Ryan McAleer's Big Night vs. Kansas is Among Best in Purdue Volleyball History

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.

Purdue Boilermakers defensive specialist Ryan McAleer (3) hits the ball | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Regardless of the speed or angle, when Kansas attempted to put a point away, Purdue sophomore libero Ryan McAleer was there to save it. Her efforts not only helped the 17th-ranked Boilermakers pull out a 3-2 win over the 15th-ranked Jayhawks, but it was also one of the best nights for an individual player in program history.

McAleer ended Friday night's match with 30 digs, becoming just the 12th player in program history to hit that number in a single match. She's also just the fifth underclassman to record 30 or more digs at Purdue.

McAleer set the tone early in the match, getting several digs that resulted in three long rallies in the first set, of which the Boilermakers won all. It helped Purdue get some early momentum.

"It lights a fire under all of us, and it really gets the crowd excited," McAleer said. "They're a scrappy team, but so are we. Being able to finish most of those long plays gave us a lot of joy, a lot of momentum."

McAleer has recorded at least 11 digs in all five of Purdue's matches to start the 2025 season. Before Friday night's 30-dig performance, her season-high was 14, which she hit in Thursday's five-set win over Bowling Green.

McAleer's previous career high was 15 digs, which she posted in a 2024 victory over Indiana.

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