NCAA History

1981

The Boilermakers participate in the first NCAA Tournament and sweep Tennessee. Junior Jane Neff, sophomore Jan Hoosline and freshman Kate Crandell all tally seven kills. Crandell also has five blocks.

Dec. 11 - South Regional Semifinals
Foster Auditorium
Tuscaloosa, Ala.

UCLA rallies from a 2-1 deficit for the win. Senior Donna Hardesty and freshman Becky Winsett both have 11 kills, while junior Jane Neff records seven blocks and senior Anne McMenamy adds 11 digs.

1982

The Boilermakers bring an unblemished 32-0 record into the tournament and defeat Rutgers. Senior Jane Neff leads the way with 13 kills, while classmate JoAnn Wissen has 12 kills on a .550 attack percentage, and junior Jan Hoosline adds five blocks and five aces.

Dec. 11 - Mideast Regional Semifinals
Multi-Purpose Athletic Facility (1,352)
West Lafayette, Ind.

In one of the greatest matches in Purdue history, the Boilermakers rally from two games down to top Nebraska and remain undefeated. Junior Joan King erupts for 30 kills while hitting .464, senior Jane Neff has 19 kills, and sophomore Kate Crandell tallies 16 kills, 11 blocks and four aces.

Dec. 12 - Mideast Regional Finals
Multi-Purpose Athletic Facility (1,520)
West Lafayette, Ind.

Purdue's dream season comes to an end against USC. Junior Joan King has eight kills on a .467 attack percentage. The Boilermakers end the season 33-1.

1983

Purdue is forced to come from behind to down Illinois State. Senior Jan Hoosline hits .487 with 21 kills and six blocks, while sophomore Kim Corwin has 22 digs.

Dec. 9 - Mideast Regional Semifinals
Multi-Purpose Athletic Facility (1,862)
West Lafayette, Ind.

Western Michigan survives in five games to remain undefeated at 32-0. Sophomore Kim Corwin paces Purdue with 22 kills on a .400 attack percentage, junior Kate Crandell records 12 blocks, and junior Annette Bauer comes up with 21 digs. A Multi-Purpose Athletic Facility (now the IAF) record crowd of 1,862 is on hand.

1984

Nine days after beating San Jose State in five games on the road, Purdue falls to the host Spartans. Juniors Kim Corwin and Marianne Smith and freshman Linda Reichl all have 10 kills, and Corwin adds 14 digs.

1985

Purdue sweeps Illinois St. behind 14 kills from sophomore Linda Reichl. Senior Kim Corwin has 12 digs.

Dec. 13 - Mideast Regional Semifinals
Devaney Sports Center (2,740)
Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska wins the first two games and holds on for the victory. Sophomore Linda Reichl leads Purdue with 24 kills, senior Marianne Smith has 16 kills and 21 digs, and senior Cheryl Flowers adds 23 digs.

1987

After a year away from postseason play, the Boilermakers return with a flourish and a sweep of Penn State. Junior Linda Reichl totals 13 kills, while freshman Amber Douglas has 13 digs.

Dec. 10 - Midwest Regional Semifinals
Kenney Gym (2,300)
Champaign, Ill.

For the second time in three years the Boilermakers see their season ended by Nebraska. Junior Linda Reichl leads Purdue with 13 kills, and freshman Amber Douglas records five blocks.

1990

In their first postseason appearance in three years, the Boilermakers face Penn State with its 42-0 record. The Boilermakers get nine kills and 13 digs from senior Jill Whiteman.

2004

The Boilermakers make quite a splash in their first NCAA game in nearly 15 years, going into Moby Arena and upsetting the ninth-ranked host Rams in a five-game thriller. Six Boilermakers post double-digit kills, led by Kim McConaha. Daren Poe tallies a match-high 21 digs.

Dec. 3 - Second Round
Moby Arena (1,210)
Fort Collins, Colo.

The Boilermakers send Game 1 against No. 2 Hawai'i to overtime, but cannot overcome the Rainbow Wahine. Kim McConaha posts a 14 kill, 14 dig double-double, while also setting the Purdue career record for block assists. Elizabeth Jacques adds 11 kills and Daren Poe posts 18 digs.

2005

The No. 14-seeded Boilermakers advance to the second round for the second consecutive year with a 3-0 win over VCU. Four Purdue players reach double digit dig totals, while freshmen Danita Merlau and Stephanie Lynch lead the team with 16 and 12 kills respectively.

Dec. 3 - Second Round
Dean Smith Center (332)
Chapel Hill, N.C.

Purdue earns its first trip to the third round since 1982 with a sweep of the College of Charleston. Sophomore Sam Mader and freshman Danita Merlau lead the Boilermakers with 11 kills each. Three players tally double-digit dig totals, led by freshman Kelli Miller's tally of 19.

Dec. 9 - College Station Regional Semifinal
G. Rollie White Coliseum (414)
College Station, Texas

In their first Sweet 16 appearance in 18 years, the Boilermakers clash with No. 3 Washington, which ends Purdue's season with a 3-0 sweep. Freshman Stephanie Lynch notches 14 kills, while junior Brittany Dildine posts 18 digs.

2006

Purdue hosts an NCAA Tournament match for the first time since 1987 as the No. 14-seeded Boilermakers sweep the Saint Louis Billikens. Sophomore Danita Merlau tallies 17 kills on a .308 hitting percentage and senior Brittany Dildine and sophomore Kelli Miller lead the defensive effort with 19 and 17 digs respectively.

Dec. 1 - Second Round
Intercollegiate Athletic Facility (1,107)
Chapel Hill, N.C.

Purdue earns its second consecutive trip to the Sweet 16 after making short work of the Wildcats. Sophomore Danita Merlau racks up 17 kills, while junior Sam Mader finishes close behind with 13. Senior Brittany Dildine notches 20 digs and freshman Sam Gray registers 36 assists.

Dec. 9 - Seattle Regional Semifinal
Bank of America (4,686)
Seattle, Wash.

The Boilermakers fall to the third-seeded Nittany Lions for the third time in 2006. Sophomore Stephanie Lynch tallies eight kills, while sophomore Danita Merlau racks up seven kills and seven digs.

2007

The Boilermakers bested the Bobcats on their home floor after shaking off a loss in Game 1. With the win, Purdue advanced to the second round for the fourth-straight season. Sophomore Carrie Gurnell paced the Boilermaker offensive attack with 17 kills, while freshman Kristen Arthurs and junior Danita Merlau each added 12 putdowns. Merlau also pulled up a team-leading 14 digs, while senior Anne Mastandrea and junior Kelli Miller reached double-digits with 13 and 12 respectively. Junior Stephanie Lynch put up nine blocks, including three solo efforts.

Dec. 1 - Second Round
Convocation Center (321)
Athens, Ohio

The Boilermakers' quest for a third-straight Sweet 16 appearance was cut short by the No. 16 seeded Mustangs. Purdue could not overcome Cal Poly's potent offense which hit .325 for the match and also served up nine aces. Sophomore Carrie Gurnell provided a bright spot for the Boilermakers with 11 kills on a .320 hitting effort. A trio of Boilermakers posted double-digit dig tallies, led by junior Kelli Miller's tally of 14. Junior Danita Merlau and freshman Jessica Ullrich added 13 and 10.

2008

The Boilermakers advance to the second round for the fifth-straight season with a five-set win over Louisville. A balanced and efficient offensive attack guided the team to victory. Purdue hit .318 in the match, while five players posted double-digit kills, led by senior Stephanie Lynch's 15. Lynch also contributed 10 blocks to the team's tally. Senior Kelli Miller added 23 digs and three aces, while sophomore setter Jaclyn Hart nearly pulled off a triple double with 51 assists, 14 digs and eight kills.

Dec. 6 - Second Round
Intercollegiate Athletic Facility (1,002)
West Lafayette, Ind.

The Boilermakers move on to the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years and post their 26th win of the season, the most since 1985 (34-4). Senior Kelli Miller records her 2000th career dig with 18 in the match. Sophomore Kristen Arthurs leads the way for the Purdue offense with 15 kills, while senior Stephanie Lynch and senior Danita Merlau add 13 and 12 respectively. Merlau rounds out a double-double with 15 digs, while Lynch puts up eight blocks to pace Purdue at the net. Redshirt sophomore Lisa Pierce served up three aces in the contest.

Dec. 12 - Fort Collins Regional Semifinal
Moby Arena (2,573)
Fort Collins, Colo.

Purdue managed to take the first set from No. 6 Hawai'i, but could not hold off the sixth-ranked Rainbow Wahine eventually falling 3-1. Sophomore Kristen Arthurs paces the offense with 14 kills on a .500 hitting effort, while senior Stephanie Lynch racks up 13 putaways and six blocks in her final match as a Boilermaker. Senior Danita Merlau tacks on eight kills, while junior Carrie Gurnell adds seven. Senior Kelli Miller pulls up 11 digs to lead the Purdue defense one last time, while freshman Emily Ehlers and sophomore Jaclyn Hart added 10 each. Hart rounded out a double-double with 34 assists. Purdue outblocked Hawai'i 13 to 9, but won only that statistical category.

2010

The Boilermakers advance to the second round for the sixth time in seven years with a four-set win over Kentucky. Purdue outdid the Wildcats in every major statistical category. Ariel Turner and Anna Drewry led the way offenisvely with 18 and 16 kills respectively. Jaclyn Hart, Kristen Arthurs and Tiffany Fisher add nine kills apiece. Hart managed her nine kills in 12 swings with no errors for a Purdue NCAA Tournament record hitting effort, besting JoAnne Wissen's .550 (12-1-20) effort on Dec. 5, 1982. Arthurs led Purdue at the net with six blocks. Carly Cramer pulled up 11 digs, while three other players added nine or more. The Boilermakers posted 62 kills to Kentucky's 38 and outdug the Wildcats 50 to 30.

Dec. 4 - Second Round
Intercollegiate Athletic Facility (1,374)
West Lafayette, Ind.

The Boilermakers punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 with a four-set win over Louisville. It was a gutsy effort which saw Purdue weather 27 tie scores and 12 lead changes. It was a total team ordeal as five different players posted nine or more kills and five Boilermakers posted eight or more digs. Eleven players saw court time and all made a contribution. Tiffany Fisher posted a team-best 12 kills, while Ariel Turner chipped in 11. Carly Cramer led the way with 13 digs, while Blair Bashen (11), Jaclyn Hart (10) and Emily Ehlers (10) also reached double digits. Hart rounded out a double-double with 45 assists.

Dec. 10 - Austin Regional Semifinal
Gregory Gymnasium (3,731)
Austin, Texas

The Boilermakers toppled a No. 1 team for the first time in program history, while also advancing to the Regional Finals for just the second time in Purdue lore. Purdue hit a team NCAA record .327 in the contest, while holding the top-ranked Gators to a season-low .122 effort. The Boilermakers trailed 24-20 in the opening set, but scored five in a row, thwarting four UF set point attempts, en route to stealing the 28-26 win on their own third chance at the stanza. Purdue cruised in sets two and three. Ariel Turner guided the offense with 18 kills and Katie Griffin added nine. Carly Cramer pulled up a match-high 16 digs, while Emily Ehlers added 15.

Dec. 11 - Austin Regional Final
Gregory Gymnasium (4,152)
Austin, Texas

The Boilermakers dream NCAA Tournament run ended in the Elite 8 as they were edged by No. 6 Texas. Purdue won the first set 25-18, but lost All-American setter Jaclyn Hart to injury in the stanza. The Longhorns took the next two sets as Purdue regrouped, but the Boilermakers led 20-15 late in the fourth. Purdue had three chances at set point at 24-22, 24-23 and again at 25-24, but could not shake a late UT surge, falling 27-25. Ariel Turner put down a match-high 23 kills and added 11 digs and two aces. Catherine Rebarchak chipped in 10 kills, while Carly Cramer paced the defense with 15 digs.

2011

Purdue advanced to the second round with a dominating 3-0 sweep of Morehead State. The Boilermakers hit at a then-school NCAA record clip of .349 in the match and outblocked the Eagles 12.5 to 4. Ariel Turner posted a 13-kill, 12 dig double double, while Val Nichol chipped in 11 kills while hitting .474. Blair Bashen pulled up 13 digs, followed by Turner's 12. Kierra Jones led the Boilermakers at the net with seven block assists.

Dec. 3 - Second Round
Intercollegiate Athletic Facility (2036)
West Lafayette, Ind.

The Boilermakers earned a spot in the NCAA third round for the fifth time since 2005 with a 3-1 win over Louisville, knocking the Cardinals out of the tournament in the second round for the second straight year. Purdue dominated Sets 1, 3 and 4 and posted a team NCAA record .370 hitting effort in the match. Ariel Turner paced Purdue with 16 kills, while Tiffany Fisher (14) and Catherine Rebarchak (10) also reached double-digits. Blair Bashen led the defense with 10 digs, while Fisher put up a team-leading eight blocks. Purdue outhit Louisville .370 to .083 and put up nine blocks to UofL's 3. Tanya Lukyanenko hit at an opponent NCAA record .643 clip for the Cardinals.

Dec. 9 - Regional Semifinal
Sports Pavilion (3237)
Minneapolis, Minn.

The Florida State Seminoles used several big rallies and stout net defense to advance past the Boilermakers in the Sweet 16. Purdue led 21-13 in Set 1, only to see the stanza go to FSU, 25-23. The Boilermakers rebounded with a second set win, but had their backs against the wall in the fourth set after the Seminoles posted a 25-20 Set 3 win. Purdue led 19-17 in the final stanza, but Florida State stole it away with eight straight points. FSU posted an opponent NCAA record 15 blocks, including an individual record nine by Sareea Freeman. Ariel Turner led Purdue with 16 kills, while Tiffany Fisher (15) and Catherine Rebarchak (11) also reached double digits. Five Boilermakers managed double-digit dig totals, led by Turner (20) and Blair Bashen (20). Rachel Davis added 19 to finish out a double double (also 47 assists), while Emily Ehlers posted 16 and Hilliary Fox added 15 and three aces.

2012

The Boilermakers continued their NCAA first round success with a sweep of Colorado State, which saw the team win every statistical category. Purdue outhit the Rams .290 to .149 and held CSU under .100 in each of the first two sets. Ariel Turner posted a match-high 13 kills followed by Val Nichol's nine. Carly Cramer pulled up 10 digs, while three others tallied eight or more. Kiki Jones put up four blocks and hit .857 in the match.

Dec. 1 - Second Round
Tully Gym (2294)
Tallahassee, Fla.

Purdue nabbed a spot in their home regional by gutting out a hard-fought five-set upset win over Florida State. The Boilermaker win ended a 27-match home win streak for FSU. A balanced offensive attack, featuring four players in double digits: Ariel Turner (21), Catherine Rebarchak (12), Anna Drewry (11) and Kiki Jones (10), as well a dominant blocking effort (17-7) aided in the win. Carly Cramer posted 20 digs, followed by Rachel Davis (14) and Hilliary Fox (13). Jones also added nine blocks, while Rebarchak had seven and Drewry chipped in six. FSU stole away Set 2 after trailing 21-17, but Purdue nearly returned the favor coming back from a 23-13 deficit in Set 4.

Dec. 7 - Regional Semifinal
Mackey Arena (3966)
West Lafayette, Ind.

The Boilermakers won nearly every statistical category, but fell to the Golden Gophers in four sets. Purdue outdug Minnesota 83-65 and outblocked the Gophers 12-10, but were held to a .150 hitting effort, while allowing UM a .191 clip. Ariel Turner gave it all for the Boilers with a match-high 25 kills and 16 digs, but was the only Purdue player in double-digits. Catherine Rebarchak added seven kills and three players turned in six. Five Boilermakers posted double-figure dig efforts, led by Carly Cramer's 24. Rachel Davis managed a 50-assist, 10-dig double-double. Purdue won the first set thanks in part to eight kills by Turner and three team blocks. The Boilermakers played from behind for most of the rest of the match, rallying to tie Set 2 at 24-24 and Set 3 at 23-23, but could not finish the comebacks.

2013

The Boilermakers used an efficient offense, strong serving and stout net defense to sweep Central Arkansas to advance to the second round. Purdue outhit the Sugar Bears .312 to .010, posted seven aces and put up 10 blocks in the win. Six different players tallied four or more kills led by Sam Epenesa's eight. Carly Cramer managed 10 digs, while Hilliary Fox added nine digs and three aces. KiKi Jones was credited with eight stuffs.

Dec. 7 - Second Round
Hearnes Center (2627)
Columbia, Mo.

Purdue punched its ticket to the Sweet 16 for the fourth-straight season with a 3-1 upset win over No. 4 Missouri. Val Nichol recorded a triple double with 14 kills, 10 digs and 27 assists. Sam Epenesa (13), Catherine Rebarchak (11) and KiKi Jones (10) also posted double-digit kill tallies. The Boilers hit .342 as a team and won every statistical category. Carly Cramer had 13 digs, while Rachel Davis posted an 11-dig, 21 assist double double. Faye Adelaja put up seven blocks. The Boilermakers led nearly start to finish, but couldn't stave off a late rally in Set 2. Purdue led it 21-18 in Set 4, but Missouri rallied to go up 24-22. The Boilers scored three straight to get their first match point chance. Nichol broke a tie at 25 with a solo block. The next Tiger hitting attempt sailed out of bounds to clinch the Purdue victory.

Dec. 13 - Regional Semifinal
State Farm Center (4631)
Champaign, Ill.

The Boilermakers outblocked the Illini 11-4.5 and six players posted four or more kills in a balanced attack to secure the sweep and put Purdue in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2010. The Boilers overcame a 24-21 deficit in the opening stanza, outlasting Illinois 28-26 in a set that featured 16 ties and eight lead changes. Facing set point, Purdue scored four straight including back-to-back kills by Val Nichol. The Illini had another shot at the stanza at 26-25, but a kill by Nichol and two by Annie Drews clinched the 28-26 win. Purdue led Set 2 from start to finish and held the Illini to a .098 hitting effort, thanks to five blocks. Set 3 saw Purdue break away midway through and never look back. Nichol, KiKi Jones and Catherine Rebarchak led the offense with nine kills apiece, while Faye Adelaja put up six blocks. Carly Cramer pulled up a team-best 15 digs.

Dec. 14 - Regional Semifinal
State Farm Center (2423)
Champaign, Ill.

Wisconsin won every statistical category except blocks, ending Purdue's season in a close four-set match. The Boilermakers played much of the match from behind, mounting late comebacks in each set, but could only win Set 2. The Boilers worked their win into a tie at 22 in the first set, only to fall 25-22. In Set 2, Purdue turned the teables with a midset rally and held off a late Badger run with three of the final four points in a 25-23 win. Set 3 was dominated by Wisconsin, which led by as many as seven. The Badgers led Set 4 by as amany as nine, but the Boilermakers put together a 10-3 run to cut the deficit to 23-21, but could not finish the comeback. Val Nichol and KiKi Jones led Purdue with 12 and 11 kills respectively. Catherine Rebarchak and Faye Adelaja had six blocks apiece. Senior Hilliary Fox pulled up 14 digs, while classmates Carly Cramer and Rachel Davis added 13 and 10 in their career finales.