11/17/2023 other sports Edit

Purdue Volleyball Upsets #3 Wisconsin

Purdue Boilermakers Eva Hudson (17) celebrates with teammates during the NCAA women s volleyball match against the Creighton Bluejays, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, at Purdue University s Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. Creighton won 3-0. (© Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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Travis Miller is the publisher of Boiler Upload, the new home of Purdue sports on the Rivals.com network.

Wisconsin volleyball has been the best of the best in the Big Ten for some time now. Entering this season the Badgers had won four striaght Big Ten championships and the 2021 NCAA Championship. Purdue has been somewhat troublesome for them, however. in 2021 Purdue beat them in both matches in conference play, handing them two of their three losses that year. Tonight the Boilers may have denied a fifth straight conference title, as they upset No. 3 Wisocnsin 3-2 in Holloway Gym, giving them a third loss in league play. Nebraska remains undefeated in the conference and can clinch a share of the title with three games to play with a win tonight over Michigan.

Wisconsin was without the 6'9" Anna Smrek, who was the MVP of the 2021 NCAA Championship, but they were still a formidable opponent. She had missed the previous two matches, one a loss at Penn State (who Purdue beat twice). The Badgers took the first set 25-22, but Purdue rallied to take the next two and control of the match 25-19 and 25-20. Wisconsin was thoroughly dominant in the fourth set, winning 25-12, but that only set up a dramatic fifth set.

Purdue was able to inch out to a 9-5 lead in set five, but the Badgers rallied with three straight points from Sarah Franklin. Wisconsin would eventually get a match point at 14-13, but Raven Colvin and Eva Hudson delivered consectutive kills before Purdue won 16-14 on an attack error from Franklin.

Hudson had a tremendous match with 30 kills and 11 digs. Colvin had 14 kills and four blocks, while Chloe Chicoine had 11 kills and 23 digs. Taylor Anderson was big in the middle with 53 assists. Maddie Schermerhorn was excellent on defense with 24 digs.

The victory is Purdue's sixth of the season over a rnaked team, and by a wide margin its best. The team now has a quick turnaround and will face Maryland Saturday night at 7pm. The victory also will go a long way towards Purdue hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in two weeks, as Purdue entered ranked 16th and it is now 18-8 overall and in third place in the Big Ten at 12-5.