No. 14 Purdue Volleyball Completes Perfect Week With Victory Over No. 10 SMU
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Purdue's volleyball team is on a roll. The 14th-ranked Boilermakers took down No. 10 SMU 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 27-25, 25-18) to improve to 7-1 on the season.
The Boilers got major production from Grace Heaney and Kenna Wollard in Sunday's win over SMU. Heaney led the way with 19 kills, 12 digs, four blocks, and a service ace. Wollard was also impressive, ending the match with 14 kills.
Purdue dropped the first set 23-25 to SMU, putting them behind the 8-ball early. But Dave Shondell's team responded quickly, taking down the Mustangs 25-22 in a hard-fought second set.
The third set seemed to be the turning point of the match. SMU had two set points, but Purdue was able to fight off the Mustangs and took the third set 27-25. The Boilermakers were dominant in the fourth set, winning 25-18 to take the match.
Junior setter Taylor Anderson ended the match with 45 assists, five digs, four kills, and two blocks. Sophomore libero Ryan McAleer led the squad with 18 digs.
Purdue also got solid production from Lindsey Miller, Akasha Anderson, and Dior Charles. Miller and Akasha both had seven kills and Charles had six kills and a team-high five blocks.
With the win over SMU, Purdue now has wins over two ranked opponents this season. The Boilermakers also defeated No. 15 Kansas in the Stacey Clark Classic at Holloway Gymnasium.
Purdue goes 3-0 for the week
In addition to Sunday's massive win over No. 11 SMU, Purdue also posted wins over Butler and Houston earlier in the week.
The Boilermakers swept Butler 3-0 at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday. It was a family affair for Shondell, as his son, Kyle Shondell, is the head coach at Butler.
Following the win over the Bulldogs, the Boilermakers made their way down to Lexington for a pair of matches against Houston and SMU. Purdue swept Houston 3-0 on Saturday before securing the win over SMU on Sunday.
It's been an impressive start to the season for the Boilermakers, who lost a number of key players from last year's roster to graduation or the transfer portal. But Shondell and his staff have put together a talented roster, one that continues to improve as the season progresses.
Purdue returns to action on Friday, Sept. 19, traveling to Muncie for a matchup with Ball State at Worthen Arena. That match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET and it will air on ESPN-Plus.
Related stories on Purdue volleyball
PURDUE MOVES UP IN AVCA POLL: After posting a 2-1 record in the Stacey Clark Classic last week, Purdue moved up in the AVCA poll. Here's where the Boilermakers rank after a 4-1 start. CLICK HERE
WOLLARD RECEIVES BIG TEN HONORS: Purdue outside hitter Kenna Wollard received conference recognition for her performance in the Stacey Clark Classic over the weekend. CLICK HERE
MCALEER HAS BIG NIGHT: A native of Overland Park, Kan., Purdue libero Ryan McAleer put on a show against her hometown school and put her name in the Boilermaker record books. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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