It's not just the Purdue football team coming to Happy Valley for the weekend.
No. 13 Penn State women's volleyball hosts the No. 11 Boilermakers on Saturday. This is not the final match at Rec Hall, but the Nittany Lions designated this Halloween contest as their Senior Night. It is also their White Out for the fans in the stands. All-in-all, there will be a fun, celebratory atmosphere in Happy Valley for the game. Coming out of the match with a victory will make things even sweeter for the seniors and this Penn State squad looking to put themselves in optimal postseason position.
Purdue enters this battle on a three-game win streak after defeating Minnesota (No. 20 at the time) in five sets, Northwestern in three, and Rutgers in four. This is also its first match on the road since its loss to No. 1 Nebraska before taking on the Golden Gophers.
As for the Nittany Lions, they head into Saturday afternoon's game on a four-game win streak. They swept USC then beat Oregon (No. 10 at the time), Indiana (No. 18 at the time), and Ohio State in four sets. Purdue is the last home match they have on the schedule until the regular season finale vs. Rutgers on Nov. 17.
Here's everything you need to know about Saturday's match.
How to watch No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 11 Purdue
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
- Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Rec Hall (University Park, Pa.)
- How to Watch (TV): Big Ten+
- Penn State record: 16-5 (8-3 Big Ten)
- Purdue record: 14-6 (7-4 Big Ten)
Penn State vs. Purdue series history
The Nittany Lions dominate this series history with the Boilermakers. Purdue has just 12 wins to Penn State's 62 all-time. However, the blue and white haven't been consistent in recent history keeping the Boilermakers at bay.
Purdue beat the Nittany Lions in 2025, sweeping them in three sets and making program history. It was the fastest the Boilermakers had ever hit 20 wins in a season in 14 years.
The year before, Penn State swept Purdue twice. The Nittany Lions opened Big Ten play with a victory over the Boilermakers then took them down yet again at the end of the season when they were ranked No. 8 and Penn State was on its way to an eventual national championship victory.
Senior Nittany Lions celebrating their NCAA careers
For key players of this match, let's highlight the Penn State seniors who have consistently showed up for the blue and white up to this point in the season.
Opposite hitter Kennedy Martin
Martin has made a fantastic argument to be in AVCA Player of the Year conversations. She leads the Nittany Lions in kills by over 100 at 329 on the season with a 0.333 hitting percentage. That percentage is good for third-highest on the team as well. In addition to her kill total, Martin leads in total points and points per set as well. She has 382.5 points, averaging 5.24 per set.
Her offensive prowess has remained consistently impressive throughout her career, including the first half of her time in college at Florida. She's an all-around threat on the court and opponents must be aware of where she is at all times. Martin's defense, though, has taken a nice step forward in particular this year. She has the second-most digs on the team with 163, averaging 2.23 per set and has the second-most blocks (61).
Setter Alexis Stucky
Another former Gator, Stucky joined the squad for the 2026 season and has given this team the organization its needed on offense. Due to Izzy Starck's step back from the court and eventual transfer to Pittsburgh, the Nittany Lions didn't have a strong enough setter to run this offense. When Stucky arrived, that changed.
Her connection with Martin is undeniable, especially having that previous bond from Florida, but her ability to spread the offense around and find the right sparkplug is important. She has 743 assists on the season, averaging 10.46 per set and leads the team in aces with Martin (22 for both). In addition to setting up her teammates for success, Stucky's gotten involved as an attacker. She has 52 on the season and has worked on her confidence in her ability to take the point on her own. On defense, Stucky has the third-most digs with 156 and fifth-most blocks with 33.
Outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein
Lauenstein is one of those sparkplugs Stucky's found time and time again. She has a certain kind of firepower that energizes her entire side of the court. When Penn State's in a lull, it can count on Lauenstein to reignite the fire and swing the momentum back over. She has the second-most points, kills, and kills per set on the team with 253.5, 218, and 3.16, respectively. Lauenstein is also tied for the second-most aces with libero Ava Falduto with 15.
Lauenstein isn't always getting involved on defense, but has still racked up 89 digs on the year. When she's not attacking up at the net, she helps energize the team as a blocker. Lauenstein has the fourth-most total blocks for the Nittany Lions with 36.
Defensive specialist Jocelyn Nathan
Nathan has become more and more involved in the back row. While Falduto is still the primary defender for the blue and white, Nathan is as solid of a defender as they come. She has 109 digs on the year and recently found a burst in her game in the back half of the season. She started off a bit slower, averaging 4.0 digs per match before Big Ten play began. Over the 11 conference games thus far, she's averaged 6.27 per contest. Her biggest matches came against USC and Oregon, finishing both with 11 digs.
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