WEST LAFAYETTE – The No.16 Purdue volleyball team is set to wrap up the 2019 regular season with a pair of contests in Michigan this week. The Boilermakers first travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. to challenge the Wolverines on Wednesday in a BTN televised match at 6:30 p.m. ET, before heading to East Lansing, Mich., for a 7 p.m. match up against the Spartans on Friday.
NO. 16 PURDUE AT NO.22 MICHIGAN
Wednesday, Nov.27 | 6:30 p.m. ET
BTN | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
NO. 16 PURDUE AT MICHIGAN STATE
Friday, Nov.29 | 7 p.m. ET
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
SERIES HISTORY
The Boilermakers are 101-58 against this weekend's field.
Michigan: 49-27
Michigan State: 54-32
QUICK HITS
• Purdue is second in the Big Ten and 14th in the country in blocks per set with a 2.77 average, and they have three players ranked in the top 12 in blocks per set in the conference: Shavona Cuttino (1.27, 5th), Blake Mohler (1.20, 7th) and Grace Cleveland (1.08, 12th).
• The Boilermakers ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 1.52 aces per set, an improvement from last year's 1.3 mark. The effort is guided by 44 aces from junior Jena Otec. She is currently second in the Big Ten in total aces and aces per set (0.42). She is the first Boilermaker to reach the milestone since Brittany Dildine registered 48 in 2006. Otec's mark ranks 44th in the nation.
• Redshirt senior Blake Mohler is closing on a pair of career milestones. She currently owns 943 career kills, only 57 away from 1,000, while also registering 471 blocks (66 solo / 405 assists), only 29 away from 500.
• Head coach Dave Shondell stands at 368-191in his 17th season in West Lafayette. He is joined by assistant coaches John Shondell and Kathy Jewell, who also enter their 17th season with the Boilermakers. Overall, Purdue owns a 926-601 program record behind four head coaches (Dave Shondell, Jeff Hulsmeyer, Joey Vrazel, Carol Dewey)
• Purdue was picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten in the conference's preseason poll. With its win over Michigan (11/23/19), the Boilermakers currently rank fifth in the league. Purdue's best conference finish under Shondell was a tie for third place in 2007 with an 11-9 record. The Boilermakers have already matched their 2017 and 2018 12-conference wins. With two more wins, Purdue would finish with its most Big Ten victories under Shondell at 14. Purdue's best conference finish was 17-1 (1st) in 1985.
• The Boilermaker roster features a pair of redshirt seniors, two juniors, six sophomores and six freshmen.
• The 2019 Purdue volleyball team welcomes six freshmen to Holloway in Maddy Chinn, Emma Ellis, Madeline Koch, Megan Renner, Maddie Schermerhorn and Ava Torrance. Together the incoming group was ranked the 8th-best recruiting class in the nation by PrepVolleyball.
•Head Coach Dave Shondell strengthened Purdue volleyball's middle court with the addition of the 2020 incoming class on this year's National Signing Day. The class was made up of a pair of middle blockers in Lourdes Myers and Taylor Trammell. Their talent and physicality will compliment Purdue's nationally recognized competitiveness and tradition of success.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
• Sophomore Paige Jones leads the Wolverines and is fourth in the Big Ten in kills per set (3.85) this season while hitting .256, and she has had double-digit kill efforts in 17 of 18 conference matches. The New Bremen, Ohio, native has 397 kills on the season and needs just six more to surpass her total as a freshman (402).
• Fifth-year senior Cori Crocker continues to lead the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.435) and is ranked fourth nationally. She had 10 kills and hit .444 at Michigan State (Nov. 20) and added six kills on 14 swings at No. 17 Purdue (Nov. 23).
• Sophomore Paige Jones (0.36, 7th) and freshman May Pertofsky (0.35, 10th) each rank in the Big Ten's top 10 for service aces per set, while the Wolverines rank third in the conference as a team in aces per set (1.53).
• Michigan needs two wins to break the program record for Big Ten wins in a season (13 in 1997).
• The 2019 volleyball campaign marks the program's 47th season and 21st under head coach Mark Rosen. In his time leading the Maize and Blue, Rosen has compiled a 427-263 record and guided Michigan to 17 of its 20 NCAA postseason appearances. In addition to serving as the longest-tenured volleyball coach at Michigan, Rosen is the winningest coach in program history.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
• Michigan State has gone 1-10 over its last 11 games after starting the Big Ten season 4-3.
• MSU sits in a tie for ninth place (with Maryland) in the B1G standings with a 5-13 record. MSU has two games this season against four of the top five teams in the conference standings (Wisconsin, Penn State, Nebraska, and Michigan).
• With a 14-14 record, 11 of MSU's 14 losses have come to teams in the AVCA top-25 or receiving votes at the time of the match: No. 5 and No. 8 Penn State, No. 5 and No. 6 Nebraska, No. 6 and No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 7 Minnesota, No. 19 Illinois, No. 21 Tennessee, and [RV] and No. 23 Michigan. Seven of the 14 losses are to teams ranked in the top eight at the time of the match.
• The Spartans are averaging 2.61 blocks per set which ranks third the Big Ten and 26th nationally.
ALUMNI NOTES
• Former Purdue standout Annie Drews was selected to the 2019 FIVB World Cup Dream Team in Osaka, Japan. One of two opposites competing for the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team, Drews guided Team USA to a silver finish (10-1) with 124 total points, including 106 kills, nine blocks and nine aces.
•Purdue volleyball alumni Ariel (Turner) Gebhardt was one of seven former student-athletes selected to the 2020 class of the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. Gebhardt earned four letters in volleyball from 2009 to 2012. She ranks second in school history with 1,906 career kills and is one of merely seven Boilermakers with 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs (1,030). As a senior, Gebhardt was named the Academic All-American of the Year for volleyball, the first Purdue student-athlete so honored since Drew Brees (football) in 2000. She was also a two-time All-American (first-team in 2011 and second-team in 2012), a two-time Academic All-American and the 2011 Big Ten Player of the Year. Induction is scheduled for Feb. 21 at New Journey Farms in Lafayette. Tickets will be available through the John Purdue Club in early January. The class will be recognized Feb. 22 during the Purdue men's basketball game against Michigan, as well.
NO. 16 PURDUE AT NO.22 MICHIGAN
Wednesday, Nov.27 | 6:30 p.m. ET
BTN | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
NO. 16 PURDUE AT MICHIGAN STATE
Friday, Nov.29 | 7 p.m. ET
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
SERIES HISTORY
The Boilermakers are 101-58 against this weekend's field.
Michigan: 49-27
Michigan State: 54-32
QUICK HITS
• Purdue is second in the Big Ten and 14th in the country in blocks per set with a 2.77 average, and they have three players ranked in the top 12 in blocks per set in the conference: Shavona Cuttino (1.27, 5th), Blake Mohler (1.20, 7th) and Grace Cleveland (1.08, 12th).
• The Boilermakers ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 1.52 aces per set, an improvement from last year's 1.3 mark. The effort is guided by 44 aces from junior Jena Otec. She is currently second in the Big Ten in total aces and aces per set (0.42). She is the first Boilermaker to reach the milestone since Brittany Dildine registered 48 in 2006. Otec's mark ranks 44th in the nation.
• Redshirt senior Blake Mohler is closing on a pair of career milestones. She currently owns 943 career kills, only 57 away from 1,000, while also registering 471 blocks (66 solo / 405 assists), only 29 away from 500.
• Head coach Dave Shondell stands at 368-191in his 17th season in West Lafayette. He is joined by assistant coaches John Shondell and Kathy Jewell, who also enter their 17th season with the Boilermakers. Overall, Purdue owns a 926-601 program record behind four head coaches (Dave Shondell, Jeff Hulsmeyer, Joey Vrazel, Carol Dewey)
• Purdue was picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten in the conference's preseason poll. With its win over Michigan (11/23/19), the Boilermakers currently rank fifth in the league. Purdue's best conference finish under Shondell was a tie for third place in 2007 with an 11-9 record. The Boilermakers have already matched their 2017 and 2018 12-conference wins. With two more wins, Purdue would finish with its most Big Ten victories under Shondell at 14. Purdue's best conference finish was 17-1 (1st) in 1985.
• The Boilermaker roster features a pair of redshirt seniors, two juniors, six sophomores and six freshmen.
• The 2019 Purdue volleyball team welcomes six freshmen to Holloway in Maddy Chinn, Emma Ellis, Madeline Koch, Megan Renner, Maddie Schermerhorn and Ava Torrance. Together the incoming group was ranked the 8th-best recruiting class in the nation by PrepVolleyball.
•Head Coach Dave Shondell strengthened Purdue volleyball's middle court with the addition of the 2020 incoming class on this year's National Signing Day. The class was made up of a pair of middle blockers in Lourdes Myers and Taylor Trammell. Their talent and physicality will compliment Purdue's nationally recognized competitiveness and tradition of success.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
• Sophomore Paige Jones leads the Wolverines and is fourth in the Big Ten in kills per set (3.85) this season while hitting .256, and she has had double-digit kill efforts in 17 of 18 conference matches. The New Bremen, Ohio, native has 397 kills on the season and needs just six more to surpass her total as a freshman (402).
• Fifth-year senior Cori Crocker continues to lead the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.435) and is ranked fourth nationally. She had 10 kills and hit .444 at Michigan State (Nov. 20) and added six kills on 14 swings at No. 17 Purdue (Nov. 23).
• Sophomore Paige Jones (0.36, 7th) and freshman May Pertofsky (0.35, 10th) each rank in the Big Ten's top 10 for service aces per set, while the Wolverines rank third in the conference as a team in aces per set (1.53).
• Michigan needs two wins to break the program record for Big Ten wins in a season (13 in 1997).
• The 2019 volleyball campaign marks the program's 47th season and 21st under head coach Mark Rosen. In his time leading the Maize and Blue, Rosen has compiled a 427-263 record and guided Michigan to 17 of its 20 NCAA postseason appearances. In addition to serving as the longest-tenured volleyball coach at Michigan, Rosen is the winningest coach in program history.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
• Michigan State has gone 1-10 over its last 11 games after starting the Big Ten season 4-3.
• MSU sits in a tie for ninth place (with Maryland) in the B1G standings with a 5-13 record. MSU has two games this season against four of the top five teams in the conference standings (Wisconsin, Penn State, Nebraska, and Michigan).
• With a 14-14 record, 11 of MSU's 14 losses have come to teams in the AVCA top-25 or receiving votes at the time of the match: No. 5 and No. 8 Penn State, No. 5 and No. 6 Nebraska, No. 6 and No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 7 Minnesota, No. 19 Illinois, No. 21 Tennessee, and [RV] and No. 23 Michigan. Seven of the 14 losses are to teams ranked in the top eight at the time of the match.
• The Spartans are averaging 2.61 blocks per set which ranks third the Big Ten and 26th nationally.
ALUMNI NOTES
• Former Purdue standout Annie Drews was selected to the 2019 FIVB World Cup Dream Team in Osaka, Japan. One of two opposites competing for the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team, Drews guided Team USA to a silver finish (10-1) with 124 total points, including 106 kills, nine blocks and nine aces.
•Purdue volleyball alumni Ariel (Turner) Gebhardt was one of seven former student-athletes selected to the 2020 class of the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. Gebhardt earned four letters in volleyball from 2009 to 2012. She ranks second in school history with 1,906 career kills and is one of merely seven Boilermakers with 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs (1,030). As a senior, Gebhardt was named the Academic All-American of the Year for volleyball, the first Purdue student-athlete so honored since Drew Brees (football) in 2000. She was also a two-time All-American (first-team in 2011 and second-team in 2012), a two-time Academic All-American and the 2011 Big Ten Player of the Year. Induction is scheduled for Feb. 21 at New Journey Farms in Lafayette. Tickets will be available through the John Purdue Club in early January. The class will be recognized Feb. 22 during the Purdue men's basketball game against Michigan, as well.