WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its 14-member AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist list, featuring Purdue volleyball junior outside hitter Eva Hudson.
The watch list will be narrowed down to a group of finalists in December prior to the winner being announced. The 2024 AVCA Player of the Year Award presented by Nike Volleyball, will be named Friday, Dec. 20, in Louisville, Kentucky, during the Final Four weekend. Players not on the semifinalist list can be added.
Hudson leads the Big Ten in total kills (412) and kills per set (4.63), marking the third consecutive year the Boilermaker has led the conference in kills. Additionally, she has totaled 450 points this season at a 5.06 per set clip and a 95.5% reception rating.
She is one of five Big Ten players featured on the 14-member list, which includes 2023 player of the year Sarah Franklin (Wisconsin), Jess Mruzik (Penn State), Reilly Bergen (Nebraska) and Lexi Rodriguez (Nebraska). In addition to leading the league offensively, Hudson also holds the edge during conference play in digs per set and reception % among fellow Big Ten outside hitters considered for AVCA Player of the Year (2.53 digs per set and 96.2 reception %).
The Fort Wayne, Indiana native has registered eight double-doubles this season, recorded 18 matches with at least 15 kills, 13 matches hitting .300% or better, eight of which were at a .350 clip or higher. She has stepped up in the biggest matches of the season, setting a season-high 26 kills on a .349 attack % at #2 Nebraska (and matched it with 26 kills on .350% at Indiana), recorded 17 kills vs. now-#6 Wisconsin and nearly had an errorless match at now-#12 Kansas, committing just one attack error in the final points of the match.
Hitting more efficiently than ever, she has totaled 31 errorless sets this season and four matches where she's hit at least .400%.
Meanwhile, in a head-to-head comparison of Hudson's first 10 matches of the season vs. last 10 matches, she has upped her offensive production in nearly every offensive category, including kills per set (5.42 vs. 4.40), hitting % (.322 vs. .272), and total points (210.5 vs. 169.5).
Hudson has led the Big Ten in kills every year, including her freshman campaign in 2022 and despite her junior status, is on track to become Purdue's all-time leader in career kills per set (4.43 currently; record is 3.96).
She is coming off a Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honor, which she also earned alongside AVCA National Player of the Week during Week 1
No. 8-ranked Purdue owns a 20-5, 11-3 Big Ten record. The Boilermakers are one of three Big Ten programs to have reached 20 wins this season and is among the fastest teams to reach 20 wins under head coach Dave Shondell (ranks fifth).
The watch list will be narrowed down to a group of finalists in December prior to the winner being announced. The 2024 AVCA Player of the Year Award presented by Nike Volleyball, will be named Friday, Dec. 20, in Louisville, Kentucky, during the Final Four weekend. Players not on the semifinalist list can be added.
Hudson leads the Big Ten in total kills (412) and kills per set (4.63), marking the third consecutive year the Boilermaker has led the conference in kills. Additionally, she has totaled 450 points this season at a 5.06 per set clip and a 95.5% reception rating.
She is one of five Big Ten players featured on the 14-member list, which includes 2023 player of the year Sarah Franklin (Wisconsin), Jess Mruzik (Penn State), Reilly Bergen (Nebraska) and Lexi Rodriguez (Nebraska). In addition to leading the league offensively, Hudson also holds the edge during conference play in digs per set and reception % among fellow Big Ten outside hitters considered for AVCA Player of the Year (2.53 digs per set and 96.2 reception %).
The Fort Wayne, Indiana native has registered eight double-doubles this season, recorded 18 matches with at least 15 kills, 13 matches hitting .300% or better, eight of which were at a .350 clip or higher. She has stepped up in the biggest matches of the season, setting a season-high 26 kills on a .349 attack % at #2 Nebraska (and matched it with 26 kills on .350% at Indiana), recorded 17 kills vs. now-#6 Wisconsin and nearly had an errorless match at now-#12 Kansas, committing just one attack error in the final points of the match.
Hitting more efficiently than ever, she has totaled 31 errorless sets this season and four matches where she's hit at least .400%.
Meanwhile, in a head-to-head comparison of Hudson's first 10 matches of the season vs. last 10 matches, she has upped her offensive production in nearly every offensive category, including kills per set (5.42 vs. 4.40), hitting % (.322 vs. .272), and total points (210.5 vs. 169.5).
Hudson has led the Big Ten in kills every year, including her freshman campaign in 2022 and despite her junior status, is on track to become Purdue's all-time leader in career kills per set (4.43 currently; record is 3.96).
She is coming off a Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honor, which she also earned alongside AVCA National Player of the Week during Week 1
No. 8-ranked Purdue owns a 20-5, 11-3 Big Ten record. The Boilermakers are one of three Big Ten programs to have reached 20 wins this season and is among the fastest teams to reach 20 wins under head coach Dave Shondell (ranks fifth).