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WEST LAFAYETTE − The sound echoed throughout Holloway Gymnasium with each thunderous boom when Akasha Anderson's right hand made contact with the ball.
Wright State was helpless in those moments, watching Purdue volleyball ride its senior transfer outside hitter to a first-round sweep in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
Anderson's stat line popped off the box score with the same flair as the ball popped when her right arm cocked back and ripped through each pass in her direction: 16 kills, no errors, and a .552 hitting percentage to lead the Boilermakers into a second-round match against Baylor. Her 29 swings are the most errorless attempts in a postseason match in Purdue history.
With Purdue clinging to a 20-18 second-set lead, Anderson had a kill on each of Purdue's final five points, a common scenario that has earned her the nickname Clutch Kash.
"(Purdue head coach) Dave (Shondell) says the best players play better under pressure," Anderson explained. "I think that's something I hold myself to, being able to embody that pressure is a privilege."
But how one of Purdue's best players ended up a Boilermaker is another story in itself, a story that never was supposed to happen.
Anderson's college volleyball career started at Auburn. As a go-to hitter, Anderson helped lead the Tigers to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022 and '23. In the opening round in 2022, Anderson had 15 kills, four blocks, and 13 digs in Auburn's five-set victory over Creighton, the only time she'd been on the winning side in an NCAA Tournament match before Thursday night.
Last season, she wasn't in the NCAA Tournament at all, playing at Michigan State.
"She wasn't that good last year at Michigan State. She had a tough year," Shondell said. "People knew who she was and they defended her very well."
More: Purdue volleyball duo drives offense in NCAA Tournament sweep
Turns out, Michigan State wasn't very good last season as a whole. The Spartansparted ways with head coach Leah Johnson after a 13-18 season.
At Purdue, four starters entered the transfer portal following a Sweet 16 loss to Louisville.
Purdue needed players. Anderson needed a new home. Neither knew it yet, but they needed each other.
The timing was perfect.
Anderson was in the transfer portal just 36 hours before she was a Purdue Boilermaker.
"When I was on the phone with Dave, it seemed like he had a very, very specific way that he was going to go about figuring out how to bring the team together that may have lost a lot of people," Anderson said. "He had a plan, and it was a very convincing plan. There was not a single day where I had a doubt in my mind that we were going to be good."
Purdue ended the regular season ranked No. 12 in the coaches poll and after Thursday's NCAA Tournament win over Wright State, Purdue is 25-6.
As someone who'd been on the opposite bench, Anderson knew the persona of Purdue.
The Boilermakers were tough and gritty. They won a lot of matches and, with an eye on the future, Anderson admits there was an appeal to how many Purdue has helped transition into pro volleyball players.
Anderson, though, didn't know she'd been playing with a shoulder tear, which wasn't diagnosed until she arrived in West Lafayette.
A surgical procedure delayed Anderson's ability to immediately gel with her teammates on the court.
But off the court, adding the 6-foot-3 Reston, Virginia, native already was paying dividends.
"If Kash is down or in a sad mood, I am confused," junior outside hitter Kenna Wollard said. "She is usually always smiling. She is a light for our team."
It turns out, Purdue needed that as much as Anderson's volleyball ability.
The Boilermaker staff just didn't know it when they pursued her.
"She's given us by far more than I expected. Not just on the floor where she's hammering balls and hitting about .280 as a left side hitter, which is not easy to do in the Big Ten," Shondell said. "She's got a voice in our program that I think rings really loud and players pay attention. She's very positive. She's very assertive. We needed that kind of voice on our team."
Before she ever suited up for Purdue, Anderson already compiled 1,140 kills.
She's already been a go-to option at two different programs. When Anderson compiled a checklist of what she wanted in her final season, Purdue had it all, including perhaps the most important.
"I was looking for a winning culture, but I think I was just looking for a staff and a team that was going to help me be the best person and player and teammate," Anderson said.
In her first three seasons, Anderson never hit better than .182.
Now playing for her third program in four seasons, and with every match potentially her last, Anderson is the best version of herself.
She'd never had a night like Thursday from a combination of points and precision. The .552 hitting percentage was far and away the best of Anderson's college career. Her current season percentage of .282 is 100 points better than her previous best year. This week, she was named second-team All-Big Ten.
How Anderson went from Michigan State Spartan to Purdue Boilermaker seemingly overnight may have been a happy accident.
But it turned out to be the perfect fit.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Akasha Anderson comes up clutch for Purdue volleyball
Continue reading...
Wright State was helpless in those moments, watching Purdue volleyball ride its senior transfer outside hitter to a first-round sweep in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
Anderson's stat line popped off the box score with the same flair as the ball popped when her right arm cocked back and ripped through each pass in her direction: 16 kills, no errors, and a .552 hitting percentage to lead the Boilermakers into a second-round match against Baylor. Her 29 swings are the most errorless attempts in a postseason match in Purdue history.
With Purdue clinging to a 20-18 second-set lead, Anderson had a kill on each of Purdue's final five points, a common scenario that has earned her the nickname Clutch Kash.
"(Purdue head coach) Dave (Shondell) says the best players play better under pressure," Anderson explained. "I think that's something I hold myself to, being able to embody that pressure is a privilege."
But how one of Purdue's best players ended up a Boilermaker is another story in itself, a story that never was supposed to happen.
How Purdue volleyball landed Akasha Anderson in transfer portal
Anderson's college volleyball career started at Auburn. As a go-to hitter, Anderson helped lead the Tigers to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022 and '23. In the opening round in 2022, Anderson had 15 kills, four blocks, and 13 digs in Auburn's five-set victory over Creighton, the only time she'd been on the winning side in an NCAA Tournament match before Thursday night.
Last season, she wasn't in the NCAA Tournament at all, playing at Michigan State.
"She wasn't that good last year at Michigan State. She had a tough year," Shondell said. "People knew who she was and they defended her very well."
More: Purdue volleyball duo drives offense in NCAA Tournament sweep
Turns out, Michigan State wasn't very good last season as a whole. The Spartansparted ways with head coach Leah Johnson after a 13-18 season.
At Purdue, four starters entered the transfer portal following a Sweet 16 loss to Louisville.
Purdue needed players. Anderson needed a new home. Neither knew it yet, but they needed each other.
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The timing was perfect.
Anderson was in the transfer portal just 36 hours before she was a Purdue Boilermaker.
"When I was on the phone with Dave, it seemed like he had a very, very specific way that he was going to go about figuring out how to bring the team together that may have lost a lot of people," Anderson said. "He had a plan, and it was a very convincing plan. There was not a single day where I had a doubt in my mind that we were going to be good."
Purdue ended the regular season ranked No. 12 in the coaches poll and after Thursday's NCAA Tournament win over Wright State, Purdue is 25-6.
Coming to Purdue comes with a new challenge
As someone who'd been on the opposite bench, Anderson knew the persona of Purdue.
The Boilermakers were tough and gritty. They won a lot of matches and, with an eye on the future, Anderson admits there was an appeal to how many Purdue has helped transition into pro volleyball players.
Anderson, though, didn't know she'd been playing with a shoulder tear, which wasn't diagnosed until she arrived in West Lafayette.
A surgical procedure delayed Anderson's ability to immediately gel with her teammates on the court.
But off the court, adding the 6-foot-3 Reston, Virginia, native already was paying dividends.
"If Kash is down or in a sad mood, I am confused," junior outside hitter Kenna Wollard said. "She is usually always smiling. She is a light for our team."
You must be registered for see images attach
It turns out, Purdue needed that as much as Anderson's volleyball ability.
The Boilermaker staff just didn't know it when they pursued her.
"She's given us by far more than I expected. Not just on the floor where she's hammering balls and hitting about .280 as a left side hitter, which is not easy to do in the Big Ten," Shondell said. "She's got a voice in our program that I think rings really loud and players pay attention. She's very positive. She's very assertive. We needed that kind of voice on our team."
Akasha Anderson ends on a high note
Before she ever suited up for Purdue, Anderson already compiled 1,140 kills.
She's already been a go-to option at two different programs. When Anderson compiled a checklist of what she wanted in her final season, Purdue had it all, including perhaps the most important.
"I was looking for a winning culture, but I think I was just looking for a staff and a team that was going to help me be the best person and player and teammate," Anderson said.
In her first three seasons, Anderson never hit better than .182.
Now playing for her third program in four seasons, and with every match potentially her last, Anderson is the best version of herself.
She'd never had a night like Thursday from a combination of points and precision. The .552 hitting percentage was far and away the best of Anderson's college career. Her current season percentage of .282 is 100 points better than her previous best year. This week, she was named second-team All-Big Ten.
How Anderson went from Michigan State Spartan to Purdue Boilermaker seemingly overnight may have been a happy accident.
But it turned out to be the perfect fit.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Akasha Anderson comes up clutch for Purdue volleyball
Continue reading...
