WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Five Boilermakers reached double-digit kills as a balanced offense guided No. 11 Purdue volleyball to a 3-1 victory against Northwestern (25-22, 24-26, 25-14, 25-11).
With the win, Purdue picked up its 23rd victory of the year, improving to 23-5 (14-4 Big Ten) while Northwestern falls to 16-14 (6-12 Big Ten).
Purdue enters the final week of the regular season, set to face two top-20 programs that it faced earlier this season in No. 19 Minnesota and No. 17 Indiana. The Thanksgiving week battles begin on Wednesday at No. 19 Minnesota at 7 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network, followed by No. 17 Indiana, hosted at Mackey Arena at 3 p.m. ET (previously 7 p.m. ET). Then, the NCAA Selection Show will take place next Sunday, November 30 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Boiler Notes
- Purdue’s offense improved in each set, beginning with six errors in Set 1 (.250 hitting %), then five errors (.326%) in Set 2, four errors (.414%) in Set 3 and just one attack error (.450%) in Set 4.
- Five Boilers reached double-digit kills, the first time a squad has accomplished the feat since 2013. In total, five players have reached the 10-kill milestone just 11 times in program history.
- Taylor Anderson totaled 56 assists in just four sets of action, nearing her career-high as she also posted eight digs, three kills, a block assist and an ace. Her 56 assists were the most by a Big Ten setter last week in a four-setter and led the team to 69 kills in the match, also the most by a Big Ten team last week in a four-setter.
- Purdue hit .358 in the match and held Northwestern to .209%, marking the eighth match this season the Boilers have hit over .350.
- The Boilers' 65 digs were the most in a four-set match this season.
- Kenna Wollard led the team with her 10th double-double of the season behind 16 kills, 15 digs, a block solo and ace.
- Ryan McAleer was one assist shy of the rare libero double-double, totaling 19 digs and nine aces alongside a season-high-tying two aces.
- Grace Heaney finished with her fifth double-double of the year, totaling 14 kills and just three erorrs for a .367 clip, 11 digs, three block assists, an ace and two assists.
- Akasha Anderson posted 14 kills on a .290 clip.
- Lindsey Miller set a season-high with her 10 kills, one error on 23 swings (.391%) while leading the blocking game, posting five total blocks, including one solo.
- After trailing 5-8 in the third set, Purdue outscored Northwestern 20-6 to win it.
- Purdue honored the graduating class made up of grad student Lindsey Miller, senior Akasha Anderson, redshirt sophomore Rachel Williams and junior Julia Kane. Williams and Kane were on the “degree in three” track at Purdue.