After beating Indiana in four sets on Sunday, the Hawkeyes ended what was a brutal six-game losing streak. With the big win behind them, Iowa must now prepare to face its first ranked opponent in four matches and play the Hoosiers again, this time on the road.

Notching the win Sunday, there is an entirely different mood around the team at this time.

“We’ve got to keep building on this season. We got our win against Indiana, and hopefully there are more wins to come,” freshman Joslyn Boyer said.

The team now has the chance to show that the result against Indiana was no fluke, and it will be a difficult outing for anyone the rest of the season.

Starting with Friday’s game at Purdue, the Hawkeyes will have their work cut out for them against a strong, defensive-driven Boilermaker side.

Although the Boilermakers are ranked 20th in the nation, Purdue has had mixed results since the beginning of the season. The Boilermakers currently sit tied for sixth in the Big Ten, with a 4-4 record in conference play. For the side being ranked in the top 25 nationally, it has not been able to challenge the top-ranked squads in the Big Ten.

Purdue has avoided bad losses this season, but five-set matches against Ohio State and Indiana prove that the Hawkeyes have a chance to pull off the upset.

“From Purdue, we’ll see a lot of middle attacks as well as some change-ups on some six balls and two balls in the middle, so our body work is going to be important up at the net,” freshman Blythe Reints said.

The Hawkeyes are slightly more aggressive than the Boilermakers at the net, with Iowa averaging 0.6 more kills per set than Purdue. This is paired with a better hitting percentage, with Purdue averaging a subpar .225 attacking percentage compared to Iowa’s .248. Purdue averages more blocks than the Hawkeyes, in large part due to Blake Mohler’s 1.32 per set average.

RELATED: Volleyball looks to recover in road matchup against Ohio State

“Purdue is a really good blocking team, very solid. They rely on their block for a lot of their ball control elements,” head coach Vicki Brown said.

With these stats in mind, Iowa matches up fairly well against Purdue and is in a solid position to secure a major road victory. If the Hawkeyes can be clinical in attack and put up similar blocking numbers to the past few matches, then an upset is in reach.

Saturday’s match against Indiana should be an intriguing affair, with the game taking place just six days after the two met in Iowa City. The win should give Iowa some confidence on Saturday, but the team is aware of possible changes Indiana may make before the match.

“There’s going to be some sort of change from what we saw on Sunday. They obviously know how we play now, and we know how they play,” Reints said.

The ball will be Indiana’s court for improvement, as 30 hitting errors and a measly attacking percentage of .087 made the win even easier for the Hawkeyes. A more clinical attack from Indiana is to be expected, but it will have to improve in blocking, as well, if there is a chance the Hawkeyes fall.

Iowa must stay disciplined and pick out any early tactical changes from Indiana, and, if so, the Hawkeyes can pull a sweep over the Hoosiers.