Boilers Primed for Regional Finals

NCAA Regional Finals | Saturday, Dec. 13 | ESPN2 | 7:30 PM
#1 Pitt vs. #3 Purdue

NCAA Regional Semifinals Results | Thursday, Dec. 11 
#1 seed Pittsburgh def. #4 seed Minnesota 3-0
#3 seed Purdue def. #2 seed SMU 3-1

THE RETURN TO THE REGIONAL FINALS

• The Boilers return to the regional Finals for the third time in the last six years, facing a re-match of the the 2021 Finals with taking on No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh on its home floor.
  Dave Shondell has led Purdue to five NCAA Regional Finals over his 23 seasons with the team.
• The Boilers will be looking for their first-ever appearance to the National Semifinals (final four).
• The team reaches 28 wins - marking the second-most victories ever under HC Shondell (record: 29 in 2011). It will be the second-most wins for Purdue in 39 years (last: 34 in 1985).

THE WIN VS. SMU MEANT...

• Purdue has set a program record for wins vs. ranked opponents in a single season (10) and the second top-10 win of the year (last: also vs. SMU in non-con).
• With the win, Dave Shondell tied Purdue men's basketball legend Gene Keady as the winningest head coach in Purdue Athletics history (512 wins).
• The 100th ranked win for an opponent during Dave Shondell's tenure at Purdue.
  Kenna Wollard has jumped into Purdue's single-season top-10 list with her NCAA tournament play, owning 562 kills heading into the Regional Finals, ranking seventh in Purdue history - a feat that's only been accomplished two other times this century. With four more kills, she'll take sixth-place, with five more kills, she'll take fifth, and with six more kills, she'll jump to fourth in Purdue single-season history.

PURDUE IN THE 2025 NCAA TOURNAMENT

• Over the last three matches, Purdue is averaging a .349 attack % while holding opponents to .259%.
• Kenna Wollard is averaging 4.91 kills per set on a .448 clip and 2.91 digs per set.
• Taylor Anderosn is averaging 12.09 assists per set and has led the team to eight sets (11 total sets have been played) hitting at least .330% and four over .400%.
• In the back row, Ryan McAleer is averaging 4.91 digs per set and came two digs shy vs. SMU to tie the Purdue in an NCAA tournament match record for digs (McAleer had 23, record is 25 by Maddie Schermerhorn in 2023).
• Purdue's serve and pass has been stellar, out-acing opponents 21-7 in the tournament.

DEFYING EXPECTATIONS

• From zero preseason All-Big Ten honorees to matching the 1987 program record of five All-Big Ten selections, this Purdue squad has out-performed all expectations.
• Of the 33 teams recognized in the AVCA poll (ranked or receiving votes), Purdue is joined by Indiana as the only teams to not have a single player recognized in its preseason all-conference teams.
• Picked to finish #7 in the league in the preseason poll, Purdue finished third in the Big Ten, the second-best finish during the Shondell Era.
• The team started Big Ten play with a 12-2 Big Ten record-- the best start under Dave Shondell and the overall best since the '80s.
• After returning just one starter, Purdue's offense is the second-most efficient team in its 50+ year history, averaging a .291 attack % (record: 2017 w/ .301).
• The Boilermakers returned just 7.5% of its offense from a year ago (Wollard: 150 kills and Taylor Anderson: 74 kills).
  The squad posted its best non-con record since 2022 with a 9-1 record.
  The team's 24 wins are the third-most ever recorded during the regular season.
  The 10 wins vs. ranked opponents set a program record.

SPARK OFF THE BENCH: BIANKA LULIC

• Middle Bianka Lulic was the spark for Purdue vs. SMU in the Regional Semifinals, coming off the bench in Set 3 and immediately making an impact. Tied 17-17, she entered the match and went on to post three block assists in the next five Purdue points, helping swing momentum to Purdue’s side as the Boilers went on to win the set, 25-22.
• Lulic was the team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.