Purdue Sports Update: May 1

April Phillips Joins Women’s Basketball Staff as Associate Head Coach

Women’s basketball head coach Katie Gearlds welcomed an experienced high-level recruiter to West Lafayette with the addition of associate head coach April Phillips.

Phillips’ career has seen her serve on staffs at Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia Tech and Loyola Marymount, before spending the last three years as the head coach at San Jose State. In her career, Phillips has mentored a pair of All-America selections, nine all-conference honorees and seven all-freshman team picks.

Phillips took over at San Jose State ahead of the 2022-23 season, inheriting a program that won a combined seven games the previous two seasons. Her highlights in northern California include the first Mountain West Tournament victory since 2020.

In 2024-25, Phillips guided the Spartans to its first road win over rival San Diego State in a decade, knocked off Xavier for the program’s first win over a Big East opponent and posted the highest non-conference and overall win total since 2018-19.

Prior to Phillips time at San Jose State, she helped Texas win the Big 12 Tournament Championship and reach the Elite Eight during the 2021-22 season during her lone season in Austin. She mentored Big 12 Freshman of the Year Rori Harmon.

She spent two seasons as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at California before her time at Texas. During the 2019-20 campaign, she led the charge in helping Cal sign the No. 6 ranked recruiting class and was a part of upset wins over three top 25 teams (No. 20 Arkansas, No. 13 Arizona and No. 22 Arizona State).

During the 2018-19 season at Arizona, Phillips helped guide the Wildcats to the biggest turnaround in school history (12 more wins than the previous year), the first 11-game winning streak in program annals and to the 2019 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) championship. Along the way, she helped tutor All-Pac-12/Pac-12 All-Defensive selection Aari McDonald as well as Pac-12 All-Freshman selection Cate Reese.

Prior to her arrival in Tucson, Phillips served as the associate head coach at Loyola Marymount. As the program’s recruiting coordinator, she helped sign two of the top recruiting classes in Lions’ program history and was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) “30 Under 30” list in both 2017 and 2018. She helped bring 2018 West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year Gabby Green into the program and played a role in developing WCC standouts Bre Alford, Jackie Johnson, Cheyanne Wallace and Sophie Taylor.

Before LMU, Phillips spent a season as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech (2014-15) and a year at New Haven (2013-14) where she helped the Chargers to their first NCAA Division II Tournament berth since 2007. Leading up to her time in Connecticut, Phillips served as the Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Seton Hall, assisting Hall of Fame coach Anne Donovan with practice planning, recruiting, student-athlete welfare and day-to-day operations.

Prior to returning to the collegiate ranks, Phillips served as co-president, head trainer and coach from 2010 to 2013 at S&A Next Level Basketball, an organization that runs NCAA-certified women’s leagues in addition to various clinics and camps. She also served as the general manager of basketball operations of Sportsplus in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 2010 to 2011, where her responsibilities included marketing of basketball leagues, camps and training.

A native of Los Angeles, Phillips started her playing career at Georgia Tech, earning time in 26 games for the Yellow Jackets during the 2005-06 campaign.

Following her rookie campaign, she transferred to Xavier where she played basketball and competed in track & field. She was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Conference third team her senior season and helped Xavier to three NCAA Tournament appearances and two Atlantic 10 titles. As a senior in 2010, Phillips held lead the Musketeers to a 30-4 record and the NCAA Elite Eight, eventually losing 55-53 to No. 2 Stanford to fall just short of the first Final Four appearance in program history. Phillips also excelled in track and field, winning the 2019 Atlantic 10 Conference shot put title and also setting the school’s outdoor shot put record.

Prior to her collegiate career, Phillips was a two-time Nike All-American & Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American as well as the nation’s sixth-best wing player according to the 2004 All-Star Girls Report while playing at Long Beach Polytechnic High School.

Phillips was a preseason camp invite with the WNBA’s New York Liberty (2010) and played professionally in Israel, Finland and Belgium.

She graduated from Xavier with a bachelor’s degree in business information systems and minors in both communication and gender & diversity studies. Phillips is currently pursuing her master’s degree in higher education from Loyola Marymount.

Men’s Basketball to Host Reunion Game on August 2

Purdue has announced plans for an Alumni Game to be held August 2, in Mackey Arena.

The sixth edition of the highly-popular Alumni Game will take place in Mackey Arena on Saturday, Aug. 2, beginning at noon ET. Admission will be free.

This will be the sixth time the Alumni Game has been held and in all of the previous five events, over 50 former Boilermakers and coaches returned for the weekend. Players and coaches will be announced in the upcoming weeks prior to the Alumni Game.

In addition, the current members of the 2025-26 team will be introduced at halftime and the team will attend the Alumni Game festivities.

Purdue Welcomes Transfer Taylor Henderson

Women’s basketball head coach Katie Gearlds announced the newest addition to the Boilermakers for the 2025-26 season in transfer Taylor Henderson.

Henderson will arrive in West Lafayette after spending three seasons, playing two, at UNC Wilmington. Over her two years in Wilmington, Henderson averaged 13.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She started 60 of her 61 games for the Seahawks and scored in double figures 42 times.

As a redshirt sophomore, Henderson averaged 12 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game, one of two players from the Coastal Athletic Association to produce that line. She finished in double-figure scoring 22 times and was fifth in the CAA with 146 free throw attempts. Her 77 assists topped the Seahawks last season.

Henderson earned a spot on the CAA All-Rookie Team after starting 29 games in 2023-24. She led the team with 14.6 points per game and added 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per night. The Charlotte, N.C., native posted 22 games in double figures with seven 20-point performances.

Prior to joining UNC Wilmington, Henderson was a three-time Frist Team All-Conference and two-time All-District pick at Winston Salem Christian School. She finished her prep career just shy of 1,600 career points and won a pair of She Got Game Classic MVP honors. She was tapped for the United States Under-16 National Team Trials.

Baseball Takes One in Champaign, Defeats Notre Dame

Logan Sutter and Breck Nowik hit two-run homers in a five-run first inning and Purdue rode its early lead to an 11-5 victory vs. Notre Dame on Tuesday at Alexander Field, ending the Fighting Irish’s eight-game win streak.

The Boilermakers (26-18) posted their first home win vs. Notre Dame (24-18) since April 1995 as the visitors made their debut at Alexander Field and first appearance in West Lafayette since 1997.

Easton Storey struck out seven of the 17 batters he faced over four innings of one-run ball. Avery Cook closed out the victory with a six-out save, earning his eighth save of the season and 13th career, moving into a tie for fifth on the program’s all-time leaderboard.

Baseball batted around twice in a 14-run third inning, riding the program’s most-prolific inning in 12 years to a 20-4 victory Sunday at Illinois.

The Boilermakers (25-18, 7-14 Big Ten) were victorious in a series finale to avoid a sweep for the second weekend in a row, scoring 19 unanswered runs one week after posting eight unanswered at Penn State. They won in run-rule fashion for the fourth time this season and snapped an 11-game losing streak vs. the Fighting Illini (25-16, 12-9 Big Ten) that dated back to April 2021.

Breck Nowik’s two-run homer capped Purdue’s 14-run inning as the only home run of the frame. He was one of seven Boilermakers to reach base safely twice in the inning, which was Purdue’s biggest since scoring 15 times in the bottom of the second of an April 2013 home win vs. UIC. Nowik finished the day 3-for-5 with two doubles, the home run and a career-high five RBI – four coming in the third inning.

The Boilermakers’ season-high run total marked the first time they scored 20 since racking up 21 in a home win vs. Michigan State in April of last season. Purdue also scored 20 in an April 2021 win at Illinois.

Cole Van Assen teamed up with relievers Austin Klug and Avery Cook for eight innings of three-run ball while limiting the Fighting Illini to two extra-base hits, but Illinois led throughout for the second day in a row to defeat Purdue 3-1 in Saturday’s pitcher’s duel.

Illinois starter Reagan Hall won his fourth consecutive start, needing only 90 pitches over eight innings of one-run ball in the sophomore’s most-efficient performance of the season. He surrendered just one hit to the first four hitters in the Boilermakers’ lineup and conceded just six total on the day.

The four combined runs were the fewest in a Purdue-Illinois game in Champaign since the Illini won a 2-1 series finale in April 2015.

Baseball’s lineup came alive with a long rally in the eighth inning for the second game in a row but could not complete the comeback in a 6-4 series-opening loss at Illinois on Friday.

The Boilermakers (24-17, 6-13 Big Ten) broke up the shutout with a four-run inning, putting the tying run into scoring position in the top of the eighth and bringing it to the plate again in the ninth.

The most significant play of the night came as part of the game’s third batter. Collin Jennings robbed Logan Sutter of a two-run homer with a leaping catch at the right field wall in the first inning. Jennings then connected for a two-run shot in the bottom half of the frame as the Illini’s third batter of the game.

Illinois (24-15, 11-8 Big Ten) scored all six of its runs via an extra-base hit while enjoying a 5-1 edge in XBHs. In the Illini’s four-run third inning, Jack Zebig and Jennings both connected for an RBI double. But the big blow was a two-out, two-run homer from Kyle Schupmann.

Softball Swept at Ohio State

The Boilers (26-20, 8-11 Big Ten) fell 2-0 in game three of the series with No. 22 Ohio State.

Kyndall Bailey, Moriah Polar, and Sage Scarmardo earned the only hits of the day for Purdue.

After a scoreless top of the first, K. Bailey earned the first hit of the game with a single to right center, but was stranded by the Buckeyes. Madi Elish worked efficiently on the mound through the first and second, keeping the Buckeyes hitless.

In the bottom of the third, the Buckeyes put the first run of the day on the board with a solo shot over the left field wall. They continued to cause trouble in the bottom of the fourth, putting two on with an error and a single, but Elish kept the game to one-run with an inning-ending ground out.

Purdue put two on in the top of the fifth after back-to-back walks, but the Buckeyes worked out, stranding both as Julia Gossett ended the inning with a long fly ball. In the bottom of the inning, Ohio State doubled the lead with another solo shot to increase the lead to 2-0.

The Boilers added their third hit of the day on a single to center from Sage Scarmardo, after K. Bailey was hit by a pitch, but both runners were stranded. In the bottom of the inning, Elish and the Boilers worked around a lead off single as Delaney Reefe threw out a runner trying to steal second.

The Buckeyes worked three-straight outs in the top of the seventh, securing the sweep of the Boilers.

The Boilers (26-19, 8-10 Big Ten) fell in both games to the No. 22 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon.

Julia Gossett had a solo home run, while earning two hits on the day. With the the 45^th hit by pitch of the season, the Boilers have tied the single season record set originally in 2009 and tied by last year’s Boilermakers. 

MGolf: Boilermakers Selected to NCAA Regionals at Auburn

For the 10^th time in the last 11 seasons, the men’s golf team heard its name announced for the NCAA Golf Regionals, being selected to the Auburn Regional announced today on the Golf Channel.

The Boilermakers were selected as the No. 7 seed in the Auburn Regional and will be heading to the Southeast for the third time in the last four years. Purdue’s seed marks the fourth straight year the Boilermakers have been a top-seven seed and for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. Purdue is looking for its second straight NCAA Championship appearance and its fifth trip since 2014.

Purdue will be joined by top seed and the nation’s No. 1 team, Auburn, Texas A&M (2), UCLA (3), SMU (4), Georgia Tech (5), Oregon (6), Little Rock (8), TCU (9), Charleston (10), New Mexico State (11), Loyola, Md. (12) and USC Upstate (13).

Purdue owns a 4-6-0 head-to-head record against teams in the Auburn Regional. The Boilermakers are 1-4-0 against the top-5 seeds, featuring a head-to-head victory over UCLA. Overall, Purdue is 41-33-1 against the NCAA field.

Natasha Kiel Earns Second Team All-Big Ten Accolades

Continuing the program’s tradition of success, Women’s Golf has at least one Boilermaker on the All-Big Ten teams for the 29th consecutive season. Following a vote from the league’s coaches, senior Natasha Kiel was named Second Team All-Big Ten to earn all-league honors for the first time in her career.

Since the conference went to two All-Big Ten teams in 2003, 62 Boilermakers have earned all-league distinction. Purdue has had an All-Big Ten golfer on its team every season since the 1996-97 campaign.

Currently ranked No. 60 in the country, Kiel’s incredible senior season has featured three individual victories. She became just the fourth Boilermaker in program history to win three times in a single season, joining Maria Hernandez (6; 2008-09), Paula Reto (4; 2012-13) and Aurora Kan (3; 2013-14). Kiel has led the Boilermakers in five different tournaments, including four in the fall that landed her on the ANNIKA Award Watch List. Carding five rounds in the 60s, she is one away from tying a single-season school record.

The Boilermakers are one week away from competing in the NCAA Lubbock Regional (May 5-7) at The Rawls Course in Lubbock, Texas. Making their 10th straight regional appearance, Purdue is the No. 7 seed. The top five teams and the top individual (not on an advancing team) will advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California (May 16-21).

Wrestlers Conclude Trip to U20 Nationals

Wyatt Krejsa and Isaiah Quintero made the trip west to compete in the U.S. Open’s U20 division on Saturday and Sunday, but fell short of qualifying for the USA World Team Trials later this summer.

Wrestling against some of the nation’s top young talent, the duo of true freshman Boilermakers racked up six combined wins before being knocked out of the double-elimination tournament.

In his U.S. Open debut, Krejsa from Greenwood, Ind., went 4-2 on the weekend competing at 70 kg. His trip was highlighted by an 11-0 technical fall (3:40) over Mikey Fritz, a two-time Washington state champion in his first match of the tournament.

Krejsa then won one more match before falling in the third round, but the Boilermaker bounced back with two more wins in the consolation bracket until being eliminated by Iowa State’s Kane Naaktgeboren.

Quintero (57 kg), who placed fifth at last year’s U20 Nationals, went 2-2 in the 2025 edition. The Placentia, Calif., native earned a 9-4 decision in the winner’s bracket and a 10-0 tech fall in just 2:37 in the consolation ladder.

Purdue Women’s Golf Earns 10th Straight NCAA Regional Berth

Women’s Golf learned its postseason destination Wednesday (April 23), watching the selection show for the 2025 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships on Golf Channel. Earning their 10th straight regional berth in the third season under head coach Zack Byrd, the Boilermakers are headed to the Lubbock Regional (May 5-7) at The Rawls Course in Lubbock, Texas.

Purdue is the No. 7 seed for the regional, which consists of 54 holes of stroke play. The top five teams and the top individual (not on an advancing team) will advance from the regional site to the championships, which will be held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California (May 16-21).

The Boilermakers earned an NCAA Regional berth for the 27th time out of the 28 renditions of the NCAA Championships. Purdue advanced to the championships stage 19 of those times, including a season ago. Last year, the Boilermakers entered the NCAA Las Vegas Regional as the sixth seed before finishing second to secure a trip to the national championships. Purdue’s runner-up performance was its best in an NCAA Regional since also finishing second in 2013.

In 2010, Purdue captured the national championship with the second-lowest four-round team score in NCAA Championships history.

The Boilermakers earned a trip to the postseason after a strong 2024-25 campaign that featured two tournament titles and two runner-up finishes. Capturing the Boilermaker Classic and the Coach Mo Classic, Purdue won multiple tournaments in consecutive seasons for the first time since a six-year stretch from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2011. The Boilermakers also placed second at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational in the fall before earning runner-up honors at the Briar’s Creek Invitational in the spring.

Krivokapic Selected First Team All-Big Ten

Men’s tennis standout and 2024-25 Big Ten Singles Champion Aleksa Krivokapic was selected as First Team All-Big Ten, announced by the league office today.

Although a Boilermaker has made the list for eight of the last 10 years, Krivokapic is the first since 2020 to receive first team honors. Rising from unranked to No. 48 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) by the end of the regular season, he is one of four Boilermakers in program history to earn as high of a spot in the poll.

The Podrigo, Montenegro, product went 6-1 over his last eight matches (one unfinished), including three top-12 ranked victories: a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 comeback victory vs. Big Ten Player of the Year #12 Kenta Miyoshi (Illinois, 3/14), a 6-4, 6-3 win vs. #5 Ozan Baris (Michigan State, 3/23) and a 6-4, 6-4 win vs. #11 Aidan Kim (at Ohio State, 4/20).

Overall, Krivokapic closed his junior chapter with a 10-6 spring record and an 18-9 record during 2024-25.

He is joined by teammate Henrik Villanger as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.