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#9 Purdue Reaches Win #20#9 Purdue Reaches Win #20

#9 Purdue Reaches Win #20

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – With the sweep over the defending national champions No. 25 Penn State (25-20, 25-21, 25-22), No. 9 Purdue reached 20 wins, marking the fastest season a Boilermaker squad has reached the benchmark in 14 years.

It is the best start to Big Ten play ever under head coach Dave Shondell. Meanwhile, Purdue (20-3, 11-2 Big Ten) improves to 7-2 against ranked opponents as Penn State (13-10, 7-6 Big Ten) falls to 4-7 against ranked teams.

The Boilermakers continue their four-match homestand tomorrow. In 24 hours, Purdue will take on Iowa at 7 p.m. ET on B1G+.

Boiler Notes

  • It is the fifth time in program history that Purdue has posted at least seven wins against ranked opponents in a single season (7 in 2023, 9 in 2021, 8 in 2013 and 7 in 2011).
  • Purdue swept Penn State for the first time under Dave Shondell, with the last by Purdue coming in 1987.
  • Purdue is 3-2 over the last five matches vs. Penn State.
  • The team’s 20-3 (11-2 Big Ten) record marks the second time ever HC Dave Shondell has reached 20 wins so quickly (joined by 2011’s season behind a 20-3, 10-3 Big Ten record).
  • The Boilers out-hit the Nittany Lions: .312 vs. .241%. With the mark, Purdue is joined by Nebraska and Kentucky as the only teams to hit as efficiently against the defending National Champions this season.
  • Kenna Wollard secured a team-leading 19 kills on a .417 clip (19-4-36), leading all players with double-digit attacks in efficiency, including fellow AVCA National Player of the Year Semifinalist Kennedy Martin, who finished the night with 20 kills on a .296 clip (20-6-47).
  • In fact, Purdue contained Martin to just 14 kills – only Nebraska contained Martin to fewer kills in Big Ten play.
  • The Boilers hit over .300 for the 10th time this season.
  • Taylor Anderson guided the offense with 39 assists and 11 digs in one, if not the fastest, match the setter has reached a double-double after reaching the mark less than halfway through the second set.
  • Three Boilers reached double-digit kills: Wollard (19), Akasha Anderson (10) and Grace Heaney (10)
  • Akasha Anderson posted just one attack error, with seven errorless kills over the first two sets. It was her fourth match with just one attack error this year.
  • Sienna Foster posted a team-leading two aces in the match, improving to four consecutive matches with an ace (seven total aces during the span).