Summary
Penn State beat Purdue 3-1 on October 31, 2026, but the final score hides a couple of nerve-wracking moments. The Nittany Lions were behind late in both the third and fourth sets before finding a way through. If you’re trying to play college volleyball someday, those are the rallies worth watching.
A big Big Ten win with a few twists
No. 13 Penn State defeated No. 11 Purdue 25-17, 18-25, 25-21 and 25-23 at Rec Hall on Senior Day. Kennedy Martin led with 24 kills and added nine digs and six blocks. Emmi Sellman had 12 kills, while Kendall Northern was involved in seven blocks. Those figures come from Penn State’s official match recap.
Purdue didn’t make it easy. The Boilermakers won the second set and led in the final stages of the third and fourth. This wasn’t four sets of uninterrupted Penn State control.
The four point run that changed set three
Penn State trailed 19-17 in the third set, then won four straight points. Martin contributed a kill and a block during that run. Later, with Penn State leading 23-21, Martin delivered another kill and combined with Northern for the set-ending block.
It’s tempting to say one tactical adjustment won the set, but the written recap doesn’t establish that. What we can say is the Nittany Lions produced attacking and blocking contributions when the score was tight.
Another comeback in the fourth
Purdue had a 21-19 lead in the fourth set. Penn State responded with three straight points, including a Martin kill and two Sellman kills. After the score reached 23-23, Alexis Stucky scored to put Penn State ahead and set Martin for the final kill.
That is a useful reminder for young players: in a close set, you don’t need one spectacular play to solve everything. A good first contact, a calm setting choice and one clean swing can make the next point more manageable.
Watch the full rally, not just the highlight
Next time you’re watching a ranked NCAA team, choose a player at your position and follow them through several consecutive points. Look at where they start, how quickly they transition, whether they’re available after a difficult first contact, and how they respond when a teammate makes an error.
When you’re creating your own video, show the parts of your game that matter at your position. You can use our volleyball recruiting video guide to plan it. And before making a school list from rankings alone, use the NCAA school evaluation guide to check the bigger picture.
Where the game fits in the NCAA season
The result moved Penn State to 17-5 overall and 9-3 in the Big Ten at the time of the October 31 match. These are dated results, not a statement about the team’s current record after later matches. For the bigger rankings picture, see our October 26 NCAA volleyball rankings analysis.
FAQs
Who won Penn State vs Purdue on October 31, 2026?
Penn State won 3-1 at Rec Hall, with set scores of 25-17, 18-25, 25-21 and 25-23.
How many kills did Kennedy Martin have?
Martin finished with 24 kills, according to Penn State’s official recap.
What can a recruit learn from the match?
Watch the tight late-set rallies, especially the first contact, blocking decisions and players’ responses after lost points.
