Purdue is making it a little easier for students to pack Mackey Arena for one of the biggest matches on its volleyball calendar.
The 10th-ranked Boilermakers announced this week that students can attend Sunday’s showdown against No. 6 Wisconsin for free, marking the third time this season Purdue has offered free student entry for a match at Mackey. Students still have to claim a ticket at PurdueSports.com, but there is no cost attached to getting in.
The matchup is also set up as a “Black Out,” with fans expected to wear black throughout the arena.
Sunday’s match is the last of Purdue’s three Mackey dates this season, and the Boilermakers have already made the building feel like a volleyball destination. Earlier this month, Purdue knocked off reigning national champion Texas A&M, 3-0, and beat Georgia, 3-2, in the Big Ten-SEC Challenge. Students were admitted free for those matches too, and more than 17,000 fans filled Mackey on both nights despite sweltering conditions.
This time, the setting should be a lot more comfortable.
Purdue comes in at 8-2 and riding a six-match sweep streak. The Boilermakers opened Big Ten play Thursday by sweeping Maryland at Holloway Gymnasium.
Wisconsin brings a 7-4 record into the matchup, but that number doesn’t tell the full story. The Badgers have already faced seven ranked opponents and picked up wins over Louisville, Florida and Texas A&M.
The first serve is set for 4 p.m. ET, and the match will air on Big Ten Network.
It’s a big test for Purdue, and a big chance to add another statement win to the resume before the Boilermakers head west to face No. 20 Oregon and Washington. It would also give Purdue another push in the Big Ten picture, where top-ranked Nebraska remains the standard to chase.
Purdue and Wisconsin last met in Mackey Arena in 2024, when a Big Ten Conference record 14,876 fans turned out. That day went Wisconsin’s way, as the Badgers swept the Boilermakers before leaving West Lafayette.
Purdue’s last win over Wisconsin came in 2023, when the Boilermakers earned a five-set victory at Holloway Gymnasium.
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Purdues trip into a Notre Dame matchup has already drawn the kind of uneasy chatter that usually follows a lopsided-looking September test. Around the staff, the discussion has settled into a familiar split: the Boilermakers defense could be in for a long afternoon against Notre Dames offense, while Purdues own attack may still find a way to put points on the board and keep things at least interesting for stretches.
What makes this one linger is the range of reactions around the game, because no one is treating it like a simple toss-up. The predictions lean toward Purdue having to absorb pressure and survive some rough defensive moments, but there is still enough belief in the offense to make the matchup worth watching. For a fan base bracing for trouble, the real question is how long Purdue can keep Notre Dame from turning those concerns into the kind of game that gets away early. [Read more 🡒]