Purdue volleyball changing its approach after 'deserving' national recognition

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 space.

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.

Backing up Kenna Wollard

Wollard emerged as a rising star for the Boilermakers , stepping into the spotlight vacated by Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine’s shocking transfers. But it was Wollard who led a program with low expectations nationally to the Elite Eight . She entered this season on the AVCA Player of the Year watch list after earning second-team All-America honors last year.

Just as important to filling the OH2 spot behind her is going to be her starting spot for the time being. Wollard was absent from the exhibition against Butler on Aug. 21 and a timetable to return is uncertain, but she plans to rejoin the team as soon as she is able according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

Kenna's journey: How this 'volleyball machine' has shown so much more in Purdue's surprise season

Shondell has options to shore up the left side with experienced starter Lameen Mambu, a 5-foot-11 transfer from Georgia Tech who started 25 games and led the team with 304 kills as a freshman. It also opens the door for Addy Tindall, who missed her first season after undergoing surgery. Shondell has spoken highly of her and said the 6-3 Tindall is a “physical pin player” yet acknowledge she has growing to do.

Sydni Vice is a 6-4 first-year player from Memphis who has left quite an impression.

“(She) is a lot further along than I expected. She contacts the ball high and is capable of hitting the ball hard, moves well on the floor for somebody that size,” Shondell said. “I think she’s got a potential to play some for us this year, a lot more than even I guess I would’ve expected.”

Freshmen to help biggest challenge

That freshman class is going to be tested as soon as Friday night in the backcourt with MaryKate Scheumann of Decatur and Elle Schara of Crown Point expected to play Friday. Shondell thinks very highly of them, and believes they can fortify what he thinks the greatest growth area is this season.

“The serve-receive aspect of it, even though we have a lot of our passers back, … serve-receive is such a valuable skill, if you can put the ball to where your setter can run offense, you’re going to have a good chance of winning,” he said.

And Anderson is among the best setters in the country. Scheumann, who Shondell called a "badass" in the spring, and Schara each stand 5-10 and are from the mold that Shondell likes when recruiting liberos – though that shirt is McAleer’s – on top of how hard they’ve worked and their communication skills.

“They were outside hitters in club and high school, really athletic, understand the game, play with great toughness, have range, can pass the ball, can serve tough,” Shondell said. “So both MaryKate and Elle are going to be really, really good ones, and are capable of playing right now and they’re going to have to.”

Spring takeaways: Purdue volleyball keeps same tone, adds 'a badass' freshman and more after Elite Eight run

Junior takes charge as vocal leader

And they’ll have a great teammate to learn from. McAleer, who is shortest on the team at 5-6, is the vocal leader. Last season, it was fifth-year transfer Akasha Anderson who took control of the team. But McAleer has filled that void despite being younger than six of her teammates, and it comes from an important position as the point of first contact defensively.

“She is the most outgoing player we have – most vocal, most spirited,” Shondell said. “Now she feels really comfortable asserting herself in other aspects of us doing the job that we need to do in us being organized and being prepared and playing the way that Purdue needs to play to be successful.”

Vocal presence: Purdue volleyball's 'most natural leader' thrives being who she is, tasked in charge of defense

All-American setter leads the way

Anderson was a second-team AVCA All-American last season and will again conduct the Boilermakers’ attack. And she’s already perfecting one of the opportunities Shondell, a former setter himself, sees for growth: offensive aggression.

Anderson has 216 career kills, but attacking at the net is something the 6-1 fourth-year from San Antonio can do more of, Shondell believes. The other is being strategic within the game plan, perhaps a less-balanced attack when one of their hitters has not been stopped in a particular rotation.

“The No. 1 thing for a great setter – it’s a lot like real estate – location, location, location, and we need to make sure she’s putting that ball right on the dime for our hitters. We’ve got some younger hitters with a little less experience, so the setter...

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