How to Watch No. 10 Purdue Volleyball vs. Maryland in Big Ten Opener

The Boilermakers completed the non-conference season with a 7-2 record. Now, Dave Shondell's team turns its attention to Big Ten play.

Elle Schara during a Purdue volleyball match. | Purdue Athletics (PurdueSports.com)

The calendar has officially switched to fall, which means its time for Big Ten action on the volleyball court. No. 10 Purdue opens up conference play on Thursday night, playing a red-hot Maryland team at Holloway Gymnasium.

Purdue's matchup with Maryland is the first of two Big Ten matches for the Boilermakers this week. On Sunday, they'll host No. 6 Wisconsin at Mackey Arena. But we'll talk about that marquee clash in a few days.

First, let's take a look at Purdue's matchup with Maryland to open the Big Ten season on Thursday evening.

How to follow along

Purdue celebrates a win at Holloway Gymnasium. | Purdue Athletics (Purduesports.com)

• What: #10 Purdue (7-2, 0-0 B1G) vs. Maryland (10-1, 0-0 B1G)
• When: Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Where: Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
• TV/Stream: Big Ten-plus
• Radio: PurdueSports.com/radio
• Live stats: StatBroadcast

Scouting Maryland

Adam Hughes, head coach

• 9th season as Maryland's head coach
• 120-132 overall record
• Terrapins off to a 10-1 start
• Finished 2025 season with 8-22 record
• No postseason appearances
• 19-13 record in 2021
• Previous stops at Penn State and UC Irvine (assistant)

Key players

• Ava Brown, OH — Only a freshman but is playing like a seasoned veteran through Maryland's first 11 matches. Brown ranks second on the team with 90 kills and is hitting .332. She currently leads the Terrapins with 47 blocks and has 39 digs. Brown has been one of the early stars in College Park.

• Duru Gokcen, MB — Stands 6-foot-3 at the middle blocker position and has accounted for 45 blocks with only one error this season. She has also posted 58 kills while hitting a sizzling .505 for the year. Gokcen has just eight hitting errors through the first 11 matches.

• Raina Chwialkowski, DS — A former North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year, Chwialkowski has been another stellar freshman for Maryland in non-conference play. Has a team-high 14 service aces with just 11 errors. She's averaging a team-best 3.62 digs per set and maintains a .967 receive percentage.

• Sydney Bryant, OH — Team leader in kills through 11 matches, posting 95 kills and averaging 3.28 per set. She has maintained a .295 hitting percentage. Bryant is currently the best offensive weapon for Maryland, but is surrounded by quality talent, as well.

• Sara Toth, S — Averaging an impressive 11.59 assists per set and has accounted for seven service aces. She's not an overly aggressive setter, totaling only 11 kills through non-conference play. Toth is also averaging 1.94 digs and 0.38 blocks per set.

• Eva Rohrbach, MB — Senior leader who is among the best on the team in kills and blocks. She averages 2.29 kills and 1.03 blocks per set, ranking among the top five for Maryland in both statistical categories. Rohrbach maintains a .475 hitting percentage.

What to watch

Purdue celebrates scoring a point. | Purdue Athletics (purduesports.com)

Sweeps, sweeps and more sweeps

The brooms have been active in both West Lafayette and College Park through the non-conference slate. Six of Purdue's seven victories have been via sweep, including its last five matches. That includes a three-set sweep over No. 8 SMU. The Boilermakers have won 15 consecutive sets heading into Thursday's Big Ten opener.

Maryland enters Thursday's match with a 10-1 record, with nine of those victories coming via sweeps. The Terrapins have swept each of their last eight opponents and have won 27 straight sets, dating back to a 3-1 victory over Arkansas on Sept. 2.

Freshmen phenoms

We're going to see several talented freshmen on the court on Thursday night at Holloway Gymnasium. Purdue features outside hitter Addy Tindall and defensive specialists Elle Schara and MaryKate Scheumann. All three have had a huge impact on Purdue's success this season.

Tindall is averaging 4.13 kills per set, which ranks third in the Big Ten. She's also hitting over .350 this season, an impressive start in her first year on the court. Scheumann and Schara have been excellent out of the back row, averaging 2.39 and 1.77 digs per set, respectively. Those two have also combined for 16 of the Boilers' 33 service aces this fall.

Similarly, Maryland is led by Brown, who ranks second on the team in kills and is the leading blocker for the Terps through non-conference play. She's posted an impressive .332 hitting percentage in her first 11 college matches.

Chwialkowski has been great out of the back row for Maryland, averaging a team-best 3.62 digs per set. She's also the team's best server, totaling 14 aces with only 11 errors.

Starting Big Ten play

Both Purdue and Maryland are looking to start Big Ten play off on the right foot. The Boilermakers want to carry its momentum into conference play and get a win over the Terrapins, gaining even more confidence ahead of a showdown with Wisconsin.

The Terrapins are hoping to have a breakthrough year under Hughes, and a victory over the No. 10 team in the country would be a huge step in the right direction for Maryland.

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