Purdue Sports Update: Oct. 6

Volleyball Takes Both in LA

The No. 13 volleyball squad picked up their second top-25 win in two days as Purdue took down #17 USC on its home court, 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-21). Putting on a defensive clinic, Purdue out-blocked USC 11-5 and out-dug the team, 48-35, which included 20 digs in Set 2 alone.

With the win, the Boilermakers improve to 12-2 (3-1 Big Ten) while the Trojans drop to 10-4 (1-3 Big Ten).

Up next, Purdue will continue its road stretch, heading to Columbus for another midweek matchup. The Boilermakers will take on Ohio State on Thursday and will air on FS1. The match will begin at 7 p.m. ET.

Boiler Notes

• Over the last five seasons (Spring 2021-present), the program has earned 25 wins vs. ranked opponents.
• Purdue improves to 4-1 record against ranked opponents this season, already tying last season’s win total.
• The Boilers led the Women of Troy in virtually every category in the first set, including 3-1 in blocks and 13-10 in digs.
• Purdue improves to 4-1 vs. ranked opponents this season,
• It was Purdue’s second-ever appearance at USC and the win was the first for the program away in the series history.
• Three Boilermakers reached double-digit kills, with Kenna Wollard (16 kills, .263%), Grace Heaney (12 kills, one error, .379 attack %) and Akasha Anderson (10 kills, .333%) reaching the benchmark.
• Defensively, Ryan McAleer led the back row with 17 digs followed by Julia Kane with 10.
• Taylor Anderson totaled 32 assists, an errorless five kills on a .625 attack % and four digs.
• Middle Dior Charles led the blocking effort with four blocks.

Purdue secured a 3-2 reverse sweep at No. 24 UCLA (17-25, 22-25, 29-27, 25-23, 15-11) on Thursday, an effort powered by junior Kenna Wollard’s 33 kill-performance.

With her showing, Wollard became just the fourth player in Purdue history to record 33 kills in a single match, joining Bev Krupa (1998), Aneska Arosarena (1998 and 1999) and two-time Olympian Annie Drews (2014), who was in the crowd for the victory.

No. 13 Purdue’s stay in LA continues, taking on No. 17 USC on its home court Saturday night. The match is slated to start at 9:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.

Key Performances

• Kenna Wollard posted 33 kills, becoming the fourth Boilermaker in Purdue history and the sixth time in program history a player has produced as many kills in a single match – all doing so on a .369 clip and coming just one dig shy of a double-double.
• Taylor Anderson reached double-double status, dishing out 50 assists and 10 digs alongside four blocks and two kills.

Boiler Notes

• No team held a lead larger than three points throughout the entirety of Set 2.
• The Boilermakers’ reverse sweep marked the second straight year Purdue has pulled one off against a ranked opponent on the road.
• The win was Purdue’s third against a ranked opponent this season, moving to a 3-1 record.
• Purdue had its most efficient attack in the fifth set, hitting .429% and holding UCLA to an even .000
• Purdue out-blocked UCLA 11-8.5
• The Boilers denied the Bruins four match points in the third set before storming back to take the match.
• Wollard’s 33 kills were one shy of tying the NCAA season-high mark. She is one of three power-four players (joined by Shaylee Myers of K-State and Morgan Gaerte of Notre Dame)
• The win came in Purdue’s first match ever at UCLA.
• The Boilermakers are 9-1 over the last 10 matches

Boilers Battle IU to Second-Consecutive Scoreless Draw

The soccer team and in-state rival Indiana battled to a hard-fought scoreless draw Friday night at Folk Field.

The scoreless draw marked back-to-back years without a goal from either side, the first time in Golden Boot history for a scoreless tie in consecutive years. The Boilermakers moved to 5–6–3 (2–3–1 B1G) with the result, earning a point in Big Ten play.

After a quiet first half with just two Purdue shots, the Boilermakers came alive after halftime, outshooting the Hoosiers 11–7 in the final 45 minutes. Megan Santa Cruz, Irene Campo, Angelina Thoreson, and Chiara Singarella each pushed forward with quality looks, forcing five saves for the Indiana keeper.

Defensively, the Boilermakers stood tall. Goalkeeper Emily Edwards recorded three saves, backed by strong play from defenders Zoe Cuneio, Margaux Chauvet, and Lauren Adam. Purdue’s back line blocked multiple second-half efforts, keeping the game scoreless.

The Boilers and the Hoosiers continued to hold strong, marking another scoreless draw, after the same result a year ago.

UP NEXT

The Boilers will head on the road to take on Nebraska and Illinois next week.

Buckeridge, Walker Pace Purdue at Joe Piane Notre Dame Invite

Cross Country finished its third meet of the season, headlined by Douglas Buckeridge and Nathan Walker’s top 15 finishes, at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invite. 

Men’s Notes
• Buckeridge led the way in 13th, finishing the 8k race in 23:10.3. The time is his personal best after he ran 23:11.6 at last season’s Big Ten meet. Buckeridge is Purdue’s top finisher in both his appearances this season.
• Walker finished 1.4 seconds behind Buckeridge to finish 14th. His 23:11.7 was just two seconds shy of his personal best. Walker has a pair of top 15 finishes to start his 2025 season.
• Kiefer Bell took 32nd (23:39.8) and improved five places in the final 2k of the race to become Purdue’s third finisher.
• Nerius White climbed six spots in the final 2k of the race to be Purdue’s fourth finisher (23:45.2). Jason Polydoris rounded out Purdue’s top five (23:55.7)
• The Boilermakers finished fourth out of 18 teams and ahead of both Big Ten teams that participated in the meet, Illinois (12th) and Iowa (15th).

Women’s Notes
• Lauren Pegner was Purdue’s top finisher in the 5k race (17:39.0) in 109th.
• Sofia Munoz finished four places behind Pegher in 113th (17:42.7) and set a personal best by 28 seconds.
• Julia Economou finished in 119th (17:46.8) and Elise Peckinpaugh followed behind in 120th (17:48.6). Economou has finished in Purdue’s top three in each of the first three meets. 

Next Up
Purdue prepares for its final regular season meet on Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Pre-National Invite, hosted by Missouri.

Simeunovic Picks Up Pair of Wins on Final Day of the Hope RSM Invite

The men’s tennis team wrapped up the Hope RSM Invite with a doubles champion title earned by Stefan Simeunovic and Maj Premzl and a win on the singles side by Simeunovic.

Maj Premzl and Stefan Simeunovic won the Hope RSM Invite West back bracket, downing Michigan State’s Saye/Sheldon: 7-6(4). Additionally, Jovic and Mujtaba Ali-Kahn defeated Western Michigan’s Adesoro / Moriaty: 6-3.

In singles play, Simeunovic also picked up a win, taking down Yang (Northwestern), 7-6(1), 6-4. Meanwhile, Maj Premzl fell to Gregg (Notre Dame) 1-6, 5-7 and Jovi fell to Cerasoulo (Notre Dame): 6-4, 7-6(3).

Next week, the Boilermakers will host the ITA Regional, running Oct. 9-14 at the Schwartz Tennis Center.

Kathryn Wilson Secures Victory

Kathryn Wilson won the singles flight 1 back bracket, downing C. Metcalf (Butler): 6-1, 6-3.

Ashlie Wilson won 6-1, 1-6, 7-5 against M. Kabdesh (NIU).

Kayal Gownder fell in the Singles Flight 3 front bracket finals to B. Miret (Louisville): 7-5, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Emmi Kolyszko took on L. Lin (Indiana), winning 7-6 (7), 6-2 in the Singles flight 4 consolation match.

On the doubles side, Kolyszko and Gownder were victorious on the Doubles Flight 2 back bracket, defeating Horne / Garcia Miralles (NIU), 6-1.

Additionally, the Wilson sisters fell in the Doubles Flight 1 front bracket in the finals to Otis / Peresypkina (Louisville): 6-3.