How to Watch No. 11 Purdue Volleyball in the Stacey Clark Classic
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After a trip down to the Bahamas over the weekend, Purdue returns to West Lafayette to host an event of its own: the Stacey Clark Classic. The 11th-ranked Boilermakers will play Albany on Thursday and UCF on Saturday, closing out non-conference play for the 2026 campaign.
Purdue enters this final week of non-conference competition with a 5-2 record, hoping to add a few more wins to its record before jumping into Big Ten play next week. Last weekend, the Boilermakers claimed the Paradise Invitational championship in the Bahamas, defeating Houston and No. 8 SMU.
Here's how you can catch Purdue in action, as well as all three matches of the Stacey Clark Classic this week.
How to follow along
Match 1: Purdue (5-2) vs. Albany (3-6)
- When: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026
- Where: Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- Stream: Big Ten-plus
- Radio: Purduesports.com/radio
- Stats: StatBroadcast
Match 2: Albay (3-6) vs. UCF (7-1)
- When: Friday, Sept. 18, 2026
- Where: Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Stream: Big Ten-plus
- Stats: StatBroadcast
Match 3: Purdue (5-2) vs. UCF (7-1)
- When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026
- Where: Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Stream: Big Ten-plus
- Radio: Purduesports.com/radio
- Stats: StatBroadcast
What to watch
Kate Hansen on the slide
Head coach Dave Shondell really likes Kate Hansen's ability to play off on foot. We've seen Purdue incorporate the slide much more recently, especially in matches against TCU and SMU. The Boilers had a lot of success with Hansen in that spot against the Mustangs during the Paradise Invitational.
Hansen had her best performance of the season in Sunday's sweep of SMU, piling up 10 kills on 19 attacks, four blocks and two digs. Not only has she been great on the block for the Boilers, but the Clemson transfer has also become an offensive weapon.
Grace Heaney looks like herself
An injury against Creighton was a minor setback for one of Purdue's Preseason National Player of the Year candidates. Heaney has responded in her last three matches and has become a weapon on the opposite side again.
In three matches last week, Heaney acconted for 27 kills, 23 digs and seven blocks. She had 59 attacks and totaled only seven errors for the Boilermakers. The junior also provides Purdue with a great attacker out of the back row. When Heaney is playing well, the Boilermakers are better.
Keeping the brooms out
Purdue has been on a heater since getting swept by TCU on Sept. 6. The Boilermakers have played three matches since, sweeping each of those opponents. The most impressive was the sweep of No. 8 SMU, the most impressive victory of the season for the Boilermakers thus far. They also posted wins over IU Indy and Houston.
Can the Boilermakers keep that rolling this weekend? Purdue has won nine straight sets and would love to make it 15 with victories over Albany and UCF. It would give Shondell's group a lot of confidence entering Big Ten play next week.
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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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