Story byJournal & CourierSam King, Lafayette Journal & CourierFri, December 5, 2025 at 5:04 AM UTC·5 min readWEST 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. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnderson'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. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHow Purdue volleyball landed Akasha Anderson in transfer portalAnderson's college volleyball career started at Auburn.
