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VOLLEYBALL EMBARKS ON OPERATION 14K BY BRANDAN ALFORD BrandanAlford@Gmail.com weekend as part of Operation 14K. Attempting to set the at- tendance record, the Boilers are trying to fill Mackey with 14,000 fans in a high-profile matchup with second-ranked Penn State. The site of an NCAA Regional this season, Mackey Arena will be utilized as Purdue's home court against the Nittany Lions. According to NCAA rules, in or- der to host a regional in a team's non-traditional home court, that team must play a certain number of matches in that alternate loca- Purdue volleyball looks to pack Mackey Arena this Date REMAINING VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE Nov. 16 Nov. 17 Nov. 21 Nov. 23 Opponent OHIO STATE PENN STATE INDIANA WISCONSIN Time 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. Amanda Neill and the Boilermakers will have a pair of critical games this week in Mackey. Purdue tion. After playing three matches in Mackey early in the season, Coach Dave Shondell and Purdue determined that the late-season matchup with Penn State (25-2 overall, 15-1 in the Big Ten) would be an ideal final tune-up. "We felt like Penn State was the best team to bring in for this kind of match," Shondell said. "The athletic depart- ment has been working hard at this, and they have sold over 4,000 tickets for the match so far. It should be a terrific crowd and a great environment. The match will be the highlight of a vitally important week- end for 21st-ranked Purdue (19-8, 10-6). No. 15 Ohio State (20-8, 11-5) comes to West Lafayette on Friday before the Boilers face off with the Nittany Lions the next night. "We look at the Ohio Operation " 14K State match as it could be the biggest one of the rest of the matches we have left, Shondell said. "We are com- peting with them for a top- three finish in the Big Ten and possibly that fourth na- tional seed among Big Ten teams that would allow us " ol put together possibly her best weekend to date in a pair of matches against Iowa and No. 9 Nebraska. The versatile outside Sophomore Val Nich- OLYMPIC SPORTS PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK: VAL NICHOL hitter totaled double- digit kills in both match- es, tallying 13 and 16. Nichol hit .510 on the weekend. "Against Iowa, Val role she is given and do what is best for the team. She has put to- gether a productive season. She had an incredible match against Nebraska and when we needed kills down the stretch, she was who we went to. continued to be aggres- sive and she was out- standing against Nebras- ka," Coach Dave Shon- dell said. "She has really grown up this year and there is a big difference in her day-to-day demeanor. "She is willing to take responsibility and take on whatever — Brandan Alford " to host first- and second-round games in the NCAA Tournament. "A win in that match could pay huge dividends." As important as the match against Ohio State will be, the Boilers will have no time to rest with the Nittany Lions posing a tough test the following day. "Penn State is a team that "We expect that to be the case again this weekend. seems like they are always ready to play Purdue, " Shondell said. GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 23, EXPRESS 11 • 42