Wednesday, September 25
7 p.m. ET | #4 Penn State at #10 Purdue | BTN | WSHY 104.3 FM
Saturday, September 28
6:30 p.m ET | #10 Purdue at #16 Minnesota | BTN | WSHY 104.3 FM
West Lafayette, Ind. – After finishing the non-conference slate 9-2, the No. 10 Purdue Boilermakers are set to begin their Big Ten journey at home vs. the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions (10-1) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. Then, Purdue will travel to Minneapolis to take on the No. 16 Minnesota Golden Gophers at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night. Both matches will air on Big Ten Network.
SCHEDULE NOTES
- The Boilermakers return home on Wednesday after 24 days on the road and is in a stretch with three consecutive top-10 matchups.
- Including this weeks matches, Purdue will continue a stretch with four of five matches vs. top-10 teams and five of six vs. top-20 teams.
PURDUE VS. PENN STATE: RECENT HISTORY AT A GLANCE
- Purdue swept the series vs. Penn State last year: W, 3-2 at home on 11/5/23 and W, 3-1 on 10/22/23. Last season, both teams reached the NCAA Regional Semifinals in Madison, Wisconsin, however Penn State was #12 and Purdue #13 in the AVCA final poll.
- In the last three years, Purdue owns a 3-2 record vs. Penn State.
- Neither team has beaten the other in sweeping fashion since 2016.
PURDUE VS. MINNESOTA: HISTORY AT A GLANCE
- Purdue is 4-1 over the last three years vs. Minnesota.
- The Boilermakers have won two of the last three matches in Minneapolis: (W 3-1 in 2021, L 1-3 in 2022 and W 3-1 in 2023).
- In the last 10 years, only three matches have gone to five sets between the two teams (3 of 17).
PURDUE: QUICK HITS
- Purdue is No. 2 in the nation in blocks per set (3.26) and No. 14 in hitting % (.289).
- Last week Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine were named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List.
- Three Boilers are averaging 2.5 kills per set or higher: Hudson (4.34), Chicoine (3.42) and Colvin (2.50).
- Purdue is 29-9 in sets won this season.
- The Boilermakers adjustments during a match have led to improved play from first to second set.
- Raven Colvin leads the nation in blocks and is averaging a .454 hitting %. The senior has hit .700 twice already and recorded 16 kills vs. Cal (9/5) and two 10-block matches.
- Freshman DS Ryan McAleer is a regular in the back row and has recorded a perfect reception % in eight matches and just one error in the last seven consecutive matches combined.
- Eva Hudson nearly had an errorless match at now-#9 Kansas, committing just one attack error in the final points of the match. This season, she is averaging 4.34 kills per set and 4.76 points per set this season.
- Chloe Chicoine owns a team-leading four double-doubles this season.
ADJUST AS THEY GO: PURDUE'S SET 1 VS. SET 2 IMPROVEMENTS
- Purdue has improved in at least one facet from Set 1 to Set 2 in 10 out of 11 matches, including a 10-match streak.
- The Boilermakers sideout % increased in seven out of 11 games from Set 1 to Set 2.
- Every time errors decreased, they decreased by at least three.
- In eight of Purdue's 11 matches, the team improved in multiple statistical categories (decrease in errors, hitting % increase, sideout % increase, block increase and/or kill increase).
SCOUTING #4 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
- After facing a Kansas team ranked #1 in the nation in hitting % last week, Purdue will take on a Penn State team that ranks second in the nation this week (.329).
- The Boilermakers will take on a Penn State team that has just edged Purdue out for first in the league in kills per set (14.57), a mark that also ranks fifth nationally.
- Penn State owns a 3-1 record vs. top-15 opponents, including a sweep vs. then-#4 Louisville at home. and a 3-2 win vs. Kentucky. The team's lone loss is to #1 Pitt in straight sets last week at Pitt.
- Individually, middle Taylor Trammell ranks 8th in the nation in hitting % (.481) and setter Izzy Starck is 15th in assists per set.
- The team is led by 2023 2nd Team All-American Jess Mruzik, who was named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List last week. She is averaging 4.09 kills per set on a .307 clip.
SCOUTING #16 MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS
- One of the best defenses in the nation, Minnesota leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth nationally in digs per set (17.66) and third in the league, 14th in the nation in opponent hitting % (.140).
- The gophers have held opponents under .200 for the last seven straight matches.
- Prior to playing Purduue, Minnesota will take on #7 Wisconsin at home on Wednesday on BTN directly following the Purdue vs. Penn State matchup.
- Veteran setter Melanie Shaffmaster was named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List last week. She is averaging 8.46 assists per set, leads the team in service aces (13) and is second on the team in digs per set (3.43).
- Three gophers lead the attack: Julia Hanson (3.61 kills/set), McKenna Wucherer (2.67/set) and Lydia Grote (2.47/set). Meanwhile, Calissa Minatee leads the efficiency with a .421 clip.
ON A MISSION: RAVEN COLVIN
- No player in DI is taking care of business like Colvin for both hitting % and blocks, ranking #1 in blocks per set (.203) and #11 in hitting % (.454).
- She is hitting and blocking more efficiently than any time in her career.
- Colvin has nearly doubled her hitting efficiency compared to 2023: .454% vs. .280%.
- She has not hit below .440% in six straight matches.
- Colvin ranks #4 in Purdue history with 535 career blocks. She is one of just two blockers in program history to post as many this century (last: record-holder Stephanie Lynch, 660 blocks, 2005-08).
- She also ranks #2 in Purdue history and the only Boilermaker this century to record 1.40 career blocks per set (record holder: Donna Gill, 1.49 blocks/set, 1991-92).
- She is on track to set a Big Ten season record in blocks/set (current record: 1.85 set in 1996).
- Named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after back-to-back .571% performances, 7 blocks vs. #10 Kentucky and four vs. Houston.
- The Boiler has recorded two 10-block performances: vs. K-State (8/30) and at Utah State (9/7).
- Number of matches with one or fewer attack errors: 6
- Number of matches hitting .300 or above: 6
- Number of matches hitting .400 or above: 8
- Number of matches hitting .500 or above: 4
- Number of matches hitting .700 or above: 2
SMOOTH & STEADY: SETTER TAYLOR ANDERSON
- Anderson has set Purdue to four matches over .300%, including .310 vs. #10 Kentucky and .450 vs. UC Davis.
- She is averaging 10.95 assists per set, 2.24 digs per set and 1.18 blocks per set.
- She leads all Big Ten setters with 45 blocks this season (second-most is 34 by USC's Mia Tuman).
- Anderson has gotten more aggressive on the attack compared to her freshman season, averaging .53 kills per set compared to .31 from last season (35 kills in 2023 vs. 20 already in 2024). In fact, her numbers are up in virtually every category including digs per set (1.97 vs. 2.24), assists per set (9.88 vs. 10.95) and blocks (.85 vs. 1.18).
- Has posted 7 or more blocks three times this season.
- 40 or more assist in a match this season: 5
- 50 or more assists in a match this season: 1
- Double-doubles this season: 3
QUICK HITS: LAST WEEK AT A GLANCE
- Purdue went 1-2 in Kansas after playing two top-10 teams in under 24 hours.
- Over the tournament, Purdue was even with opponents in kills/set (14.45), out-blocked opponents (2.64 vs. 2) and out-served opponents (11-9). The difference-maker came in defensive plays (13.82 vs. 15.00 digs/set).
- Extra points were needed to decide Set 1 at #10 Kansas (29-31) and Set 4 vs. #9 Creighton (25-27).
- Purdue held four set points in Set 1 at Kansas before falling, 29-31.
- Colvin hit .453% over the tournament.
- Anderson averaged 10.91 assists/set, 2.27 digs/set and 1.36 blocks/set.
- Hudson averaged 4.27 kills/set, .280% and went nearly errorless at Kansas.