Purdue Sports Update Nov. 11

Volleyball Downs Indiana, Sweeps Michigan

The No. 9 Purdue Boilermakers completed a series sweep vs. Indiana with a 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17) win at Indiana. With the result, Purdue has won 10 of its last 13 matches as the team improves to 19-5 (10-3 Big Ten) and Indiana falls to 12-11 (5-8 Big Ten).

The Boilermakers are now 31-19 all-time in road matches against their rival, 40-4 in all matches vs. Indiana under head coach Dave Shondell and 24-1 in the last 25 meetings.

Purdue, entering the match ranked fourth in the Big Ten in hitting %, out-hit Indiana, .305 vs. .194%. The Boilermakers completed the night with a .552 Set 4 attack %, the most efficient set this season (19-3-29).

Eva Hudson, Lizzie Carr and Lourdes Myers each posted season-highs in the victory. Hudson led the way with a season-high 26 kills on 51 attacks for a .373 efficiency on her way to a double-double with 10 digs and a career-high-tying five blocks, including a career-high-tying two block solos. Meanwhile, Carr hit .500% as she notched a career-high 10 kills on 18 swings with just one attack error. Myers in the middle collected a season-high nine kills on 14 swings with one error for a .571%, the highest mark in a Big Ten match this season.

Purdue and Indiana battled in Set 1, with 15 tied scores and seven lead changes en route to the Boilermakers’ 25-21 win. Neither team led by more than two points until the very end (Indiana held the 13-15 advantage and Purdue 23-21) until Purdue closed it on a 6-1 run. Carr, who checked into the match in the final stretch of the set, posted the set-winner on an unassisted kill. Hudson totaled six kills and two blocks in the opening frame.

Indiana responded in Set 2 with an identical score.

In Set 3, Purdue came back from trailing 18-20, closing the set on a 7-2 run after 13 tied scores and seven lead changes throughout the game. Hudson closed it on a block solo after her kill gave the Boilermakers set point.

The Boilermakers led for nearly the entire fourth set and went 14-for-18 on sideout. Hudson went off in Set 4, tallying 12 kills and one error on 17 attacks.

Setter Taylor Anderson totaled 45 assists in just four sets, going an errorless four-for-five on the attack and digging 11 balls. It was her eighth match reaching 45 assists this season and ninth double-double of the year.

Coming off a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor, Ali Hornung led the team with 14 digs and four assists shy of a double-double. The senior rounded the night out with a perfect reception % after facing a team-high 32 receptions.

 In yet another Boilermaker sweep, the No. 9 Purdue Boilermakers posted 12 blocks as they took down the Michigan Wolverines, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-18). Purdue reached its 20th win of the season, improving to 20-5 (11-3 Big Ten) while Michigan stands at 16-9 (6-8 Big Ten).

Purdue has now won 12 of its last 13 sets of action. Meanwhile. over the last three weeks, it was the fifth sweep in seven matches.

The Boilermakers led in every statistical category including hitting % (.279), blocks (12 vs. 9) and reception % (.981% vs. .972%).

Purdue’s blocking effort, led by Raven Colvin’s nine blocks (2-7), were the most in the last five matches (last: 12 vs. Ohio State, 10/23). Over half of the team’s blocks came in Set 1 (five of nine). Colvin was on each of those in the opening set, tying as the second-most the senior has posted in a single set this season.

Hudson led the way with 19 kills and five attack errors on 40 swings for a .350 clip. Not only did it mark the fourth consecutive match the Boiler has hit above .340%, it was the ninth time in the last 10 matches she’s reached at least 15 kills.

Coming off a career-high night offensively just two days ago at Indiana, Carr registered a career-high six total blocks, which included a block solo in Set 2.

Anderson tallied 34 assists in the match, adding eight digs and four kills on five attempts during the match.

Hornung went perfect in the match, recording 13 digs and four assists after seeing 24 receptions.

The Boilermakers are now 8-2 over their last 10 matches.

Purdue will remain at home for its next two matches, hosting Rutgers on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on B1G+ followed by Illinois on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. Purdue will look to close out its series sweep vs. Rutgers, and pick up a win vs. Illinois, a team that took down #20 USC in five sets over the weekend.

Women’s hoops routed by No. 6 Notre Dame

The women’s basketball team could not rally from an early deficit in a 102-58 loss to No. 6 Notre Dame on Sunday night in Mackey Arena.

The Boilermakers (1-1) struggled to overcome early shooting woes, finishing with a 33.8% clip on the night.

A trio of transfer Boilermakers finished in double figures. Destini Lombard paced Purdue for the second straight game with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Ella Collier tallied 11 points from 4-of-6 shooting with a pair of threes. Reagan Bass added 10 points

Purdue missed its first six shots before Lombard converted a traditional 3-point play three minutes into the game. Notre Dame held a 28-7 advantage after the first.

After the first quarter struggles offensively, Purdue settled in to shoot 44% for the final 25 minutes of the game. Bass scored eight of her 10 points in the second half, while Collier and Lana McCarthy both scored six in the final two quarters.

The Boilermakers attempted to counter back into the game with a six-point run in the second and a five-point swing in the third, but the Irish were led by All-American Hanna Hildalgo’s 28 points. Notre Dame shot 50.6% from the field and went 8-of-18 behind the arc.

UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will host IU Indy on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on B1G+.

Boilermakers Win Six Medals, Finish Second at Tiger Style Invite

Wrestling traveled to compete in the Tiger Style Invite and will come home with six medal winners after all-day action at Staley High School on Saturday.

The Boilermakers took second place (143.5 points) among a talented field that included No. 9 Missouri, No. 21 Little Rock, Maryland, Cal Poly and SIUE. There were a total of 28 non-Purdue ranked wrestlers competing at Staley High.

No. 4 Matt Ramos steamrolled his way through the 125-pound bracket to take the tournament crown. He did so on the back of four technical falls, notching a remarkable final tally of 59-4.

Ramos’ quickest victory came in a 16-0 shutout in the semis over SIUE’s Davian Guanajuato. Winning in just 2:35, it was the fastest tech fall of the redshirt senior’s career.

Checking in at 141, Greyson Clark bounced back strong from his season-opening loss in the dual at Gardner-Webb. After landing the team’s first pin of the day (1:51) in the quarterfinals, he earned a second-place finish with an overtime decision loss in the first-place match.

No. 18 Joey Blaze took home silver honors after a strong showing in the 157-pound class. He earned a tech fall and a decision win before narrowly dropping the final to No. 19 Ethen Miller of Maryland.

No. 30 Brody Baumann earned two hard-fought wins, an 11-10 decision and a 1-0 final. He added a silver medal in the 174-pound division.

James Rowley and Ben Vanadia each won bronze medals in the 184- and 197-pound divisions, respectively.

After dropping his first bout against Little Rock’s Triston Wills, Rowley clawed all the way back to win three straight matches in the consolation ladder. Again facing Wills in the third-place match, he got the better of his opponent the second time around for a definitive 8-1 win.

Vanadia took an emphatic 19-4 tech fall (6:07) to beat Cal Poly’s Josh Harkey for third place.

Also notably, true freshman Isaiah Quintero wrestled in his first collegiate action and took three of his five bouts. He finished fifth in the 125 class, punctuating his afternoon with Purdue’s fastest pin of the tournament (1:47) against Mizzou’s Luqman Masud. 

MICHIGAN STATE OPEN – PARTY OF FIVE

Separate from the main squad, a group of five Purdue freshmen made a trip up north to compete in the Michigan State Open on Saturday in East Lansing.

Dominic Burgett, Ashton Jackson, Cole Solomey, Cooper Rider and Delaney Ruhlman earned some important reps in the freshman/sophomore divisions.

Jackson worked his way through the bracket and picked up three decisions before ultimately placing fourth at 125 pounds. Solomey took sixth at 141.

Burgett also picked up his first collegiate win with a heavyweight 19-4 tech fall, and Rider and Ruhlman each earned two bonus point wins apiece at 133 and 165, respectively.

UP NEXT

The Boilermakers will head east to Buffalo, N.Y., for a pair of duals against Buffalo and Army on Sunday, Nov. 17. The first dual at Alumni Arena is set for 10 a.m. ET against the Bulls.

Boilermakers Victorious in 13 Events to Win at Rutgers

Thirteen event victories, including 10 that featured at least 1-2 finishes for the Boilermakers, powered Women’s Swimming & Diving to a road win at Rutgers in dual meet action Friday.

The Boilermakers were victorious 191-106 in the team scoring to improve to 2-0 in duals this season. They’re also 10-2 in duals since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign.

Purdue’s 13 victories Friday featured sweeps of the freestyle, backstroke, diving and relay events. While Abby Marcukaitis swept the backstroke races, five different Boilermakers teamed up for the sweep in the individual freestyle events. Purdue went at least 1-2-3 in four of those five events plus a 1-2 showing in 1000 free and 400 free relay.

Freshman Lara Phipps won the 100 free as part of Purdue’s 1-2-3-4 finish and placed second to Hannah Hill in the 50 free. She also joined Hill on both victorious relays. They each won their premier individual events for the third consecutive meet. Phipps anchored the 200 medley relay to victory and swam the leadoff leg on the 400 free relay. Hill swam the butterfly leg on the medley and the anchor leg on the 400 free.

Kathryn Ackerman was victorious in the 400 individual medley in the event’s season debut at a Purdue meet. In the process, the graduate transfer moved into eighth place in program history with a time of 4:18.22.

Marcukaitis won the 100 back for the fourth consecutive meet to begin her junior season. Friday, she also accounted for a team season-best time (1:58.83) while also winning the 200 for the first time this year.

The Boilermakers went 1-2-3 in the 50, 200 and 500 free plus 1-meter diving. Caitlin Hurley (200) and Kate Mouser (500) both enjoyed a victory while finishing as the runner-up in the other event. Hurley also contributed to a victory in the 400 free relay for the second meet in a row.

Jenna Sonnenberg was victorious on 1-meter for her first win of the season and Daryn Wright rallied for the victory on 3-meter. Sophie McAfee nearly swept the springboards, instead finishing as the runner-up twice – 0.23 points behind Wright on 3-meter and 2.78 points behind Sonnenberg on 1-meter.

Freshmen Adele Sands and Campbell Scofield finished 1-2 in the 1000 free as Sands won the event for the second meet in a row. Keira Kask was also victorious in the 100 fly for the second meet in a row, teaming up with Maddie Phillips for a 1-2 finish in the event.

The Boilermakers are back in action Nov. 21-23 when they host the six-session Purdue Invitational. The annual midseason showcase headlines the home schedule this season at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

Purdue Downs Memphis at Bonita Bay Classic

The women’s tennis team posted eight wins in nine matches on Friday at the FGCU Bonita Bay Classic when taking on Memphis.

The Boilermakers claimed all three doubles matches in the opening session. Veteran duo Tara Katarina Milic and Carmen Gallardo Guevara downed Emily Meyer and Clemence Thouard 6-3.

Freshman pairing Ida Clement and Kathryn Wilson bested Alice Amendola and Sofiia Mykhalets 6-3, and Ashlie Wilson and Juana Larranaga outlasted Alyssa Richter and Carolta Farres 7-6(%).

In singles action, Purdue took five of the six contests.

Carmen Gallardo Guevara cruised toa 6-4, 6-3 win over Emily Meyer at the top of the order. Tara Katarina Milic downed Carlota Farres in a 6-3, 6-2 decision, and Kathryn Wilson topped Miram Grosmann 6-1, 7-5 in straight sets.

Juana Larrana needed a super tiebreak to beat Clemence Thouard 4-6, 6-4, 10-3, and Ece Gencer went the distance in a 6-2, 4-6, 12-10.

Samuels Shines, Rzepka Sweeps Springboards at Louisville

Individual event sweeps for seniors Brady Samuels and Jordan Rzepka plus a trio of times that moved into the program’s all-time leaderboards highlighted Men’s Swimming & Diving’s dual meet at Louisville on Friday.

The No. 11 Cardinals were victorious in the team scoring 194-105. Samuels’ wins in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke plus Rzepka’s sweep of the springboard diving events accounted for the Boilermakers’ four event victories.

Samuels won his races with a pair of NCAA provisional qualifying times (B Cuts) that doubled as team season bests – 42.59 in the 100 free, 46.83 in the 100 back. Entering the weekend, the season-best time in the 100 free in the Big Ten this season was 42.85.

Samuels punctuated his big day by breaking 19 seconds (18.97) on the anchor leg of the 200 free relay to close the meet. The senior leads the team with seven individual event victories.

Rzepka swept the springboard events for the second time this season and has won five of the six events over the Purdue Divers’ first three meets this year. Friday, the Boilermakers had the top four finishers on 1-meter and top five on 3-meter. Max Miller was the runner-up in both events.

Pat Broderick, Matheo Mateos and Blake Rowe all accounted for times that moved them up the program’s all-time leaderboards. Broderick’s time of 9:05.95 in the 1000 free elevated the sophomore into third place in Purdue history. He accounted for the fastest time by a Boilermaker in six years – since Nick McDowell (9:07.21) when Purdue hosted the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in November 2018. Broderick also enjoyed a 2.45-second time drop from Feb. 1, the date he eclipsed a team freshman record that had stood since 2010.

“Have to say Brady was the swimmer of the meet. It was his first time going 18 seconds in a relay. He had the top time in the Big Ten in the 100 free and a nice win in the 100 back,” Purdue head coach Alex Jerden said. “Gio Mango had his two fastest breaststroke swims ever as a Boilermaker. Blake Rowe went a new lifetime best in his 50 and 100 back, as well as a fantastic performance in his 200 back.

“Pat and Evan Mackesy raced 1900 yards on the day. Pat had the third-fastest time in Purdue history in the 1000 and a new lifetime best. Those guys are very tough. We also had plenty of guys step up and go very close to their lifetime bests. Wyatt Blair, Mason Kajfosz, Gabe Eschbach and Matheo Mateos all come to mind. I’m very much looking forward to the Purdue Invite and U.S. Open.”

Mateos made his Purdue debut in the 400 individual medley and moved into 15th place in program history with a time of 3:52.48. Rowe raced in the 200 back for the first time as a Boilermaker and took possession of 15th place on the all-time leaderboard with a time of 1:45.22.

Juniors Raymond Whittaker and Blair were Purdue’s top finishers in both breaststroke and butterfly events, respectively. Whittaker accounted for a pair of team season bests in the breaststroke. Blair had a team season best in the 200 fly and is now second to only Samuels in 100 this year.

The Boilermakers are back in action Nov. 21-23 when they host the six-session Purdue Invitational. The annual midseason showcase headlines the home schedule this season at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

Krivokapic Earns Big Ten Individual Singles Title

Purdue men’s tennis’ Aleksa Krivokapic won the single title at the Big Ten Individual on Sunday, hosted by Wisconsin.

Krivokapic needed two wins to earn the fall crown. He opened the morning with a super tiebreak win over Will Cooksey from Michigan 6-3, 6-7(6), 10-6 in the semifinals.

He cruised to the title with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Lars Johann in the championship match.

Johann reached the finals after narrowly outlasting Purdue’s Juan David Velasquez in the semifinals 6-4, 7-6(7).