Purdue Sports Update Dec. 23

Volleyball Transfer Portal Update

Head coach Dave Shondell and the volleyball program will welcome 6’4″ middle blocker Lindsey Miller to the Boilermaker squad for the upcoming 2025 season. Miller, a graduate student, joins Purdue after spending the last three seasons at USC and her sophomore and freshman seasons at Notre Dame.

A week ago, it was announced the Eva Hudson, Chloe Chicoine, Lourdes Myetd and Lizzie Carr had entered the portal presumably to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Miller will join the team in the spring.

While with the Trojans, Miller racked up 155 blocks while averaging a .356 hitting %. Not only did she lead USC in blocks 13 times last fall, she was second on the team in blocks and third on the team in kills. Meanwhile, Miller began her career at Notre Dame, where she led the team in hitting percentage both years (.305% in 2021 and .442% in 2020), registering 296 kills and 164 blocks along the way. During her freshman campaign, she received 2020 AVCA East Coach Region Freshman of the Year, All-Region Team, ACC All-Conference Second Team honors.

Purdue signed Michigan State outside hitter Akasha Anderson.

The 6’3″ hitter led Michigan State’s offense last season as an opposite, starting every match and producing 3.77 points per set as a junior. Anderson had a breakout match at then-No. 16 USC (10/24), scoring 30.5 points including a career-high 26 kills and 13 digs. In total, Anderson led the Spartans in kills in 19 matches, blocks four times and digs twice.

She will join the Boilermakers on campus in January ahead of her upcoming senior season.

Anderson began her collegiate career at Auburn, where she spent her freshman and sophomore campaigns as a starter. After receiving 2022 AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year and All-SEC recognition and ranking among the top-10 freshmen in the nation in kills, kills per set, points and points per set, she went on to lead the Tigers as a sophomore with 3.28 points per set and 3.37 kills per set as a six-rotation pin. Anderson hails from Reston, Virginia, where she was named 2021-22 Gatorade Player of the Year for Virginia.

Purdue announced the signing of Nataly Moravec. Moravec is a redshirt sophomore outside hitter who spent her first year at BYU before playing her freshman season at Iowa in 2023.

Moravec adds another 6’3″ presence at the net and hails from Weston, Connecticut. The AVCA High School First Team All-American and USA Volleyball National Training Development Program attendee averaged 2.6 kills per set for 286 kills in her first season playing collegiate volleyball.

WBB Closes Non-Con With Pair Of Wins

Using dominant fourth quarter, the women’s basketball team pulled away to a 67-51 win on the road at Miami on Tuesday night. The Boilermakers (6-5) shot an even 50% from the field and went 8-of-11 from distance to pick up their first true road win of the season.

Purdue’s four newcomer seniors stepped up in the win. Reagan Bass, Destini Lombard, Ella Collier and Mahri Petree combined for 46 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists, five steals and five blocks.

Bass notched her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The senior also matched her career high with five assists and turned away a trio of shots. Lombard tallied 16 points with a trio of 3-pointers on the offensive end, while recording three steals and two blocks on defense.

Collier was 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from distance for 12 points with two assists. Petree came off the bench to score eight points and grab three rebounds.

Rashunda Jones turned in a solid all-around night with 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Purdue held Miami (5-3) to 31% shooting and 29% (9-of-31) from behind the arc. The RedHawks committed 21 turnovers that the Boilermakers flipped into 17 points.

Purdue closed out the non-conference slate with a coast-to-coast 87-68 win over Indiana State on Saturday afternoon at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers rolled offensively with a 49.3% shooting clip and 27 assists.

Purdue (7-5) finished with five players in double figures, led by Reagan Bass’ 15 points. The senior notched her second straight double-double and fourth on the year with 10 rebounds, while adding three assists and three blocks.

Lana McCarthy tallied 14 points and six rebounds on the afternoon. Ella Collier was 5-of-8 from the field with a pair of triples to finish with 12 points. Destini Lombard turned in another double-figure performance, her 10th of the year, with 10 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Sophie Swanson jumped into double figures with a pair of 3-pointers. The sophomore added a trio of helpers and two steals.

TOP STATS
Purdue notched its most assists under head coach Katie Gearlds with 27 helpers on 35 made field goals. It was the highest tally by a Boilermaker squad since the 2017-18 season against Penn State.

Nine players recorded at least one assist. Amiyah Reynolds and Jordyn Poole set career highs with six and two helpers, respectively. The Boilermakers posted their 21st game under Gearlds with 20 or more assists.

Purdue also took care of the ball with a season-low 11 turnovers, only five coming from the guards. The Boilermakers forced 18 turnovers with 10 steals to score 19 points.

KEY MOMENTS
• McCarthy got rolling early with six points in the first quarter, as Purdue opened the game on a 12-4 run.
• The Boilermakers went 9-of-17 in the first quarter and scored 10 points in the paint to lead 20-15.
• Mahri Petree gave the Boilermakers a jolt off the bench in the second with four points in the opening three minutes to help Purdue build a 12-point lead.
• Lombard then scored the hosts’ next eight points with a pair of 3-pointers. The Boilermakers were 4-of-8 from deep in the second.
• Purdue scored 11 straight to close the second with four points from Bass, a three from Swanson and a pair of free throws from Rashunda Jones to carry a 46-24 lead at the break.
• The Boilermakers scored 26 points for the second straight period in the third.
• Eight different players scored in the frame to give Purdue a 72-48 advantage with 10 minutes to play
• Purdue dished out eight assists on 10 made field goals out of the halftime break.
• Bass closed in on her double-double in the fourth with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting.
• Indiana State (2-9) chipped into the lead a bit with a 10-4 run late in the fourth with Purdue’s starters out.

NOTES
• Purdue took a 12-11 lead in the all-time series. The Boilermakers have won the last nine matchups dating back to 1983.
• Bass is one of six players to record two games of 10 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
• Bass finished with three blocks in a game for the second time this season and 10th time in her career.
• Jordyn Poole scored her first career points with a mid-range jumper in the fourth. She added a pair of assists.
• Purdue knocked down seven 3-pointers for their 59th game with seven or more 3-pointers since 2021-22.
• The Boilermakers recorded 10 assists for the fifth time this season.
• Purdue dominated the paint, outscoring the Sycamores 44-28 inside.

UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will head into the holiday break before a pair of ranked Big Ten road games at No. 22 Iowa on Dec. 29 and No. 15 Michigan State on Jan.

2 Receive AVCA All-America Accolades

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its All-America Teams, which included Raven Colvin and Eva Hudson as Second Team members.

It is the fourth consecutive year Purdue’s produced multiple members to the All-America list.

Colvin, one of the best blockers in program history, closes her collegiate chapter with the highest All-America honor of her career, after earning Honorable Mention a year ago. Purdue’s all-time block assists leader also finished with 642 career blocks and 1.39 blocks per set, both second-most of any Boilermaker to wear the Old Gold and Black. Not only that, Colvin reached her 1,000th career kill during postseason play.

The Indianapolis, Indiana product played her best volleyball as a senior, registering a Big Ten-leading 1.56 blocks per set, which also ranked No. 3 in the nation and helped earn her the All-Big Ten First Team and Midwest Region accolades. This season, Colvin hit .500 or better in 10 matches, including back-to-back showings to end the season (.500% vs. Loyola Chicago in the NCAA Second Round and .550% at No. 1 seed Louisville in the NCAA Regional Semifinal). The senior leader also posted 18 matches with at least six blocks, with three 10-block performances, including 11 blocks at No. 2 Nebraska.

Hudson received her second straight Second Team honor after leading the Big Ten in kills (567) and kills per set (4.81). The junior produced a .563 career-high attack % in the NCAA Second Round vs. Loyola Chicago (20-2-32) and produced just three attack errors over the First and Second Rounds, leading all players with 6.83 kills per set over the first weekend of postseason play. A tide-turner for Purdue, she reached 15 kills in 24 matches this season, with 10 matches hitting .350 or better.

The three-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree opened the year with an AVCA National Player of the Week honor. Over her time with Purdue, she became the program’s fastest player to reach 1,000 kills and has led the Big Ten every year in kills.

Purdue closes the chapter on one of its best seasons in the Dave Shondell era, posting a 27-7 (16-4 Big Ten) record, marking Purdue’s second 27-win season since the 1980’s. The Boilermakers finished fourth in the Big Ten standings following 10 program records either set or tied since the beginning of league action. As a team, Purdue hit .280% on the year, ranking No. 3 in Purdue single-season history. It was the second time this century that the Boilermakers have hit so efficiently. The team ranked in the nation’s top 10 in assists per set (No. 8), kills per set (No. 8) and blocks per set (No. 9).

First Pitch Dinner Set for First Day of February

Baseball’s season always begins in the month of February and the program’s annual preseason celebration is also slated for the first day of February on a Saturday evening in the Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion.

Saturday, Feb. 1 is the date of the event this year. Doors open at 6 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30 p.m. The program and honorees portion of the event follows dinner. Purdue Baseball’s Alumnus of the Year and Community Service Award recipients are annually announced at the First Pitch Dinner. Player introductions and remarks from head coach Greg Goff are also featured.

The cost to attend $75 per person or $600 per table. There is also an option of sponsoring a student-athlete’s meal. The table option includes seven tickets and a student-athlete meal. The cost is also $75 to sponsor a student-athlete. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased HERE.

This year’s featured speaker is alumnus and all-time saves record holder Nick Wittgren (2011-12). The two-time All-Big Ten honoree helped the Boilermakers post an 82-34 record, tying the team record for wins in 2011 (37) and resetting the benchmark in 2012 (45). He was one of seven Boilermakers drafted from the 2012 Big Ten Championship team. Wittgren made his big league debut for Miami in 2016, took the mound for Cleveland in the 2020 MLB Postseason, and has also pitched for St. Louis and Kansas City during his career.

The program’s Alumnus of the Year award is bestowed upon a degree-holding Boilermaker that has demonstrated outstanding loyalty towards and continued interest in supporting Purdue Athletics and Purdue baseball. The Community Service Award honors qualities such as sustained involvement, compassion and selflessness.

The First Pitch Dinner has grown in size since being introduced prior to the 2019 season. In 2023, it moved from Holloway Gymnasium to the Shively Club suite level of the Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion. Past featured guest speakers have included big leaguers Kevin Plawecki, Josh Lindblom, Clayton Richard and Ryan Thompson as well as former ABCA President/Kentucky head coach Keith Madison.

Wittgren pitched in 55 games across his two seasons at Purdue, registering 22 saves and more strikeouts (94) than hits allowed (82) in 92 innings. He closed out the 2012 Big Ten Tournament championship game win and made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament as Purdue served as a Regional host. The Lafayette native is the only Boilermaker to record multiple seasons with a double-figure save total. His 1.76 ERA in 2012 still ranks top 10 in team history (minimum 30 innings).

Wittgren was also in attendance at the 2019 First Pitch Dinner when Plawecki served as the featured speaker. They were teammates again with Cleveland in 2019.

The Boilermakers have also earmarked the weekend of Feb. 8-9 for their preseason fan fest inside the Mollenkopf Athletic Center. The popular free event features skill stations and other indoor activities for children as well as autograph opportunities.

Purdue Rumbles to Road Win at Cleveland State

Wrestling wrapped up the calendar year on a good note, beating Cleveland State 35-9 on Wednesday at Woodling Gymnasium.

The Boilermakers (5-1) outscored the Vikings (0-2) 109-26 in total points, highlighted by Isaac Ruble’s third career pin and five technical falls, tying the team’s most in a dual this season.

No. 1 Matt Ramos, Greyson Clark, No. 28 Stoney Buell, No. 26 Brody Baumann and Ben Vanadia were Purdue’s winners by tech fall.

Dustin Norris recorded a major decision, giving the Boilers bonus points in all seven of their match victories.

Ruble took down Cleveland State’s Connor Saylor a little over a minute into his bout before notching another one in the second period. He turned it into his first fall of the season at the 4:46 mark, good for Purdue’s lone pin of the evening.

The national leader in technical falls, Ramos added another to his belt with a commanding 17-1 final score at the 6:12 mark. The top-ranked 125-pounder in the nation registered his 10th tech of the season to improve to 15-0.

To put his hot start in perspective, the two-time NCAA qualifier never had more than four technical falls in a season prior to 2024-25. With 10 on the year, he has two more than the next closest wrestler in the country.

Fresh off a pair of wins at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Clark matched his season high with 18 points, finishing Ethan Mitchell off in 3:45.

Also matching a season best, Buell put up 17 points in a dominant 17-2 finish (4:37) with four takedowns and a four-point nearfall.

Baumann moved at a lightning-fast pace to secure a 19-3 win in just 2:06, good for the Boilermakers’ fastest technical fall by any wrestler all season. Now 11-3 this season, the redshirt sophomore carries the highest ranking of his young career (26th) into the new year.

Wrestling near his hometown, Vanadia logged a tech fall for the first time since Nov. 17 at Buffalo, beating Joey Lyons 17-1 in 5:38. At 10-5 through 15 matches, the Brecksville, Ohio, native is well on his way to his best record in his three seasons at Purdue.

Norris returned to action for the first time since Nov. 23 at Chattanooga and punctuated his night in Cleveland with an 11-0 victory. Thanks to a pair of takedowns, a three-point nearfall, an escape and nearly two minutes of riding time, he posted the sixth shutout of his collegiate career.

UP NEXT

After the turn of the new year, the Boilermakers will take one more road trip to Kent State before beginning Big Ten Conference action. Purdue faces the Golden Flashes at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 3, on a streaming channel yet to be announced.

Wright, Rzepka Sweep B1G Diver of the Week Honors Again

Purdue’s Daryn Wright and Jordan Rzepka won their medals on 10-meter at the USA Diving Winter National Championships in very different ways but they both resulted in Big Ten Diver of the Week honors.

Wright won gold on the tower by 80 points over two lists of competition, medaling in the event at Winter Nationals for the fourth year in a row. She improved on her 11 points in the final and accounted for six of the 10 top-scoring dives among the field across the prelim and final.

Rzepka won his silver medal with a furious rally over the final two rounds. He was in eighth place after the prelim and in six place entering round 5 of the final. He ripped his final two dives for big scores of 86.95 and 85.50 to surge into second place, overtaking the third-place finish by a tenth of a point. Rzepka also opened his list in the final with an 80-point dive and three big scores powered a 77.15-point improvement on his score from the prelim to the final.

Wright and Rzepka swept the Diver of the Week awards for the second time over the last month, also accomplishing the feat on Nov 27 after posting career-best list scores in their victories at the Purdue Invitational. Emily Bretscher and Greg Duncan (3 times in 2019-20) were the last Boilermakers with a pair of Diver of the Week sweeps in a season.

Rzepka earned his third weekly honor of the season and sixth career. He’s the first Boilermaker with three honors in a season since Tyler Downs in 2021-22. Wright earned her second weekly honor of the season and fifth career.

The Boilermakers return to action Friday, Jan. 10 when they host Kentucky and the Notre Dame women for an 11 a.m. dual at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.