No. 10 Purdue will face No. 8 Wisconsin Saturday and, if the ordinary circumstances of this volleyball matchup were in place, would have quite the hill to climb to vanquish the Badgers.

The Boilermakers are 14-32 against Wisconsin all-time, and 5-15 since 2013.

But that's before Mackey Arena had anything to say about it.

A home crowd advantage 14,876 strong (a Big Ten regular season record) will support Purdue from its basketball arena, sold out again in the second of two games held there. The first was a 3-0 mopping up of Indiana, which the Boilers followed with a 3-0 win against Ohio State in their traditional home of Holloway Gymnasium.

If Wisconsin wins its Thursday night matchup with Indiana, Saturday's match would offer Purdue (16-4, 7-2 Big Ten) a chance to tie Wisconsin (13-4, 7-1) for third place in the conference.

Last season, the Boilers tied for third in their highest finish since 2011. They're in position to again claim one of the top 16 seeds in December's NCAA Tournament, which assures home court advantage in the first two rounds.

Junior outside hitter Eva Hudson, sophomore outside hitter Chloe Chicoine and senior middle blocker Raven Colvin are among the top players in the Big Ten, all three ranking in the top 25 in kills, with Hudson in second.

Sophomore setter Taylor Anderson has continued to make good on recruiting rankings that placed her among her class's best when she graduated from Cornerstone Christian in San Antonio.

In a Thursday win against UCLA that went to five sets, Anderson compiled a career-high in kills and five blocks, while Purdue's offense hummed to its most efficient conference game of the season.

Saturday's match against Wisconsin will broadcast on NBC, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The game is themed as a "Boilermaker Gold Out." It is sold out.