WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Art and Connie Euler women's volleyball head coach Dave Shondell revealed the 2024 non-conference and Big Ten schedule, featuring six non-conference matchups vs. 2023 NCAA tournament teams before league action begins with a home midweek versus Penn State.
A total of 12 matches between Big Ten and non-conference play will come against opponents ranked or receiving votes in the 2023 AVCA final poll, including up to seven versus top-15 opponents, depending on non-conference tournament results.
Purdue will host K-State, UMBC and UC Davis in the opening weekend on Friday, August 30 through Sunday, September 1 in the annual Stacey Clark Classic, coinciding with Purdue football's season-opener vs. Indiana State. Meanwhile, Big Ten action will begin Wednesday, September 25 at home versus Penn State.
The challenging non-conference schedule features five consecutive matches against opponents ranked in the top-28 in last year's final RPI ranking, including at No. 17 Utah State (9/7), vs. No. 28 Houston (9/13), at No. 24 SMU or vs. No. 7 Kentucky (9/14), at No. 14 Kansas (9/19) and vs. No. 9 Creighton (9/20).
Among the newest members of the Big Ten conference, Purdue will host UCLA on October 17 before closing the regular season with three straight matches against west coast teams, hosting USC at home (11/23) then traveling to Oregon (11/27) and Washington (11/29).
"This will be a season in which Boilermaker fans will want to experience Purdue Volleyball," Shondell remarked. "The 2024 pre-conference schedule is brutal with our last eight matches on the road against excellent competition, which will prepare us well for the strongest Big Ten schedule in conference history. I always prefer playing more than one non-conference weekend at home, but we made the decision to go where the strongest competition would be to test and prepare us for the matches ahead."
After hosting K-State, a team which swept the 2023 National Champions Texas during the regular season, UMBC and UC Davis in Week 1, Purdue will travel to Utah for a Thursday-Friday tournament in Week 2 featuring matches vs. Cal (9/5) and at Utah (9/6). Then, the Boilermakers will head north to Utah State for a one-off at the Aggies on Saturday, September 7.
The Boilermakers will spend Week 3 in Dallas, Texas, for a Friday match vs. Houston (9/13) and a Saturday match vs. either host SMU or Kentucky (9/14).
Finally, the non-conference schedule closes out in Lawrence, Kansas, marking the second straight year Purdue has played at the Jayhawks. The Boilermakers will take on host Kansas (9/19), Creighton (9/20) and Tulsa (9/21).
Additionally, a rigorous end to the regular season will see three of the last four matches vs. top-25 teams with at No. 12 Penn State (11/21), vs. No. 24 USC (11/23) and at No. 7 Oregon (11/27).
The 2024 season will mark the most road matches in non-conference action since 2008.
Purdue returns three AVCA All-America honorees in Second Team All-American Eva Hudson, Third Team All-American Chloe Chicoine and Honorable Mention Raven Colvin. The Boilermakers produced a 23-8 record last season, including a 15-5 record in Big Ten play, taking down Penn State twice, Minnesota twice and Wisconsin on their way to a third-place finish in the Big Ten standings and an NCAA Regional Final appearance. In addition to selling out the entire home slate, Purdue went 11-5 versus teams ranked or receiving votes in the latest poll with one of the youngest and most talented teams in program history.
Television selections and times will be released at a later date.
BIG TEN OPPONENT BREAKDOWN
HOME ONLY: Michigan State (10/6), UCLA (10/17), Ohio State (10/23), Wisconsin (10/26), Michigan (11/10), Illinois (11/17), USC (11/23)
AWAY ONLY: Minnesota (9/28), Northwestern (10/4), Nebraska (10/11), Iowa (10/12), Maryland (11/1), Oregon (11/27), Washington (11/29)
HOME & AWAY: vs. Penn State (9/25), vs. Indiana (10/19), at Rutgers (11/2), at Indiana (11/8), vs. Rutgers (11/15), at Penn State (11/21)
A total of 12 matches between Big Ten and non-conference play will come against opponents ranked or receiving votes in the 2023 AVCA final poll, including up to seven versus top-15 opponents, depending on non-conference tournament results.
Purdue will host K-State, UMBC and UC Davis in the opening weekend on Friday, August 30 through Sunday, September 1 in the annual Stacey Clark Classic, coinciding with Purdue football's season-opener vs. Indiana State. Meanwhile, Big Ten action will begin Wednesday, September 25 at home versus Penn State.
The challenging non-conference schedule features five consecutive matches against opponents ranked in the top-28 in last year's final RPI ranking, including at No. 17 Utah State (9/7), vs. No. 28 Houston (9/13), at No. 24 SMU or vs. No. 7 Kentucky (9/14), at No. 14 Kansas (9/19) and vs. No. 9 Creighton (9/20).
Among the newest members of the Big Ten conference, Purdue will host UCLA on October 17 before closing the regular season with three straight matches against west coast teams, hosting USC at home (11/23) then traveling to Oregon (11/27) and Washington (11/29).
"This will be a season in which Boilermaker fans will want to experience Purdue Volleyball," Shondell remarked. "The 2024 pre-conference schedule is brutal with our last eight matches on the road against excellent competition, which will prepare us well for the strongest Big Ten schedule in conference history. I always prefer playing more than one non-conference weekend at home, but we made the decision to go where the strongest competition would be to test and prepare us for the matches ahead."
After hosting K-State, a team which swept the 2023 National Champions Texas during the regular season, UMBC and UC Davis in Week 1, Purdue will travel to Utah for a Thursday-Friday tournament in Week 2 featuring matches vs. Cal (9/5) and at Utah (9/6). Then, the Boilermakers will head north to Utah State for a one-off at the Aggies on Saturday, September 7.
The Boilermakers will spend Week 3 in Dallas, Texas, for a Friday match vs. Houston (9/13) and a Saturday match vs. either host SMU or Kentucky (9/14).
Finally, the non-conference schedule closes out in Lawrence, Kansas, marking the second straight year Purdue has played at the Jayhawks. The Boilermakers will take on host Kansas (9/19), Creighton (9/20) and Tulsa (9/21).
Additionally, a rigorous end to the regular season will see three of the last four matches vs. top-25 teams with at No. 12 Penn State (11/21), vs. No. 24 USC (11/23) and at No. 7 Oregon (11/27).
The 2024 season will mark the most road matches in non-conference action since 2008.
Purdue returns three AVCA All-America honorees in Second Team All-American Eva Hudson, Third Team All-American Chloe Chicoine and Honorable Mention Raven Colvin. The Boilermakers produced a 23-8 record last season, including a 15-5 record in Big Ten play, taking down Penn State twice, Minnesota twice and Wisconsin on their way to a third-place finish in the Big Ten standings and an NCAA Regional Final appearance. In addition to selling out the entire home slate, Purdue went 11-5 versus teams ranked or receiving votes in the latest poll with one of the youngest and most talented teams in program history.
Television selections and times will be released at a later date.
BIG TEN OPPONENT BREAKDOWN
HOME ONLY: Michigan State (10/6), UCLA (10/17), Ohio State (10/23), Wisconsin (10/26), Michigan (11/10), Illinois (11/17), USC (11/23)
AWAY ONLY: Minnesota (9/28), Northwestern (10/4), Nebraska (10/11), Iowa (10/12), Maryland (11/1), Oregon (11/27), Washington (11/29)
HOME & AWAY: vs. Penn State (9/25), vs. Indiana (10/19), at Rutgers (11/2), at Indiana (11/8), vs. Rutgers (11/15), at Penn State (11/21)