Volleyball's Magical Season Ends in Elite Eight; Sports Update

Volleyball’s Run Ends in Elite 8

The No. 12/3-seeded Purdue Boilermakers fell in the NCAA Regional Finals to the No. 4/1-seed Pittsburgh Panthers, 1-3 (22-25, 21-25, 25-22, 17-25.

The Boilermakers end the season with a 27-7 (15-5 Big Ten) record with a third-place Big Ten finish and one of three conference teams making an appearance in the Regional Finals. Defying expectations all season long, Purdue returned just 7.5% of its offense and was picked to finish seventh in the league standings with no preseason accolades. The team concludes the year with a program record five All-Big Ten honorees, a record 10 wins vs. ranked opponents, a 19-3 start to the season – a feat only accomplished twice in the last 39 years of Purdue Volleyball, two AVCA National Player Watch List additions, one AVCA National Player of the Year Semifinalist and a Regional Final Appearance – an improvement in all areas from a year ago.

Boiler Notes

• The Boilers led the entirety of the third set, allowing five tied scores but no lead changes along with seven blocks and two aces in the frame, holding Pitt to a .167 hitting %.
• Akasha Anderson posted a season-high 20 kills in her final collegiate match, adding four digs and two blocks
• Kenna Wollard ended the season with a double-double 15 kills and 13 digs with two aces nd a trio of blocks all while hitting .344%
• Middle Dior Charles went errorless on the attack with five kills on seven swings (.714%) with nine blocks to lead all players
• Purdue out-blocked Pittsburgh 11-7 and 43-39 in digs
• Ryan McAleer led the back row with a floor-leading 14 digs and two assists.
• Taylor Anderson posted a floor-leading 51 assists

Purdue advanced Regional Finals for the first time since 2021 with a 3-1 win vs. No. 7/ 2-seeded SMU Mustangs on Thursday night, 16-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22, 29-27. With the win, Dave Shondell ties Purdue men’s basketball legend Gene Keady as the all-time winningest head coach in Purdue Athletics history with 512 wins.

The victory moved Purdue to 27-6 (15-5 Big Ten) record, while SMU ends the year 27-6 (17-3 ACC). Two of SMU’s six losses were to Purdue. 

With the win, the Boilermakers will take on host and No. 1 seed/No. 4  nationally-ranked Pittsburgh on Saturday. Time and TV is TBA. The matchup will be the first between the two teams since meeting in the Regional Finals, also in Pittsburgh, in 2021.

Boiler Notes

• The win marked Purdue’s 10th win vs. a ranked team this season, setting a program record.
• It will be the fifth Regional Finals appearance for Purdue under Dave Shondell, including the third in the last six seasons.
• The Boilers had four match points in Set 4 at 24-23, 25-24, 26-25, 27-26, with Kenna Wollard and Akasha Anderson responsible for the last seven points (beginning with 23-23). Wollard posted the go-ahead point at 24-23, 26-23, 27-26 before Anderson put away the final two kills to clinch the match.
• Taylor Anderson dished out 49 assists, five digs, three blocks and a trio of kills. She set the team to a .282 hitting clip in the match, improving as the match went on, ending it with a .409 clip in Set 4.
• It was the second win of the season vs. SMU, with the win in September giving Purdue its 11th straight year with a top-10 win. The win tonight was Purdue’s second of the season.
• Tied 17-17 in Set 3, Bianka Lulic entered the match, going on to post three block assists in the next five Purdue points, helping swing momentum to Purdue’s side as the Boilers went on to win the set, 25-22.
• Three Boilers reached double-digit kills in the match: Wollard, A. Anderson and Heaney
• With the win, Dave Shondell ties Purdue men’s basketball legend Gene Keady as the all-time winningest head coach in Purdue Athletics history with 512 wins.
• Kenna Wollard produced 23 kills on an extremely efficient .457 clip with just two errors in 46 attacks. Not only was it the most kills in a match since her 26 at Michigan State, it is the most in a four-set match for the junior. Meanwhile, she added a career-high tying five blocks and 10 digs for her 10^th double-double this season.
• Ryan McAleer led the back row with 23 digs, two shy of tying a program record for digs in an NCAA tournament match.

WBB Wins Pair at Mackey

The women’s basketball team improved to a perfect 7-0 at Mackey Arena this season with an 80-43 win over Dayton on Sunday afternoon. The Boilermakers (7-4) posted their third win of 35 points or more this season, tied for the most by a Purdue squad in the last 25 seasons.

Purdue set the tone on the defensive end, holding the Flyers (5-5) to just 43 points, the fewest given up by the Boilermakers in the Katie Gearlds era and tied for the 13th fewest in Purdue history. The Boilermakers held Dayton to 25.5% from the field and 6-of-23 from behind the arc. Purdue flipped 26 Dayton turnovers into 30 points, while recording a season-high 14 steals.

Hila Karsh paced Purdue with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting with a trio of 3-pointers. Karsh notched a career-high five steals in the win. Tara Daye posted her second straight double-double and fourth of the year with a 15-point, 12-rebound outing to go with two assists and a block.

Kiki Smith poured in 16 points and added two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Madison Layden-Zay jumped back into double figures for the first time in five games with 10 points, a pair of 3-pointers, three rebounds, five assists and three steals.

On the offensive end, Purdue shot 41.7% from the floor, 10-of-24 (41.7%) from distance and a perfect 10-of-10 at the line. The Boilermakers finished with 17 assists on 30 made field goals.

TOP STATS
Purdue went on a 21-point run in the second quarter to open a 30-point gap. It was the second run of 20 points or more this season. Layden-Zay connected on a pair of 3-pointers, while Kendall Puryear scored five of her nine points in the sprint. The Boilermakers connected on 8-of-12 field goals on the run, while forcing seven missed shots.

KEY MOMENTS
• Purdue opened the game on a 14-2 run with four points from Karsh. Dayton did not score until the 5:08 mark of the first.
• Purdue forced 10 turnovers in the opening frame and held Dayton to 2-of-12 shooting.
• Kiki Smith led Purdue with five points in the first.
• The Boilermakers blew the game open in the second, scoring 30 points, their second game with 30 or more points in the second.
• Karsh tallied eight points on 3-of-3 shooting with two 3-pointers and Daye added seven points and five rebounds.
• The Boilermakers did not commit a turnover in the second quarter, while shooting 60% from the floor.
• Purdue led 44-12 at the break, behind 50% shooting and holding Dayton to 4-of-23 on field goals.
• The Boilermakers shot an even 50% in the third quarter with Karsh, Smith, Daye and Lana McCarthy all chipped in five points.
• Twelve of Purdue’s 23 points in the second were in the paint.
• Kendall Puryear went 4-of-4 at the line, as Purdue put away the game in the fourth quarter.

NOTES
• Dayton leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1979, 7-8.
• Purdue has held four opponents to 50 or fewer points this season, already the most by a Purdue squad since 2018-19.
• The Boilermakers were a perfect 10-of-10 at the line. The first time Purdue had a perfect free throw percentage on 10 or more attempts since Dec. 28, 2017, at Rutgers (10-of-10).
• Purdue recorded 14 steals, its highest tally since Feb. 25, 2024, at Wisconsin.
• Madison Layden-Zay posted her 57th career game in double figures, moving into sole control of 29th in Purdue history.
• Layden-Zay connected twice from the outside, giving her 228 for her career. She is 10 shy of Katie Gearlds for third on Purdue’s all-time list and 16 away from Karissa McLaughlin’s all-time record.
• Layden-Zay’s three steals brought her level with MaChelle Joseph and Ukari Figgs for 20th on Purdue’s career chart.
• Karsh finished with a game-high plus-minus of 37 in 28 minutes of work.

UP NEXT
Purdue will have the week off for finals, before returning to Mackey Arena for the final non-conference game of the year against Jackson State at noon next Sunday.

Purdue rolled to an 88-45 win over Lipscomb on Thursday morning, improving to 6-0 at Mackey Arena this season behind its second win of 40 points or more and the largest win of the Katie Gearlds era. 

The 45 points allowed were the fewest by a Purdue squad since holding Chattanooga to 34 points on the road on Nov. 14, 2019. 

Tara Daye notched her third double-double of the year behind a career-high 18 points and 11 rebounds with four assists. Kiki Smith joined her in double figures with 13 points and matched her career high with six assists.

Purdue (6-4) dished out a season-high 25 assists on 35 made field goals. The Boilermakers shot 50.7% from the field and knocked down 10 3-pointers.

Hila Karsh jumped back in double figures with a well-rounded performance of 10 points, four rebounds and five assists. Lana McCarthy tacked on 10 points with five rebounds and a career-best four steals. Saige Stahl turned in an all-around outing with five points, six rebounds and a career-high six steals.

Purdue matched its season high with 13 steals, while scoring 28 points on 21 turnovers by Lipscomb (3-7). The Boilermakers dominated on the glass, 44-28, and flipped 15 offensive rebounds into a season-high 20 points. Lipscomb managed just four points on nine second chance opportunities.

KEY MOMENTS
• Daye scored 10 of Purdue’s first 12 points of the morning, including the opening six, as the two sides traded early blows.
• After Lipscomb tied the game at 6-6 with 5:49 to play in the first, the Boilermakers rolled off 18 straight points in a 26-2 run to take control.
• Six different Boilermakers scored on the run, led by McCarthy’s eight points.
• Purdue held Lipscomb off the board for 7:57 of game time, while forcing 10 straight missed shots.
• The Boilermakers added to their lead in the second with 32 points, a new program record for points in a second period. Purdue shot 12-of-19 (63.2%) with four 3-pointers, with a pair coming from McKenna Layden
• The Boilermakers never looked back after jumping out to a 52-17 lead at the break, holding the Bisons to 0-of-10 from behind the arc and forcing 15 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
• Daye, McCarthy and Kiki Smith combined for 29 points in the first half.
• Daye scored Purdue’s opening six points of the third quarter, including her third 3-pointer of the campaign to extend the lead to 41 points.
• Karsh scored the next seven points for Purdue to keep the gap at 40.
• Avery Gordon, who stands 6-foot-7 checked in to score a layup with 2:05 to play, erupting the 10 elementary schools in attendance with Purdue’s 67th point
• Six different Boilermakers knocked down a 3-pointer in the second half, with freshman Carley Barrett connecting on her first career attempt behind the arc in the fourth quarter.
• Purdue shot 44.8% over the final 20 minutes.

Rzepka Wins Gold, Worobel Silver at Winter Nationals

Purdue’s Jordan Rzepka and Avery Worobel medaled at the USA Diving Winter Nationals again with Rzepka’s gold medal performance on 10-meter making him a medalist at the annual end-of-the-year showcase for a fifth consecutive year.

Rzepka won by 86 points in the cumulative scoring over the two lists of competition across the preliminary and final. He finished the day with a combined total of 866.45, highlighted by a list score of 449.95 in the final. Rzepka was also the 10-meter champion at the 2022 USA Diving Winter Nationals. He won silver last year.

Worobel won silver on a springboard at Winter Nationals for the second year in a row, medaling on 1-meter Saturday after winning silver on 3-meter in 2024. She posted a combined total of 494.05, improving on her list score by 15 points in the final (254.70).

The Purdue Divers have medaled at Winter Nationals every year the meet has been held since 2010, claiming more than 80 medals overall.

Freshman Nathaniel Grannis was a finalist Friday and Saturday, demonstrating his versatility with top-12 finishes on 3-meter (12th) and 10-meter (7th). Alumna Sophie McAfee placed fourth on 10-meter Friday, finishing top five in the event at Winter Nationals for the fourth consecutive year.

Rzepka was also the Big Ten champion on platform in February in his final collegiate season. Saturday’s 10-meter field at Winter Nationals also featured the 2025 NCAA champion (Carson Tyler) and 2025 USA Diving National Championships winner (Joshua Hedberg, the defending champ at Winter Nationals) in the event. Tyler and Hedberg finished 3-4 on Saturday and Rzepka bested both by over 100 points. Drew Bennett, a senior at the University of Minnesota this season, won silver on 10-meter Saturday.

Rzepka won the prelim Saturday by 37 points. For the day, he accounted for six dives – three in each list – that produced scores that ranked among the top two in their respective rounds. He capped his day with his highest score of the competition – a 95 on a forward 2 ½ 3-twist pike. He only missed one dive among his 12 total.

Worobel finished fourth among the 14 divers competing in the 1-meter final Saturday. However, with a pair of international divers – Tennessee’s Deshame Bent-Ashmil (England) and Miami’s Emma Gullstrand (Sweden) – finishing among the top 3, Americans Worobel and Emma Rhines (Tennessee) joined event champion Margo O’Meara (Miami) on the podium.

Worobel regrouped after a slow start to the prelim, producing scores that ranked among the top six in the field on seven of her final eight dives of the day. She executed the top-scoring dive in round 2 of the final (58.5 on a forward 2 ½ pike).

Rzepka earned the opportunity to represent USA Diving on 10-meter at the World Aquatics Diving World Cup 2026. Events are set for Montreal, Guadalajara and Beijing from late February through early May.

The USA Diving Winter Nationals continue through Tuesday at the COM Aquatics Center.

Purdue-Morgan State Dual Called Off Due to Illness

The wrestling dual between Purdue and Morgan State, originally scheduled for Sunday in Baltimore, has been canceled.

The cancelation is due to an illness outbreak among the Morgan State program, leaving multiple student-athletes unavailable to compete. The safety of student-athletes, staff and fans remains the top priority for Purdue Athletics and Morgan State Athletics alike.

Options are being explored to potentially reschedule the meeting at a later date this season, though nothing has been confirmed.

The Boilermakers will return to action on Friday, Jan. 2, with a pair of duals at Drexel and Rider.

Earlier in the week, Joey Blaze was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week following his flawless showing at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational last weekend. It is the junior 165-pounder’s first time winning the conference honor.

The 2025 All-American, ranked No. 4 in the country, is 10-0 after adding five more wins at the toughest and most prestigious in-season college wrestling tournament. Blaze’s CKLV title win was the eighth in Purdue history, and the Boilermakers have been attending the event since at least 1990.