Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/515571
GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 28 • 9 I think that's going to be one of our first steps going in to next season." Purdue needs to stay healthy, as well. Injuries were part of the storyline last season, with Bridget Perry and Torrie Thornton missing action, plus others, like Wilson, Andreona Keys, Whitney Bays and Liza Clemons being banged up. But even that doesn't fully explain the Boilermakers' issues; they were unable to win close games in the early and middle portions of the schedule, then started getting blown out late. "With all our injuries and not knowing who was going to be at practice and who was actually going to be able to play, we were still that close to winning six other games," Coach Sharon Versyp said in evaluating the season. "We were like two points down, or making that last shot, we could have been 9-9 easily, so I don't think we're far off, but we've just got to totally revamp everything." NO. 8: LONG WAIT Purdue will have to wait awhile to snap its losing streak against Notre Dame. The Boilermakers couldn't pull off the upset in 2014 at Lucas Oil Stadium, losing to the Irish 30-14, and the teams won't play again until 2021. Notre Dame owns a seven- game winning streak against Purdue, dating back to 2008. It has won nine of the last 10 meetings. Perhaps the bigger issue of the series break, though, is how it could hurt Purdue's bottom line. The Irish consistently draw the season's biggest crowd in Ross-Ade Stadium when the series is in West Lafayette with announced attendance of 61,127 in 2013, 61,555 in 2011 and 59,082 in 2009 being the highest single-season home totals. But without Notre Dame on the upcoming schedule, Purdue added Louisville in 2017 to play in Lucas Oil Stadium, a neutral site big-stadium environment Burke likes. "The bad side of Notre Dame is you lose tradition," Burke said in December after the season ended. "The good side is you have an opportunity to introduce other people to the stadium." NO. 9: STREAK CONTINUES For the fourth consecutive season, the women's tennis team advanced to the NCAA Championships. The Boilermakers got one of 32 at-large bids. Purdue had an early exit, though, losing to Duke 4-1 in the opening round. The only point was in doubles, as all-Big Ten selection Tess Bernard- Feigenbaum with Daniela Vidal to upset Duke's No. 36-ranked doubles team. It was the highest-ranked doubles opponent Purdue had beaten during the season. Bernard- Feigenbaum and Vidal went into the NCAAs ranked No. 59. NO. 10: NCAA SNUBS VOLLEYBALL The Boilermakers suffered a bit of a stunner this season, when the NCAA selection committee left them out of the tournament. Purdue's résumé had holes, as any bubble team would, but seemed good enough to put Dave Shondell's program on the right ... all the services ... all the food ... all the comfort ... all the fun Tom Campbell Sharon Versyp and the Boilermakers endured a difficult 2014-15 season, sinking to the bottom of the Big Ten.