Where Purdue Volleyball Ranks in Big Ten Standings After Another 2-0 Weekend
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Purdue continued to roll over the weekend, posting a pair of impressive wins over Illinois and No. 20 Minnesota over the weekend. The 11th-ranked Boilermakers improved to 17-3 on the season and 8-2 in Big Ten play with the pair of victories. How did it help the team in the conference standings?
With those two victories, Purdue is now tied for second in the Big Ten standings, along with Wisconsin. The Badgers are also 8-2 in league play and own a 15-3 overall record. Nebraska is all alone in the No. 1 spot, owning a 10-0 Big Ten record and 20-0 overall.
The Boilermakers and Badgers won't meet until Wednesday, Nov. 19, when Purdue travels to Madison.
Three teams are knocking on the door of second place in the Big Ten standings. Illinois, Indiana, and Penn State are all 7-3 in conference play. Minnesota, USC, and UCLA all own 6-4 league records.
Purdue goes 2-0 last weekend
The weekend started hot for coach Dave Shondell and the Boilermakers. Purdue rolled into Champaign and swept Illinois on Friday night, getting revenge after the Illini won a four-set match at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette earlier this season.
Purdue was led by Grace Heaney, who accounted for 16 kills in the match. Setter Taylor Anderson had a double-double with 32 assists and 11 digs. She also had five blocks in the sweep.
Sunday, things began much differently. The Boilermakers dropped the first two sets to 20th-ranked Minnesota and appeared to be on their way to their fourth loss of the year.
The Boilermakers rallied in the third set, winning 27-25, and took the fourth set 25-21 to force a winner-take-all fifth. Minnesota started strong, jumping out to a 9-3 lead.
Somehow, Purdue rallied again and won an 18-16 match to improve to 17-3 on the year and beat a ranked opponent for the seventh time this season.
Heaney was a star again, posting a career-high 22 kills, 11 digs, and two blocks in the win. Kenna Wollard had a match-high 23 kills and 10 digs, and Akasha Anderson had 18 kills, many coming at critical times in the fifth set.
Purdue is back on the road this weekend, playing Michigan State on Friday and Michigan on Sunday.
Complete Big Ten volleyball standings (Oct. 27)
- 1. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-0)
- T-2. Purdue Boilermakers (8-2)
- T-2. Wisconsin Badgers (8-2)
- T-4. Illinois Fighting Illini (7-3)
- T-4. Indiana Hoosiers (7-3)
- T-4. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-3)
- T-7. Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-4)
- T-7. UCLA Bruins (6-4)
- T-7. USC Trojans (6-4)
- 10. Michigan State Spartans (5-5)
- T-11. Michigan Wolverines (4-6)
- T-11. Oregon Ducks (4-6)
- T-11. Washington Huskies (4-6)
- T-14. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-7)
- T-14. Northwestern Wildcats (3-7)
- T-16. Maryland Terrapins (1-9)
- T-16. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-9)
- 18. Ohio State Buckeyes (0-10)
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PURDUE REVERSE SWEEPS MINNESOTA: Purdue opposite hitter Grace Heaney had a career day, leading No. 11 Purdue to a reverse sweep of No. 20 Minnesota at Holloway Gymnasium on Sunday. 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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