Purdue Sports Update: Volleyball soaring

Volleyball Picks Up Pair of Ranked Wins

 In the second reverse sweep of the season against a ranked opponent, the No. 11 volleyball squad came out victorious 3-2 (19-25, 17-25, 27-25, 25-21, 18-16) over No. 20 Minnesota in Holloway Gymnasium. The Boilers fought back after trailing 2-8 in the fifth set to win it, posting the largest fifth-set comeback in over five years.

With the victory, Purdue has won the last seven of eight matches and improve to 8-2 against teams ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA poll. In all, the Boilermakers close the week with a 17-3 (8-2 Big Ten) record while handing Minnesota its second loss of Big Ten play (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten).

No. 11 Purdue holds second-place of the Big Ten standings with 10 matches remaining in the regular-season.

This week, the Boilermakers will once again hit the road for the last back-to-back away matches of the season . First, Purdue will take on Michigan State on Friday at 7 p.m. ET followed by a Sunday afternoon 2 p.m. start at Michigan. Both matches will be streamed on B1G+.

Boiler Notes

• Akasha Anderson posted a tide-changing six kills in the final set with no errors for a .545 hitting %, including the match-winning kill and a run to take the Boilers from 8-10 to 12-12 in Set 5.
• In total, Akasha Anderson totaled 18 kills, a career-best while wearing the Purdue jersey, on a .417 clip
• Purdue trailed by as many as six points in the fifth set (score: 2-8).
• Purdue’s back row was led by Ryan McAleer’s 22 digs, a Big Ten match career-high for the sophomore and overall the second-most digs she’s produced in a match (most: 30 earlier this season vs. #15 Kansas).
• Meanwhile, as a team, Purdue’s 65 digs were the third-most in a match this season, including the most in a Big Ten match this year.
• Taylor Anderson had herself a match, nearly posting a double-double with 59 assists, eight digs, three blocks and five kills. Meanwhile, she set the team to a .438 clip in Set 1 and a .306 clip in Set 3. Her 59 assists marked a career-high in Big Ten action and was one shy of her overall career-high (last: 60 vs. Bowling Green, 9/4).
• Grace Heaney set a career-high 22 kills (previous: 19, which included an errorless eight kills on 11 attacks (.727%) in the first set. In total, she notched her third double-double of the season, adding 11 digs and two block assists.
• Serve/receive plagued the Boilermakers early, allowing nine Gopher aces in the first two sets alone
• Wollard, Heaney and Akasha Anderson combined for 63 kills.
• Kenna Wollard led the team with 23 kills, 10 digs, one ace, two block solos and a block assist. It was her first double-double in Big Ten play and the second match of her career with two block solos (last: at Indiana on 10/16).
• Purdue improves to 5-0 in five-set matches this season and 17-6 over the last four years.
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Efficiency and sound defense were the keys to a sweep as volleyball exacted its revenge, downing Illinois 25-19, 26-16, 25-14 on its home court. The Boilermakers allowed just 49 total Illini points in the match, the second-fewest in the programs’ rivalry since rally-scoring began.

With the win, Purdue improves to 16-3 (7-2 Big Ten) while Illinois, a team receiving votes in the AVCA poll, fall to 12-6 (7-2 Big Ten). Additionally, Purdue remains undefeated on the road at 8-0.

Boiler Notes

• The Boilermakers allowed just 49 total Illinois points in the match, the second-fewest in the programs’ rivalry history since rally-scoring began (record: 46 points in 2023).
• Purdue hit over .400 in two of the three sets with a .433 attack % in Set 1 and a .444 attack % in the third set.
• Purdue’s defensive efforts were stellar, out-blocking Illinois 12-1 and out-digging the host team 44-39. As a team, Purdue committed zero reception errors after facing 47 serves. It was the first time this season Illinois was kept from recording an ace.
• Taylor Anderson ran the offense to a .376 team hitting % in the match while racking up a double-double 32 assists, a team-leading 11 digs, team-leading four blocks and two kills.
• Purdue’s eight attack errors in the match were the second-lowest committed this season.
• Purdue came out with a fast pace of play in the opening game, hitting .433% as a team behind just two attack errors. Between Grace Heaney and Kenna Wollard, the hitters combined for 12 kills, 1 error on 19 swings as Heaney hit .667% and Wollard .455%.
• Three Boilermakers reached double-digit kills: Heaney (16), Wollard (12) and Akasha Anderson (11).
• Grace Heaney led the team for the second consecutive match with a .536 hitting clip, 16 kills and one attack error on 28 swings. She nearly posted a double-double with seven digs and added three blocks.
• Dior Charles went errorless on the attack with four kills and a .400 attack % and tied T. Anderson with a team-leading five blocks.
• Ryan McAleer reached 10 digs.
• Purdue’s .376 attack % was the most efficient offense the Illini has faced this season and Purdue’s 12 blocks were the second-most blocks allowed.
• The Boilers improve to a 7-2 record against opponents ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA poll.

Soccer Closes Out Season with 2-0 Victory

The soccer team finished the 2025 season on a high note Sunday afternoon, earning a 2–0 shutout victory over Minnesota at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.

Behind goals from Megan Santa Cruz and Irene Campo, the Boilermakers secured their third Big Ten win and wrapped up the year at 6–10–3 (3–7–1 B1G).

Purdue came out firing early and grabbed the lead in the 11th minute. Santa Cruz buried her fourth goal of the season after a clever buildup, slotting home a pass from midfielder Emilia Deppe to make it 1–0. The Boilermakers kept the pressure on throughout the half, recording 10 shots and five on target before the break.

In the second half, Purdue’s attack stayed sharp. In the 66th minute, Campo doubled the lead with her eighth goal of the year, finishing a pinpoint assist from Santa Cruz to seal the win.

Defensively, Emily Edwards was outstanding in goal, making seven saves, one off of her single-game best, in over 83 minutes of play before Ally Lynch came on to finish the shutout.

The win marks the season finale for the Boilermakers, but Purdue will play host to the ten qualifiers of the Big Ten Tournament beginning at Folk Field on Oct. 30-Nov. 2.

Women’s Basketball Prepped for Exhibition Against Purdue Northwest

The women’s basketball team is set for its lone tune up ahead of the 2025-26 season when it takes on Purdue Northwest on Monday night at 7 p.m. in Mackey Arena on B1G+.

The Boilermakers will face the Pride in an exhibition for the second time in the last four seasons. Purdue won 98-67 ahead of the 2022-23 season with five players finishing in double figures, led by Caitlyn Harper’s 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting.

Purdue has won 46 straight exhibition contests dating back to 1993. The Boilermakers own a 50-3 all-time record in preseason exhibitions. Purdue has won all four exhibition contests under head coach Katie Gearlds, winning by an average of 39.5 points and scoring 98.5 points per contest.

GAME NOTES

• Purdue and its sister campus Purdue Northwest (a 2016 merging of Purdue Calumet and Purdue North Central) met once before in an exhibition ahead of the 2022-23 season, a 98-67 win. 
• Five Boilermakers finished in double figures, led by Caitlyn Harper‘s 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting.  
• 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.
• Gearlds also added April Phillips to the coaching staff during the offseason. Phillips was the head coach at San Jose State for three seasons and spent time as an assistant at Texas, Arizona and California. 
• 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.

Boilermakers Finish T-6th at Rain-Shortened Steelwood

The men’s golf team finished tied for sixth at the Steelwood Collegiate after the third round was canceled by thunderstorms on Sunday.

The Boilermakers totaled rounds of 293 and 284 for a 36-hole score of 1-over par 577. Purdue was tied for 12th after one round, but moved into T-6th entering today’s final round. 

The teams actually started round three late on Saturday in advance to get in as many holes as possible. The teams played about 10 to 12 holes in the third round before heavier rounds of thunderstorms moved in and ended the tournament.

Jenson Forrester led the Boilermakers with a T-23 finish at even-par 144 (72-72). Will Harvey finished tied for 29th at 1-over par with rounds of 78 and 67.

Sam Easterbrook was also 29th (74-71=145), while Supapon Amornchaichan was 33rd (72-74=146) and Kentaro Nanayama was 64th at 8-over par 152 (75-77). As an individual, Andre Zhu finished 50th at 5-over par (71-78=149). 

Purdue will be off until mid-February with the Puerto Rico Classic. 

Baseball Holloween Bash Moved Up to Tuesday

– Purdue Baseball invites fans of all ages to Alexander Field for the team’s annual Halloween Bash, a celebration of October’s most notable holiday that features trick-or-treating on the field after a brief costume scrimmage.

This year’s event is now set for Tuesday, Oct. 28, moving up one day from the originally announced date due to rain in the forecast for Wednesday.

The Halloween Bash is a free event presented by Azzip Pizza. It begins with player introductions at 6 p.m. The Boilermakers will be wearing costumes and fans planning to attend are also encouraged to arrive dressed in Halloween costumes.

Fans in attendance can claim a voucher redeemable for one free ticket to any regular-season home game during the 2026 campaign. The plan is to have selected players hand out those vouchers in conjunction with the trick-or-treat this year. Purdue has six home weekends and 26 total home games on its 2026 schedule, including an eight-game homestand from April 29-May 10.

The Halloween Bash at Alexander debuted in 2019 and has remained a popular October event since returning to the calendar in 2021. It begins with an abbreviated costume scrimmage, after which children will be able to take the field for trick-or-treating, receiving candy from the players and coaches.

The Boilermakers are also making plans to host their First Pitch Dinner at the Ross-Ade Pavilion and the all-ages Preseason Fan Fest inside the Mollenkopf Athletic Center. Both events are held early in the spring semester, with the Preseason Fan Fest generally taking place the weekend before college baseball’s national opening day (Friday, Feb. 13 this school year).

The remainder of the fall ball schedule at Alexander Field features an exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Dayton as well as a handful of open scrimmages – primarily on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. All fall ball events feature free admission.

HALLOWEEN BASH AT ALEXANDER – FULL DETAILS
• Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m.
• Alexander Field
• All Ages
• Free Admission
• Fans are encouraged to wear costumes
• Brief costume scrimmage followed by Trick-or-Treating on the field
• Pick up a voucher redeemable for one free ticket to any regular-season home game in 2026