Purdue Begins Road Stint With Matches At Ohio State, Maryland

Press Release courtesy of Purdue Athletics

No. 17 Purdue (16-5, 6-4 B1G) is about to begin a four-match stretch of contests away from Holloway Gymnasium. The Boilermakers seek redemption against Ohio State (11-10, 4-6 B1G) Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. ET in Columbus, Ohio, before taking on the Terrapins (14-8, 3-7 B1G) Sunday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m. in College Park, Maryland.

The Buckeyes handed Purdue its first loss of the Big Ten season and snapped a four-game winning streak on Sept. 23 in Holloway Gymnasium. The four-set loss was also Purdue’s first loss of the season on Belin Court. Purdue’s meeting with Maryland is its first of the 2017 season as the Boilermakers will square off with a Terrapin team that is currently on a three-match losing streak heading into the weekend. Maryland’s three wins against Big Ten opponents are against Northwestern, Rutgers and Indiana.

Despite a stretch in which Purdue faced the No. 6, No. 4 and No. 1 teams in the nation over the course of the last two weeks, the Boilermakers still own the nation’s fourth best hitting percentage at .321 on the season. Ashley Evans’ 11.37 assists per set this year are good for 17th in the country and third in the conference. Purdue is the least blocked team in the Big Ten as teams average just 1.50 blocks per set against the Boilermakers. Teams are also digging just 10.54 balls per set against Purdue which stands as the second lowest average in the conference.

The Boilermakers have pressured defenses with their serve as well, particularly against Big Ten competition. Purdue ranks fourth in the conference with 1.36 service aces per set in league play. Azariah Stahl and Jena Otec have each aced Big Ten opponents 12 times, tying them for fifth in the conference.

Purdue’s defense continues to improve in conference play as it’s averaging 2.39 blocks per set and 13.21 digs per set. Blake Mohler fuels Purdue’s blocking efforts with a 1.09 blocks per set average while Brooke Peters is averaging 4.06 digs per set in conference play to rank fifth in the Big Ten.

Notes

• Purdue stays at No. 17 in this week’s AVCA Top-25 Coaches Poll and has been ranked in all 10 polls this season. The Boilermakers boast the nation’s 20th best RPI.
• Purdue’s total home attendance of 26,270 fans this season ranks ninth in the nation.
• Purdue is hitting .321 this season and ranks fourth in the country.
• Ashley Evans is averaging 11.37 assists per set, ranking her 17th in the country and third in the conference. She ranks third in the Big Ten since conference play began as she is averaging 11.36 assists per set through the first 10 Big Ten matches.
• Danielle Cuttino is hitting .336 this season with a 4.16 kills per set average. Her hitting percentage is the best among pin hitters in the conference and her kills per set average is good for second in the Big Ten. Cuttino is averaging 4.42 kills per set with 146 kills in Big Ten play to rank second in the conference in both categories.
• Brooke Peters continues to improve in her first season as Purdue’s libero as she has earned a 4.06 digs per set average in conference play to rank her fifth in the Big Ten, fueling Purdue’s 13.21 digs per set average against Big Ten opponents that ranks seventh in the league.
• Blake Mohler currently ranks eighth in the conference with a 1.09 blocks per set average in Big Ten play. Her blocking has lifted the Boilermakers to a 2.39 blocks per set average that ranks fifth in conference play.
• Since the beginning of Big Ten competition, the Boilermakers have aced opponents 45 times to average 1.36 service aces per set and rank fourth in the league. Azariah Stahl and Jena Oteccombine for 24 of Purdue’s 45 service aces against Big Ten opponents. They’ve each aced Big Ten opponents 12 times to tie them for fifth in the conference.