Coaching Staff Celebration to Commence vs. Iowa

Wednesday, Oct. 5 | 6 p.m. ET
#5 Purdue vs. Iowa
BTN | WSHY 104.3 FM
Celebrating 20 Years of Coaching

Saturday, October 8 | 6 p.m. ET
#5 Purdue vs.#7 Wisconsin
B1G+ | WSHY 104.3 FM
Alumnae Day & 90's Throwback Day
 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 5 Purdue volleyball team (13-1, 4-0 Big Ten) looks to continue one its best starts in program history as the team looks ahead to host Iowa (6-9, 0-4 Big Ten) and No. 7 Wisconsin (9-3, 3-1 Big Ten) this week.

First, Purdue will take on Iowa in a mid-week matchup Wednesday on Big Ten Network as the Boilermakers and Hawkeyes are scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. ET. The match will also celebrate the Purdue coaching staff: head coach Dave Shondell, associate head coach John Shondell and assistant head coach – recruiting coordinator Kathy Jewell, who are in the 20th year of guiding the program and are the longest tenured coaching staff in all of Power Five volleyball. The honors will include an awards presentation before starting lineups and a special pint glass giveaway for fans in attendance.

Then, a top-10 showdown will ensue on Saturday night at 6 p.m. ET as Purdue faces No. 7 Wisconsin on B1G+. In addition to the 90's night, Purdue alumnae will return for the match to celebrate the coaching staff's 20-year anniversary.
 
Schedule Notes

• Purdue is riding a seven-match win streak and is 9-1 over its last 10 matches.
• Holloway Gymnasium is sold out for the remainder of the season. In fact, Purdue sold out every match this season except for its 10 a.m. win vs. Bradley on Sept. 2 - a match that came 315 tickets short of a sell-out.
• Purdue has nine opponents on the docket for 2022 against teams ranked or receiving votes for a total of 13 matchups, according to the most recent AVCA poll. six of those teams are among the top-13.
• Holloway Gymnasium is sold out for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, the student section, the Block Party, sold out their season tickets in under two hours of going on sale.

 
A Look at the Iowa Hawkeyes
Series Record: 59-22 (PUR leads) | Last Meeting: Sept. 25, 2022 (W, 3-1 in Coralville, Iowa)

• Since the turn of the century, Purdue is 18-2 when playing the Hawkeyes in West Lafayette with the most recent loss coming on October 16, 2012.  In those two losses, the Boilermakers were swept 3-0.
• Iowa enters the match looking for their first win in Big Ten play after starting 0-4, with three of those matches coming against top-10 opponents.
• The Hawkeye attack is led by Michelle Urquhart, who is averaging 2.67 kills per set. She also leads the team in total attacks with 425, while the next closest has 313.
• The Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten in digs per set, recording 14.35. Mari Hinkle leads the team averaging 4.49 per set.

 
A Look at the #7 Wisconsin Badgers
Series Record: 34-52 (WISC leads) | Last Meeting: Nov 12, 2021 (W, 3-1 in Madison, Wis.)

• Two of the team's last three matches came vs. top-10 opponents. The Badgers lost to then-#8 Minnesota, 0-3, before winning their next match vs. then-#9 Penn State, 3-0.
• The Boilermakers and Badgers both played Illinois last week, with Illinois walking away with two fifth-set losses.
• Wisconsin is .500 vs. top-25 opponents this season (3-3). It's highest-ranked win came vs. #9 Penn State (3-0), while also taking down then-#14 Kentucky (3-0 on 9/9) and then-#24 Marquette (3-1 on 9/2).
• Wisconsin enters the match, ranked fourth in the Big Ten in hitting % (.260).  They are led by a trio of players, including Danielle Hart, Caroline Crawford, and Devyn Robinson, that are hitting over 0.345.
• Sarah Franklin, a first team All-Big Ten transfer from Michigan State, leads the team in kills per set averaging 3.30 of the team's 12.72.
• The Badgers rank third in the Big Ten in blocks per set and feature four players averaging over a block per set.  They are led by Danielle Hart with 1.63 blocks per set, which ranks second in the Big Ten.

 
Starting the Season Strong

• Although the Boilermakers were picked to finish 8th in the Big Ten, Purdue enters the week #1 in the standings.
• Only 12 Division I programs have one loss or less. Purdue is one of them.
• Purdue's 13-1 record is the best start since 2011. It is the second time since the 1985 season to start as strong. (2011: 14-0, 1985: 14-1)
• For the seventh straight year, the Boilermakers entered Big Ten play with one non-conference loss or fewer.
• With the team's 7-match winning streak, it is the longest active streak in the Big Ten.
• Purdue closed non-conference season with a 9-1 record, marking the most wins in non-conference play since 2018.
• Five Boilers that have started are hitting above .300: Raven Colvin (.316%), Hannah Clayton (.348% ), Eva Hudson (.339%) Emily Rastovski (.438%) and Lourdes Myers (.348%).

 
Among the Big Ten

• Purdue is joined by Michigan State as the only two Big Ten programs to remain undefeated at home this season: Michigan State (6-0).
• The Boilers lead the league in kills (14.12/set), second in attack % (.287) and opponent blocks (1.51/set) as well as third in digs (14.14/set) and assists (12.67).
• Eva Hudson is the Big Ten leader with 5.66 points/set and 5.06 kills/set.
• Libero Maddie Schermerhorn is 2nd with 4.49 digs/set.
• Raven Colvin is 9th with 1.24 blocks/set.
• Middle Hannah Clayton is 7th in hitting % (.348).
• Setter Megan Renner is 10th with 8.18 assists/set.
• Purdue's 70 kills vs. #RV Utah are the third-most by a Big Ten squad this season.

Dave Shondell & Coaching Staff

• In honor of the coaching staff's 20th year leading the program, Purdue will honor them before the start of the match vs. Iowa.
• Dave Shondell was named both Big Ten Coach of the Year and Regional Coach of the Year for the second time last year.
• Shondell, along with his coaching staff of associate head coach John Shondell and assistant head coach - recruiting coordinator Kathy Jewell are entering their 20th season together at Purdue. No Power 5 coaching staff has stayed all together for as long. In total, there are only eight active head coaches who've celebrated 20 or more years at their institution. 
• Shondell is joined by Michigan's Mark Rosen (24 years) as the longest tenured head coaches in the Big Ten.
• Last season, Shondell surpassed two milestones: 600 matches at Purdue (vs. Rutgers, 10/2) and 400 wins, earned in the next match (at Illinois, 10/6). Shondell is the ninth head coach in Big Ten volleyball history to reach 400 wins.
• Under his direction, Shondell has guided Purdue to 13 20-win seasons. 
• Purdue's five Big Ten losses in 2021 are the second-least in a single season (least: 4, 2011) during the Shondell era.
• Entered 2022 season with a record of 414-206 (.668) record.
• Shondell signed a contract extension in August 2021, running through the 2024 season.
• Shondell and company have coached 22 All-Americans and 79 All-Big Ten honorees.