No. 11 Purdue Volleyball Powers Past Rutgers 3-1 to Cap Homestand

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The No. 11 Purdue Boilermakers rounded out a dominant home stretch on Thursday night, battling past the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a four-set victory (25-15, 25-18, 16-25, 25-14) at Holloway Gymnasium.

The win improves Purdue’s record to 14-6 overall and 7-4 in Big Ten conference play, capping off an undefeated three-match homestand.

Command Early, Response Late

Purdue asserted dominance from the start, taking control of set one with a 12-4 run to break open a close frame and close it out 25-15. Set two proved similar, with the Boilermakers executing efficient offensive sets, clicking at a .371 hitting clip to pull ahead 25-18.

Refusing to go down quietly, Rutgers struck back after the break. Behind a match-high 12 kills from Skylar George and steady defense at the net, the Scarlet Knights capitalized on their best offensive frame (.306 hitting percentage) to capture set three 25-16.

The momentum was short-lived for the visiting Scarlet Knights. Leading 8-6 early in the fourth set, Rutgers was overwhelmed by an explosive 12-0 unanswered run from the Boilermakers. Driven by defensive stops at the net and relentless serving, Purdue surged ahead to close out the final set 25-14 and seal the match.

Key Performances & Career Milestones

• Taylor Anderson Makes History: Purdue’s star setter tallied 36 assists, four kills, and six digs. Her performance moved her up two spots on Purdue’s all-time career assists list to No. 4, passing Annette Bauer and Taryn Catlin with 4,596 total assists.
• Kate Hansen’s Flawless Streak: Senior Kate Hansen was stellar on both sides of the ball, hitting an errorless 6-for-9 (.667 clip) while extending her errorless set streak to eight consecutive sets. Hansen added a team-leading six blocks, five digs, and a service ace.
• Service Line Dominance: The Boilermakers landed nine service aces during the night. Freshman Elle Schara chipped in two aces along with nine digs, continuing a hot streak of recording at least one ace in five of her last six matches.

Match Comparison

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