Illinois walked into West Lafayette with confidence and momentum last Friday, as the team was on a five-match winning streak and was coming off two consecutive five-set victories to open conference play.

But Purdue is a different beast. Ranked as the fourth-best team in the country at the time, the Boilermakers boast four All-Big Ten first-teamers and the conference’s defensive player of the year.

The Illini were unphased, however, and after beating the Boilermakers on their home court to end last season, Illinois snatched a 3-2 road win on Friday night to move to 3-0 in Big Ten play.

“That was a huge win for us,” said sophomore outside hitter Raina Terry. “Obviously, Purdue is really high up there in rankings, and we also went to five with them last year, which was another huge statement for us. So, having beat them two times in a row, that was a huge, huge deal.”

In that match, graduate student outside hitter Megan Cooney recorded a season-high 21 kills alongside nine digs and two blocks. Junior right side/outside hitter Jessica Nunge also notched a career-high 15 kills.

“It’s always exciting to have a win, especially in the Big Ten, but Purdue is a very good team, and they were highly ranked when we played them,” Cooney said. “Just getting one of those wins under our belt is a really great experience and a great feeling.”

Since falling to the Illini, the Boilermakers have bounced back, as they beat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in straight sets on Saturday night. Illinois fell to No. 5 Wisconsin, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon.

Purdue poses several offensive threats, as three players finished with double-digit kills on Friday: fifth-year outside hitter Caitlyn Newton, senior outside hitter Grace Cleveland and senior middle blocker Jael Johnson. Redshirt senior setter Hayley Bush surpassed 4,000 career assists on Friday, while fifth-year defensive specialist Jena Otec entered the program’s top-10 in career aces following Saturday’s match.

With the Boilermakers eager to exact revenge five days after being upset on their home court, head coach Chris Tamas reflected on the importance of Friday’s win.

“It’s always great when you can do something like that,” Tamas said. “Whether they’re ranked or not, every win in the Big Ten’s gonna be good. The conference is really deep this year, and the fact that you can get one against a ranked opponent on the road is a big deal for a lot of reasons: for tournament implications and just for overall morale.”

No. 6 Purdue heads to Champaign with a 3-1 conference record while it is 11-2. Illinois sits at an identical 3-1 Big Ten record and is 11-4 overall.

“You always hear coaches and players saying it’s really hard to beat a team twice, just because everyone’s gonna make adjustments,” Terry said. “But, you know, we just gotta come out there just how we did last time, just ready to fight, ready to battle.”

Wednesday’s match is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Huff Hall.

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