Purdue Sports Update: Volleyball remains on fire

Volleyball sweeps Michigan teams

or the third time this season, the No. 10 Purdue Boilermakers pulled off a reverse sweep, downing the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday, Nov. 2, 22-25, 17-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-10. Meanwhile, the win marked the third consecutive match going the distance, with two of the three coming in reverse fashion.

The Boilermakers remain undefeated in both fifth sets at 7-0 and road matches at 14-0 (10-0 in true away matches, 4-0 in neutral site) as the team improves to 19-3 (10-2 Big Ten) on the season. Meanwhile, Michigan, a team coming off a ranked win against Penn State, falls to 15-8 (5-7 Big Ten).

Boiler Notes

• It is just the second time this century the program has started 19-3. There have been only four other teams in program history who have started the season with a better record in the 50+ year history of the program.
• Purdue improves to 7-0 in fifth sets this season.
• Purdue remains undefeated on the road at 13-0 (9-0 away, 4-0 neutral).
• The Wolverines held the edge in hitting % (.213% vs. .298%) and blocks (7 vs. 14.5)
• Taylor Anderson totaled 47 assists, nine digs, six kills (.556 clip) and two block assists while remaining perfect after seeing 19 receptions.
• Grace Heaney led all players with 19 kills, five digs and a career-high four assists.
• Kenna Wollard secured 16 kills, seven digs and a block assist. In the fifth set alone, Wollard led all players with four ills and had a key block assist for Purdue to take the 11-8 lead.
• Purdue has won the last 10 consecutive matches against Michigan, including 5-0 in Ann Arbor.
• Sienna Foster tied a career-high three aces (other: 3 at #22 Indiana, 10/16/25).
• Akasha Anderson totaled 12.5 points over the final three sets of action. After posting three errors early in the first, she re-entered the match in Set 3, limiting her errors to no more than one per set over the final three frames.

After a dominating first two sets by No. 10 Purdue, Michigan State fought back to push the match to five sets, which the Boilermakers prevailed, 25-22, 25-16, 25-27, 23-25, 15-12. The effort was powered by 19 Purdue blocks, including four in the final frame, as the squad came from behind with an 8-2 run to clinch the match.

Purdue’s 19 blocks were the most in a Big Ten match since its 19 at Ohio State in 2021.

With the victory, the Boilermakers improve to 18-3 (9-2 Big Ten) and remain undefeated on the road this season at 13-0 (9-0 away, 4-0 neutral site). Purdue closes the Big Ten | Discover Challenge undefeated at 5-0, after winning all weekday matches (Wednesday-Friday) in October. The Boilermakers tied with No. 1 nationally-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, however tiebreaker procedures robbed the squad of a shared title.

The Boilermakers will stay in Michigan, headed for Ann Arbor for a Sunday matinee against the Wolverines. The match is set for a 2 p.m. ET first serve on B1G+.

Boiler Notes

• Purdue remains undefeated on the road at 13-0 (9-0 away, 4-0 neutral).
• Grace Heaney secured her second consecutive double-double behind a career-high 18 digs and errorless offensive performance with 15 kills on a .405 clip and a career-high-tying six blocks.
• Heaney has now gone errorless on the attack in three matches this season – all of which have come in performances with at least 30 attempts.
• Kenna Wollard totaled 26 kills to lead all players, second-most kills in her career with a near-double-double of 7 digs.
• Julia Kane set a career-high 15 digs.
• Coming off a 22-dig performance vs. #20 Minnesota, which Ryan McAleer set a career-high for Big Ten matches, the sophomore bested the mark, registering 23 digs.
• The middles combined for all 19 blocks as both Bianka Lulic and Dior Charles set new career-bests while wearing the Purdue jersey. In fact, Lulic set a new overall career-high with her 10 block performance (1 solo, 9 assisted) and Charles with nine (2 solo, 7 assisted).
• Lulic led the team in efficiency, totaling eight kills and one error on 16 attacks for a .438 clip.
• Taylor Anderson, coming of a Big Ten Setter of the Week award, dished out 51 assists, five blocks, five kills, four digs and an ace.
• The 19 team blocks were the most in a Big Ten match since 2021 (at Ohio State, 10/15/2021).
• Purdue set a season-high .548 attack % in Set 2.

The Boilermakers will begin a four-match homestand, the longest of the season, next Friday versus No. 18 Penn State at 5:30 p.m. ET on B1G+, and on Saturday versus Iowa at 7 p.m. ET on B1G+.

Wrestling in California

The No. 22 wrestling team opened its season with a 19-13 victory over a tough Cal Poly team on Saturday night. The Boilermakers (1-0) took six of the 10 matches to overcome the Mustangs (0-1) in their home gym.

“There were some gritty, gritty wins,” head coach Tony Ersland said. “Cal Poly made us work hard, so we had to tough out some good situations to win the dual and kind of distance ourselves. So I liked that there was some grittiness and fight.”

Cal Poly was the site of Coach Ersland’s Purdue debut 11 years ago.

RESULTS

125 | Koda Holeman def. Jacob Macatangay – MD 20-8 | CP 4-0
133 | #18 Blake Boarman def. Anthony Lucio – D 8-2 | CP 4-3
141 | #4 Zeth Romney def. #18 Greyson Clark – D 6-5 (TB-1) | CP 7-3
149 | Gavin Brown def. Andre Gonzales – D 4-1 (SV-1) | CP 7-6
157 | Stoney Buell def. Jagger French – D 2-0 | PUR 9-7
165 | #3 Joey Blaze def. Luke Gayer – TF 19-4 (7:00) | PUR 14-7
174 | #23 Brody Baumann def. Cash Stewart – D 8-4
                Minus-1 team point for Purdue, throwing of head gear | PUR 16-7
184 | #29 Ceasar Garza def. #23 James Rowley – D 10-7 | PUR 16-10
197 | #26 Ben Vanadia def. Cole Jackson – D 11-4 | PUR 19-10
285 | #16 Trevor Tinker def. #32 Hayden Filipovich | D 9-3 | PUR 19-13

RECAP

No. 3 Joey Blaze secured Purdue’s only bonus points in a dominant 19-4 technical fall, improving to 21-0 all-time in bonus point matches. It was his first match at his new weight of 165 lbs, and that didn’t seem to matter at all. The 2025 NCAA runner-up picked up right where he left off last March.

No. 18 Blake Boarman put Purdue on the board at 133 with an 8-2 decision over Anthony Lucio. It was the 2025 NCAA qualifier’s Boilermaker debut after spending the last four years at Chattanooga.

No. 18 Greyson Clark nearly pulled off the highest-ranked win of his career when he had No. 4 Zeth Romney, a 2025 All-American, on the ropes leading 5-4 as time expired in the third period. But a controversial illegal hold was called against Clark, giving Romney a penalty point to send it to overtime. Romney eventually prevailed 6-5 in the first tiebreaker.

Trailing the dual 7-3 after that heartbreaker, the Boilers showed their resiliency by going on to win five of the last seven matches. It started with Gavin Brown earning his first win as a Boilermaker, beating Andre Gonzales 4-1 in sudden victory.

Two-time NCAA qualifier No. 23 Brody Baumann upended Cash Stewart in an 8-4 decision that didn’t feel that close. Baumann scored the only two takedowns of the match, giving up one reversal and two escapes.

No. 26 Ben Vanadia nearly notched bonus points in an 11-4 decision over Cole Jackson, but the Mustang escaped with under 10 seconds remaining to bring the margin to seven. Vanadia started off looking strong after being one of the last men left out of the NCAA Championships last March.

Purdue Wins 28 Events, Sweeps Triple Dual

Twenty-eight event victories over two ays propelled the Purdue Swimming & Diving teams to a co-ed triple dual sweep of Oakland and Cincinnati over Halloween Weekend at the Oakland Aquatic Center.

The Purdue men and women both improved to 3-0 in dual meet action this season. The women swept a triple dual for the third year in a row. The men earned two dual meet wins on the day for the first time since November 2013 and swept a triple dual for the first time since January 2011.

The Purdue women won 15 of the 19 events – seven Friday and eight Saturday. They swept the freestyle, butterfly, individual medley and diving events. The Purdue men won 13 events – seven Friday and six Saturday. They swept the four relays and both backstroke and butterfly events.

Michigan native Blake Rowe demonstrated his versatility with victories in the 100 fly and 200 back. He became the first Boilermaker this season to post an NCAA Championships qualifying time, which is new this year and introduced as part of the revamped format for the national championship meet. Rowe’s winning time of 1:41.95 in the 200 back also moved him into third place in program history.

Biko Hooper-Haviland eclipsed Purdue’s freshman record while leading a 1-2-3 finish for the Boilermakers in the 200 fly. His winning time of 1:45.84 bested Eduard Galdeano’s mark that had stood since the 2011 Big Ten Championships. It was the second-oldest freshman record among the swimming events. It also moved Hooper-Haviland into ninth place in program history.

The Purdue women capped Friday’s session with a pool record time of 3:18.43 in the 400 free relay. Lara Phipps, Caitlin Hurley, Adele Sands and Hannah Hill also moved into sixth place on the team’s all-time leaderboard.

Jānis Dzirkalis (50 and 100 free), Evan Mackesy (400 IM, 500 free), Hurley (200 and 500 free) and Phipps (100 free, 100 fly) joined Rowe as Boilermakers to win multiple individual events. Mackey and Hurley won their events on Friday. Dzirkalis, Phipps and Rowe all won an individual event both days.

Hurley finished top two in all four of her individual races, touching as the runner-up behind teammates in the 100 and 1000 free after sweeping the 200 and 500 Friday. Mackesy was the runner-up behind Hooper-Haviland in the 200 fly.

The Boilermakers dominated three of the four diving events. Led by a big list score of 427.50 from Max Miller on 1-meter, the Purdue men went 1-2-3-4-5 in the event. Avery Worobel posted the first victory of her sophomore season Friday on 1-meter and Daryn Wright was victorious on 3-meter Saturday for her team-leading fifth event win of the year. The Purdue women went 1-2-3 in both events.

The Boilermakers enjoyed five total 1-2-3 finishes and five more 1-2 showings.

Phipps posted lifetime bests in both the 100 free (49.26, T-4th) and 100 fly (53.86, 9th), moving up among Purdue’s all-time top 10 in both events.

Hannah Hill (50 free), Reagan Mattice (1000 free), Abby Marcukaitis (100 back), Alex Hotta (100 back), Campbell Scofield (200 fly), Keira Kask (200 IM) and Kate Mouser (400 IM) also won individual events for Purdue. Dzirkalis, Hill, Phipps and Hotta also contributed to three relay winners.

Hotta moved into seventh place in program history with his winning time of 47.07 in the 100 back. Gio Mango (200 breast), Keira Kask (200 IM) and Amie Perna (200 back) also joined or moved up an all-time leaderboard.

The Purdue women are back in action Friday when they host Iowa for a Big Ten dual meet at 4 p.m. ET. The men compete again at the four-day Ohio State Invitational (Nov. 18-21), which is also on the women’s schedule.

Purdue Opens 51st Season of Women’s Basketball Monday Night vs. FDU

The women’s basketball team is set to tip off its 51st season on Monday night when it hosts FDU at 7 p.m. at Mackey Arena. The game will be streamed on B1G+.

Tim Newton and Jane Schott will be on the call for the Purdue Global Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM. Monday night’s contest will be one of 10 games this season that will air on select stations of the expanded statewide network.

Head coach Katie Gearlds enters her fifth year at the helm of her alma mater with roster featuring 10 newcomers, including the return of fifth year Madison Layden-Zay. Layden-Zay enters the season 38 3-pointers away from Purdue’s career record of 244 held by Karissa McLaughlin.

Purdue rolled to a 118-42 win over Purdue Northwest in the lone exhibition contest last Monday. Seven Boilermakers finished in double figures, led by Lana McCarthy‘s 16 points. The Boilermakers shot a blistering 63.9% from the field, hit 10 3-pointers and dished out 31 assists on 46 made field goals. The 118 points were the third most scored by a Purdue squad in an exhibition. 

The Boilermakers are 3-1 in season openers under Gearlds and 41-9 all-time in openers in program history. Purdue is 48-2 all-time in home openers. In the 2024-25 season opener against Purdue Fort Wayne, Lana McCarthy became the second Boilermaker freshman to record a double-double in a season opener and the 15th to start the opening game of a campaign. 

GAME NOTES

• Purdue and FDU have never met in women’s basketball. 
• Head coach Katie Gearlds enters her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater after reaching the postseason in three of her first four campaigns, including an NCAA Tournament bid in 2023. 
• Last year, the Boilermakers battled through injuries against one of the top-10 hardest schedules in the nation that featured 10 games against ranked opposition. 
• Gearlds and the coaching staff attacked the transfer portal to welcome in six transfers to West Lafayette in First Team All-Big Sky Taylor Feldman (Northern Arizona), SoCon Freshman & Sixth Woman of the Year Nya Smith (UNC Greensboro), 2024 NJCAA National Player of the Year Kiki Smith (Arkansas), Taylor Henderson (UNC Wilmington), Tara Daye (St. John’s) and Saige Stahl (Indiana State). 
• Purdue’s freshman class features Indiana All-Star and the tallest player in program history at 6-7 Avery Gordon, Israeli international guard with national team and professional experience Hila Karsh and hometown product Carley Barrett.
• Boilermaker fans will see a familiar face back on the roster with the return of Madison Layden-Zay. The elder of the Layden sisters returns after graduating in 2024 and getting married in September of that year. Layden-Zay is one of five players in Purdue history with 1,000 points and 200 3-pointers in a career, a list that includes Katie Gearlds. 
• Layden-Zay is on the cusp of making Big Ten history as the sixth player in league history to amass 1,000 points, 200 3-pointers, 500 rebounds (needs 76), 300 assists (12), and 50 blocks. She would join Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Michigan State’s Tori Jankoska, Indiana’s Amanda Cahill, Ohio State’s Jaz Shelley and current Purdue head coach Katie Gearlds.
• Lana McCarthy, Kendall Puryear and McKenna Layden are the lone returners from the 2024-25 campaign. The trio were some of the most consistent performers last year. 
• McCarthy started 26 games as a freshman and was the 13th Boilermaker in program history to average 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. 
• Kendall Puryear finished fourth on the team in scoring last year with 72 points per game, coming off the bench in all but one game as a rookie. 
• McKenna Layden posted 5.7 points, 5.5 rebounds per game with 23 made 3-pointers and 23 assists over the final 14 games of the season.