Purdue is leading all Madison Regional teams with 17.43 kills per set, 17.29 digs per set, 16.14 assists per set.
• Leading all four teams offensively is Eva Hudson (43 kills), Penn State's Jess Murzik (40 kills) and Chloe Chicoine (30).
• Maddie Schermerhorn is leading all players with 5.43 digs per set, followed by Wisconsin's Julia Orzol with 4.17 digs per set.
• Purdue and Penn State were the only two teams to face an opponent receiving votes in the NCAA tournament so far (Purdue vs. a receiving-votes Marquette and Penn State vs. #15 Kansas).
LAST 10 MATCHES
• The Boilermakers are 9-1 over the last 10 matches.
• Purdue is averaging a .262 attack % and holding opponents to .186% and averaging nearly two more kills/set than opponents.
• Eva Hudson is averaging 5.29 kills per set and a .276 attack %.
• Maddie Schermerhorn is averaging 4.92 digs per set, over her season average.
FAMILIAR FOES
• Purdue has faced both Wisconsin and Penn State twice each during the regular season. The Boilermakers went 3-1 in those matches. The last time Oregon and Purdue met was the Regional Semifinals in Spring 2021.
• Oregon, a future Big Ten member (August 2024), essentially makes the Regional entirely made up of Big Ten teams.
LEAVING IT ALL ON THE COURT
• The Boilermakers have set at least one program record during each of the First & Second Round matches last week:
• In the opening round vs. Fairfield, Purdue recorded a .478 attack %, the highest attack % in an NCAA match in program history, besting the previous record of .454%, set in 2016 vs. Iowa State.
• In the Second Round vs. #6 seed Marquette, Taylor Anderson set a program record 60 assists, besting the 18-year-old record of 59 assists set by Renata Dargan vs. Colorado State on 12/2/04).
• Maddie Schermerhorn bested her own Purdue NCAA tournament record she set a year ago with her 25-dig performance vs. Marquette. The 5th year also served up the match-winning point with an ace to win Set 4, 26-24.
• The Boilermakers are averaging a .342 attack % in the NCAA tournament, with Eva Hudson averaging 6.14 kills per set and a .360 hitting %, Chloe Chicoine 4.49 attack % and a .324 hitting %, Taylor Anderson averaging 13.14 assists per set and Maddie Schermerhorn 5.43 digs per set.
SCOUTING THE OREGON DUCKS
• Unlike Purdue's young team, Oregon is a seasoned squad with eight seniors on their roster.
• Oregon swept both Southeastern Louisiana and Hawai'i in the First & Second Round on their home court.
• The team is 5-3 vs. top-25 opponents, including a 3-2 win at then-#8 Pitt (9/14) and a 3-1 win vs. then-#24 USC (11/21). Meanwhile, they lost to then-#10 Minnesota (2-3) on 9/8.
• The team ranks #5 in the nation for total blocks, including #1 in the Pac-12 (328). Meanwhile, they hold opponents to a .149 hitting %, 7th-best in the nation.
• Setter Hannah Pukis is one of the top setters in the nation, checking in at 9th in the nation with 10.89 assists per set and fifth in total assists (1,296). The Boilermakers faced her two years ago at the UNLV Invitational when she was with Washington State.
• Middle Kara McGhee leads the team and ranks 7th in the nation with a .423 attack %. Over the last four matches, McGhee has hit at least .400% half of the time, including a .455 attack % in the
• Mimi Colyer, 2022 National Freshmen of the Year, leads the team in total points and kills.
• Oregon's balanced team includes four players averaging at least two kills per set and five averaging at least 2 points per set.
• The Ducks average a .284 attack % while holding opponents to 1.51.
BATTLE ON THE HORIZON: EVA HUDSON & MIMI COLYER
• Eva Hudson and Oregon's Mimi Colyer were the top two freshmen in the nation last year.
• Although Mimi Colyer was selected National Freshmen of the Year following an impressive Oregon run in the NCAA tournament, Eva Hudson led the nation's freshmen in kills per set. Meanwhile, Hudson led in points per set (until 11/20/22), total kills and total points (until 12/8/22) - both of which were eclipsed due to a farther NCAA tournament run.
THE COMPARISON: PURDUE, OREGON, WISCONSIN & PENN STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Purdue is leading all Madison Regional teams with 17.43 kills per set, 17.29 digs per set, 16.14 assists per set.
• Leading all four teams offensively is Eva Hudson (43 kills), Penn State's Jess Murzik (40 kills) and Chloe Chicoine (30).
• Maddie Schermerhorn is leading all players with 5.43 digs per set, followed by Wisconsin's Julia Orzol with 4.17 digs per set.
• Purdue and Penn State were the only two teams to face an opponent receiving votes in the NCAA tournament so far (Purdue vs. a receiving-votes Marquette and Penn State vs. #15 Kansas).
LAST 10 MATCHES
• The Boilermakers are 9-1 over the last 10 matches.
• Purdue is averaging a .262 attack % and holding opponents to .186% and averaging nearly two more kills/set than opponents.
• Eva Hudson is averaging 5.29 kills per set and a .276 attack %.
• Maddie Schermerhorn is averaging 4.92 digs per set, over her season average.