WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — College volleyball takes center stage in Indiana on Tuesday as Indiana and Purdue open the inaugural Allstate Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week against SEC opponents.
The two Indiana programs will play separate matches at Mackey Arena, with No. 21 Indiana facing Georgia at 6 p.m. ET before No. 14 Purdue takes on No. 12 Texas A&M at 8 p.m.
The event brings together two of the nation’s strongest volleyball conferences for a week of high-profile matchups across the country. The inaugural challenge features 30 matchups between Big Ten and SEC programs.
Indiana looks to bounce back
Indiana enters Tuesday’s matchup at 0-1 after opening the season with a 3-0 loss at No. 7 Louisville.
The Hoosiers will look to respond against Georgia before facing defending national champion Texas A&M on Wednesday. Both matches are part of Indiana’s early-season test against SEC competition.
Indiana is ranked No. 21 nationally entering the week, giving the Hoosiers another opportunity to test themselves against a high-level opponent early in the season.
Purdue gets a major test
Purdue also enters the challenge looking for its first win of the season after falling to No. 13 Creighton in five sets in its opener.
The Boilermakers, ranked No. 14, will face perhaps their biggest early-season challenge against No. 12 Texas A&M, the defending NCAA champion.
The matchup also marks the first meeting between Purdue and Texas A&M in West Lafayette. Purdue leads the all-time series 3-1.
Two days of Big Ten-SEC volleyball in West Lafayette
The action continues Wednesday, with Indiana facing Texas A&M at 5 p.m. and Purdue meeting Georgia at 7 p.m.
That gives West Lafayette four Big Ten-SEC matchups across two days, putting two Indiana programs in the middle of one of the biggest new events on the college volleyball calendar.
For Indiana and Purdue, it’s an early opportunity to make a statement. For volleyball fans across the state, it’s two nights of nationally ranked college volleyball right here in Indiana.
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