Purdue Sports Update: Dec. 22

WBB Wraps Up Non-Conference With Win

The women’s basketball team closed out the non-conference campaign with a 93-62 win over Jackson State on Sunday afternoon at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers (8-4) improved to 8-0 at home this season and headed into the holiday break riding a three-game winning streak.

Purdue put four starters in double figures, led by a career-high 22 points from Tara Daye. Daye was 9-of-12 from the field and grabbed four rebounds with three assists, two steals and a block. Daye joined Destini Lombard (2024-25) as the only Boilermakers to post a 20-point line like that over the last five seasons.

Kiki Smith poured in a season-high 20 points on a perfect day shooting. The junior was 5-of-5 from the field, 3-of-3 from behind the arc and 7-of-7 at the line. She added a game-high seven rebounds to go with three assists and one steal. Smith was the sixth player in the country to score 20 points and finish perfect from the floor and the line this season and the first Boilermaker to do it in over 25 years.

Madison Layden-Zay pulled herself closer to the Purdue all-time 3-point record. Coming into the game 16 shy of Karissa McLaughlin’s mark of 244, Layden-Zay connected four times from  behind the arc and went 7-of-10 from the field to score 18 points. She is now six away from Katie Gearlds in third place. Layden-Zay added four rebounds, three assists and a block.

Hila Karsh notched her third straight game in double figures with 11 points, while dishing out six of Purdue’s 20 assists on the afternoon.

The Boilermakers shot 58.6% from the field, their third highest mark in the Gearlds era, while knocking down nine 3-pointers. Purdue scored 12 points on the break and turned 19 Jackson State (2-9) turnovers into 21 points.

Purdue won the rebounding battle 34-22 and allowed just four second chance points, marking the fourth game this season giving up five or fewer points from offensive rebounds.

Jackson State finished with a 42% clip from the field and picked up over half its points from distance with 11 3-pointers.

NON-CONFERENCE BY THE NUMBERS
– Purdue finished the non-conference season with an 8-3 mark.
– The 8-0 start at home matched 2023-24 campaign as the best under head coach Katie Gearlds.
– Purdue averaged 75.4 points per game in non-league action, good for third highest in the last 26 seasons, trailing the 2000-01 and 2022-23 campaigns.
– The Boilermakers held four teams under 50 points for the first time since 2017-18.
– Purdue posted five wins of 30 points or more, the most since 2010-11.
– Purdue connected on 84 3-pointers, good for third most in non-conference action in the last 25 years.
– The Boilermakers topped 80 points six times, their most this century.

KEY MOMENTS
• Daye scored six straight in the first quarter, as the two clubs traded early blows.
• The Boilermakers rolled off 10 straight points in the middle of the frame with five coming from Layden-Zay.
• Purdue dominated the second quarter, outscoring Jackson State 26-9, while going 10-of-15 from the floor and 4-of-5 from distance.
• Six different players scored in the second.
• Layden-Zay hit on a pair of 3-pointers to help Purdue close the half on an 11-3 run.
• Purdue tallied 54 points in the first half, most over an opening 20 minutes this season.
• Daye led all scorers with 14 points in the first half.
• Jackson State battled back in the third, taking advantage of Purdue’s lone frame under 50% shooting to win the quarter 19-18.
• Purdue poured in 21 points in the fourth, led by Daye’s six, to keep the gap at 30 points.

NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series 1-0 and is 160-58 in first-time matchups.
• The Boilermakers are 4-0 this year and 25-1 under Katie Gearlds when dishing out 20 or more assists.
• Daye, Karsh and Kiki Smith have all scored in double figures in each of the last three games.
• The Boilermakers have scored 90 or more points seven times in the last five years with three coming this season.
• Purdue has outscored opponents by an average of 37 points over the last three games.
• The Boilermakers have scored 20 points in three quarters five times this season.
• Layden-Zay is now 30 rebounds away from becoming the seventh player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 200 3-pointers and 50 blocks.

UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will head into the weeklong holiday break before returning to Mackey Arena for the Big Ten home opener next Sunday against Illinois at noon. It will be Purdue’s Holiday Celebration Game with a teddy bear toss.

Anderson, Heaney, Wollard Receive All-America Accolades

Three Boilermakers were named All-Americans following volleyball’s historic season. Taylor Anderson and Kenna Wollard were named Second Team All-America while Grace Heaney was named Third Team All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American committee.

The three accolades between second and third team mark the most All-America honors Purdue has produced in a single season. Meanwhile, among all teams making a Regionals appearance in the 2025 NCAA tournament, Purdue is joined by Creighton (3), Texas A&M (4), Nebraska (4) and Kentucky (4) with the most All-Americans on its roster.

In her first year competing at the outside hitter position in college, junior Kenna Wollard had a breakout season, ranking sixth in the nation with 577 kills, which stands as the third-most by a Boilermaker in single-season history, including the most in 14 years, and seventh in the nation with 637 total points. Over the season, she totaled 23 matches with at least 15 kills, nine matches with at least 20 kills and five matches hitting at least .400%. Averaging 4.40 kills per set in 2025, Wollard was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection, received AVCA National Player of the Week (Oct. 7) and Big Ten Player of the Week twice (Sep. 8 and Oct. 6). Her highlights include 33 kills on a .369 clip for the reverse sweep at #24 UCLA, 23 kills on a .457 clip, 10 digs and a career-high-tying five blocks vs. No. 7/2-seed SMU in the Regional Semifinals, 19 kills on a .417 clip vs. No. 24 Penn State and 26 kills at Michigan State.

Meanwhile, she helped guide Purdue to a Regional Finals appearance, playing some of her best volleyball yet, averaging 4.6 kills per set (69 total kills) on a .423 attack % during the NCAA tournament, while showing up defensively with 3.0 digs per set and .67 blocks per set.

Anderson secured second team honors after leading the nation in assists with 1,420 – a mark that stands as the most by a Purdue setter since 2005. The junior led Purdue not only to rank No. 1 in the nation in team kills (1,834) but dished out the offense to hit at an efficient .290 clip – a mark that ranks as second-highest in Purdue history and 13th in the nation. Over the season, she produced 17 matches with at least 30 assists, and eight with 50 assists, all while guiding Purdue to 33 sets with the team hitting at a .400 attack % or better. In addition to posting 11 double-doubles this season, Anderson knocked on the door of the rare triple-double against Houston (9/13) with a career-high eight kills, 36 assists, 10 digs (two kills shy of the feat), and seven kills, 31 assists, 10 digs against No. 15 Indiana (11/29).

Over the NCAA tournament, Anderson set Purdue to an average .328 hitting %, among the most efficient of all NCAA tournament teams and 225 total kills, third among all tournament teams through Regionals play. Anderson is one of five setters named to first or second team.

Heaney earned third team honors after redshirting the 2024 season. In her redshirt sophomore season, Heaney helped lead the offense efficiency, posting nine matches hitting above .400 and four matches above .500 – including a .515 clip (19 kills, 2 errors, 33 attacks) against No. 10 SMU in September. In all, the opposite is the only player in the nation with three errorless performances with 30+ attacks in each, including the only Big Ten player with more than one performance of that caliber. Meanwhile, her 18 dig, 15 kill match at Michigan State.

Heaney is one of seven opposites honored on the All-America Teams. The opposite led the Boilermakers in Big Ten play with a .329 average attack %.

Boasting a season full of efficient matches, Heaney shined at Rutgers with an errorless 18 kills on 31 attacks at Rutgers (.581%), an errorless 15 kills on 37 attacks at Michigan State with 18 digs and a .513 hitting % vs. Oregon with 21 kills and just one error on 39 swings. In total, Heaney racked up six double-doubles this season and had just two attack errors or less in 15 matches.

Together, the Boilermakers led the program to a season defined by defying expectations. From beginning the season predicted to finish seventh in the Big Ten with no preseason All-Big Ten accolades to ending the year ranked third in the Big Ten standings, a 27-7 (15-5 Big Ten) record with a program-record-setting five All-Big Ten honorees, a program-record 10 wins versus ranked opponents, three reverse sweeps with it all leading to a Regional Finals appearance, the first since 2021.

Jewell Named AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year

Following a historic season, Purdue associate head coach-recruiting coordinator Kathy Jewelll was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) awards committee.

Jewell is the first coach in program history to receive national coach/assistant coach of the year recognition.

Jewell, a member of volleyball’s coaching staff for 23 seasons and was head coach Dave Shondell’s first hire upon joining the Boilermakers, has helped Purdue to a 27-7 (15-5 Big Ten) record, a Regional Finals appearance this season.

Jewell, who oversees recruiting efforts, helped the Boilermakers reload for the 2025 season with five transfers joining the program in addition to the five incoming freshmen. Not only did the transfer class account for 40% of all points scored over the season, she worked daily in practice with the back row players, developing their passing skills, including helping to develop Ryan McAleer into becoming the youngest libero to earn All-Big Ten honors in Purdue history.

This season, Jewell reached 500 wins at Purdue, not only owning the title as winningest assistant coach in program history, but Purdue Athletics history.

The 2025 season was one defined by defying expectations. With Jewell’s assistance, the coaching staff developed a team that was picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten standings with zero All-Big Ten preseason honorees and no returning All-Americans to a team that finished third in the league standings with a program record five All-Big Ten selections, a program record 10 wins against ranked opponents, two AVCA Player of the Year Watch List additions mid-year, with one moving on to become a semifinalist, a program-record three reverse sweeps, a program-record three NCAA tournament All-Region honorees, a Regional Final appearance and three All-Americans between second and third team, which stands among the most in the NCAA – an improvement in every area from a season ago.

An important factor in growing team chemistry through team-building activities from the spring and on, she helped the team become one of the most well-connected and strongest teams in not just the nation this year, but in the program’s storied history.

Soccer Adds Seven Transfers for Spring

Head soccer coach, Richard Moodie, announced the signing of seven new transfers to join Purdue Soccer in the spring of 2026.

The transfer class features Jaiden Anderson (USC), Tanna Schornstein (USC), Rosa Maalouf (Texas), Cassie Bibby (USC), Phoebe Carver (USC), Chloe Tseros (Canisius), and McKenzie Carle (Bellarmine).

Divers Medal in 2 Synchro Events to Close Winter Nationals

With Boilermakers claiming silver and bronze medals in the 10-meter synchronized events, the Boilermakers wrapped up their week at the annual USA Diving Winter Nationals by winning a medal of each color on the tower.

Alumnus Jordan Rzepka teamed with current sophomore Tyler Wills to win silver in men’s synchronized 10-meter Tuesday. They posted a two-list total of 732.66 (359.91 prelim, 372.75 final).

Alumna Sophie McAfee was also a bronze medalist in women’s 10-meter synchro with two-time Olympian Katrina Young on Monday. Only .09 hundredths of a point separated second (488.91) and third place (488.82) in the event.

PURDUE’S SYNCHRO RESULTS AT USA DIVING WINTER NATIONALS
• Men’s 10-Meter Synchro – Jordan Rzepka & Tyler Wills (Silver Medalists, 732.66 – 372.75 Final, 359.91 Prelim)
• Women’s 10-Meter Synchro – Sophie McAfee [with Katrina Young] (Bronze Medalists, 488.82 – 248.88 Final, 239.94 Prelim)
• Men’s 3-Meter Synchro – Zach Welsh [with Misha Andriyuk] (7th, 616.35 – 313.89 Final, 302.46 Prelim)

Individually, Rzepka won gold on 10-meter Saturday night, medaling at Winter Nationals for the fifth consecutive year. This time he won medals in both the 10-meter individual and synchro events at Winter Nationals for the first time. At the 2021 Winter Nationals, he won silver in 10-meter synchro with Purdue teammate Tyler Downs and bronze on 1-meter. The 2018 Winter Nationals also saw Rzepka win gold in 10-meter synchro with Downs while both were still in high school.

McAfee won her fourth career medal at Winter Nationals and her first in a synchro event since being a back-to-back gold medalist in 10-meter synchro with Olivia Rosendahl in 2016 and 2017. Earlier this year, the Purdue graduate won silver in mixed 10-meter synchro with Boilermaker Kaden Springfield at the World University Games in Germany.

Wills also won his fourth career medal at Winter Nationals, all coming in 10-meter synchro. He’s now medaled with Joshua Hedberg (gold in 2022), Baleigh Cranford (gold in 2023), Daryn Wright (silver in 2023) and Rzepka. He competed with both Cranford and Wright in mixed 10-meter synchro two years ago and went on to represent USA Diving in the event at 2024 and 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Mixed-gender events were not contested at Winter Nationals this year.

Rzepka is now a seven-time medalist overall at Winter Nationals. He earned the opportunity to represent USA Diving at 2026 World Aquatics Diving World Cup meets set for February through May.

Wills joins Brandon Loschiavo and Downs as teammates that Rzepka has medaled with in the synchro events at the annual meet.

Purdue resumes its NCAA schedule the weekend of Jan. 9-10 with the final home meets of the season. The men host Southern Illinois on Friday at 2 p.m. Saturday’s Senior Day meet features the women hosting Illinois and the men competing as part of an intrasquad meet. The annual Senior Day ceremony will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. with the meet to follow.