Illinois swim & dive prepares to head to West Lafayette to take on conference rival Purdue.

The Boilermakers will be looking for a win after falling to No. 13 Indiana last weekend, 168-120, with hopes of ending off their regular season strong.

Purdue ended the 2021 season 2-4, finishing ninth in the Big Ten Championship, while Illinois finished 12th.

The Boilermakers are 2-4 on the season and 1-2 in conference play. While their record may suggest a relatively unsuccessful season so far, looking a bit deeper tells a different story with all of Purdue’s losses coming against top-25 programs.

Purdue has been anchored by freshman standout Hannah Hill. The Ohio native has dominated for the Boilermakers in the freestyle and backstroke, winning the 50-yard freestyle against No. 13 Indiana and holding their own against top teams in No. 18 Missouri and No. 3 Michigan.

Illinois swimming will also be looking to head into the postseason with a final road win after a loss at home against Nebraska, 178-122. Illinois is now 5-3 on the season with losses to No. 17 Northwestern and Vanderbilt.

The Illini are 0-2 against Purdue since 2010, with their last contest taking place on Jan. 16, 2021, with Illinois falling, 173-122.

Going up to bat against Hill will be senior Abby Cabush, who has been dominating the freestyle with Illinois since her freshman year.

Last week against Nebraska, she broke the ARC Pool record for the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:48.68.

Both teams will be motivated to make statement wins to close out their 2021-2022 regular season, hoping it serves as a boost heading into the Big Ten Championship.

The meet will take place at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Indiana, at 11 a.m.

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