1 hr. ago
WEST LAFAYETTE − Before the first serve of Purdue volleyball's Wednesday night match against Georgia in Mackey Arena, the Boilermakers got a motivational boost.
All-American outside hitter Kenna Wollard was on the sideline with her team, dressed in street clothes.
Wollard, who last season was a second-team All-American and Midwest Region Player of the Year who entered 2026 on the preseason National Player of the Year watch list, announced on social media last week she would be taking a hiatus "with an unexpected health issue that will keep me away for a little while."
Kenna Wollard is in the building and named as a Purdue honorary starter. pic.twitter.com/SaLjw6zKfp
Wollard was not present in Purdue's season opener against Creighton in South Dakota or for Tuesday's home win over Texas A&M.
#wollard #american #year #team
All-American outside hitter Kenna Wollard was on the sideline with her team, dressed in street clothes.
Wollard, who last season was a second-team All-American and Midwest Region Player of the Year who entered 2026 on the preseason National Player of the Year watch list, announced on social media last week she would be taking a hiatus "with an unexpected health issue that will keep me away for a little while."
Kenna Wollard is in the building and named as a Purdue honorary starter. pic.twitter.com/SaLjw6zKfp
Wollard was not present in Purdue's season opener against Creighton in South Dakota or for Tuesday's home win over Texas A&M.
#wollard #american #year #team
7 days ago
Purdue volleyball serves up a new challenge this season – no longer sneaking up on teams but proving it can meet top 10 expectations in a more competitive ***** e.
Coach Dave Shondell, who is 68 and signed a four-year contract extension in the offseason, said the Big Ten is much better this season and pointed to three of the ninth-ranked Boilermakers' first four matches are against top-20 teams. He also will be challenged with blending young talent to a returning core and redefining leadership, pointing to 10 of his 17 players having not played for Purdue in a regular-season match.
It also will be part of the first-of-its-kind college volleyball event in the Bahamas, where it will face either No. 11 SMU or No. 3 Kentucky, take part in the Big Ten/SEC challenge and a Big Ten Tournament hosted in Fishers. Purdue returns its core leadership with outside hitter Kenna Wollard, opposite Grace Heaney, setter Taylor Anderson and libero Ryan McAleer.
"I think that my approach has been a little bit different in that I'm expecting a little bit more from our team every day in practice than I did a year ago, which is kind of a dangerous move because last year whatever we did seemed to work," Shondell told IndyStar.
Ahead of first serve against No. 13 Creighton at 7 p.m. Friday on a neutral floor at the Sanford Pentagon, here are four things to watch with Purdue volleyball in 2026.
#shondell
Coach Dave Shondell, who is 68 and signed a four-year contract extension in the offseason, said the Big Ten is much better this season and pointed to three of the ninth-ranked Boilermakers' first four matches are against top-20 teams. He also will be challenged with blending young talent to a returning core and redefining leadership, pointing to 10 of his 17 players having not played for Purdue in a regular-season match.
It also will be part of the first-of-its-kind college volleyball event in the Bahamas, where it will face either No. 11 SMU or No. 3 Kentucky, take part in the Big Ten/SEC challenge and a Big Ten Tournament hosted in Fishers. Purdue returns its core leadership with outside hitter Kenna Wollard, opposite Grace Heaney, setter Taylor Anderson and libero Ryan McAleer.
"I think that my approach has been a little bit different in that I'm expecting a little bit more from our team every day in practice than I did a year ago, which is kind of a dangerous move because last year whatever we did seemed to work," Shondell told IndyStar.
Ahead of first serve against No. 13 Creighton at 7 p.m. Friday on a neutral floor at the Sanford Pentagon, here are four things to watch with Purdue volleyball in 2026.
#shondell
