Nebraska Native Has Bounced Back from Injury to Star for No. 12 Purdue; Huskers, Boilermakers Play Sunday

The match meant nothing, but to Grace Heaney, it was everything.

Purdue was kicking off its spring season against Butler at home. After undergoing a drastic roster overhaul during the offseason, most eyes would be on the seven newcomers that rounded out the Boilermakers’ roster, beset by transfers and graduation.

However, the spring match also marked the return of Heaney, who hadn’t played in a public match in almost a year after suffering a shoulder injury and then undergoing surgery. The 6-foot-2 opposite said she was anxious, but once she got on the court and took a few swings, she felt immense relief.

“I never thought I would be able to swing the same, and all the pain would still be there. You never really know, and so you start going back at it again,” Heaney said. “That first spring game was really the reassurance that I needed to and when I knew that everything was going to be great.”

After missing the 2024 season, Heaney has bounced back in her redshirt sophomore year to become one of Purdue’s top players. She’s averaging 3.02 kills per set with a .326 hitting percentage for the 12th-ranked Boilermakers.

Up next for Purdue (13-2) is its toughest test of the season on Sunday as the Boilermakers host No. 1 Nebraska at Holloway Gym at Noon.

PU coach Dave Shondell did not doubt that Heaney would bounce back from her injury because of her athleticism, character and relentless work ethic.

“She’s somebody that understands that to be successful in life, you have to put the time in, and you have to dedicate yourself, and you have to make a lot of good decisions along the way,” he said. “She spends a lot of time in the gym, even when she couldn’t do a lot with the shoulder, she was working on other things that would make her better.”

Heaney arrived at Purdue as part of an elite recruiting class that also featured outside hitters Chloe Chicoine, the top overall recruit according to Prep Dig, and Kenna Wollard and setter Taylor Anderson.

During her freshman season, Chicoine and sophomore Eva Hudson led the offense on the left pin. The opposite starting spot opened up after Emily Rastovski suffered an injury, and Heaney split time with Wollard. Heaney appeared in 22 of 32 matches and averaged just 1.33 kills per set as the Boilermakers advanced to the regional semifinals.

Grace Heaney goes up for a kill for Purdue. The redshirt sophomore opposite is averaging 3.02 kills per set this season. | Purdue Athletics

The following spring, however, pain began to develop in Heaney’s shoulder. She tried to play through it, but it was relentless. During the summer, Heaney decided to undergo surgery to fix the torn labrum and also reconstruct her bicep.

While she was disappointed to have to sit out the year, she knew the program was in good hands with Wollard elevated to a full-time role. Heaney still traveled with the team while taking a redshirt season. After wearing a sling for a month, she worked to regain mobility and strength in her arm. She continued her rehab until the spring season, when she got back on the court and hit balls for the first time.

“I didn’t have any pressure to be back that season, so I really tried to stretch my recovery out, just because I wanted to come back as strong as possible,” Heaney said.

Shortly after her return to the court, Heaney approached Shondell with an idea. How about she plays six rotations?

The Purdue coach shot it down initially, as he didn’t think it was the strongest option. However, Heaney persisted in bringing the idea up. During her recovery, she worked hard in the spring and summer by staying late at practices to improve her passing and defensive skills.

Eventually, Shondell relented and gave the 6-foot-2 opposite a chance in the back row. She’s rewarded that trust with a solid defensive performance and is averaging more than 2 digs per set. She’s only had 40 serve receptions this season, but she has a 52.5 good pass percentage, among the leaders for the Boilermakers.

“She cares about the success of our team, and she totally understands that we are not going to have a great season unless she has a great season,” Shondell said. “She’s determined to help us get there by being the best version of herself she can be.”

Grace Heaney goes for an attack against Illinois. The Elkhorn North graduate has helped Purdue start 13-2 this season. | Purdue Athletics

The team that Heaney returned to looked quite different than the one she played on in 2023. Hudson and Chicoine left via the transfer portal. Middle blockers Lizzie Carr and Lourdès Myers also transferred. And middle blocker Ravin Colvin and libero Ali Hornug had graduated.

The Boilermakers brought in several transfers and freshmen, but the core of the team would be among the returning players, mainly Anderson, Wollard, and Heaney.

As one of the older players on the roster, Heaney began to take more of a leadership role. During her year on the sidelines, she observed the team dynamics and built her confidence to take more ownership of the team.

Now, she’s part of a group that helped teach all the newcomers about the team culture by setting boundaries and getting everyone to buy into the same vision of playing team-centric volleyball.

“Yes, in some games, one person might go off and help us win, but that’s what needs to be done. Overall, it’s not about one or two people.” Heaney said. “The entire team is contributing to the wins this year, which I think is a lot different than past years. I don’t think that I’m better than somebody else, and that’s really what I think makes the team.”

Shondell said the group also likes to have fun and he called them “goofy.” They want to have fun on the court, in practice, on the bus and when they go out for dinners. While it is a different approach, they are having success with it.

“What other group can be dealt this hand during the offseason, and then be sitting here 12-2?” he said. “I just did not see it coming. But it’s because they care more about the team and each other than they really care about themselves.”

At the beginning of the year, Heaney said they didn’t know how good they would be until their first match. After surviving a five-set match with South Florida, Purdue topped Tennessee, whose only other loss was to No. 2 Texas in five sets on Wednesday.

Purdue opposite Grace Heaney celebrates with setter Taylor Anderson. They are two returners after Purdue lost five starters to the transfer portal or graduation. | Purdue Athletics

Wollard has blossomed at the left pin and is averaging 4.76 kills per set and was named the AVCA National Player of the Week on Tuesday after leading the Boilermakers to wins over No. 24 UCLA and No. 17 USC.

Heaney is excited to see her former position partner take a leap to becoming a dominant attacker.

“We always talked that we would cut ourselves in half, and wanted to join to be on the right side together our freshman year, just because we wanted to play together,” Heaney joked. “I’m seriously so proud of her, and I tell her that every single day. It’s just amazing to see her flourish in this role on the outside, and she is killing it.”

Heaney’s improvement is also a reason for the Boilermakers’ solid start this season. She said she’s a lot more confident as a redshirt sophomore. She’s taking more leadership in her third year of the program and is making more contributions on the court.

She’s also been quite productive on Sunday matches, where she is averaging 3.8 kills per set while hitting .472, including a 19-kill performance at a .515 clip against No. 10 SMU. Against IU Indy, she finished with 14 kills on 30 errorless swings, the first clean match by a Purdue opposite since 2021.

Her defense is catching on as she had 15 digs against Ball State, the best by a PU opposite in more than 23 years. She’s also getting more involved at the net and recorded three solo blocks against USC. On top of all that, Shondell said she’s improved from the service line.

“She’s made a huge step this year in her blocking and in her comfort over there, hitting shots. There’s not a shot she can’t hit,” he said. “She hits angles and misdirection shots that just keep people off balance all the time. Her blocking is good, and then she started serving the ball really, really tough in the past week.”

The Boilermakers have more challenges after facing the Huskers on Sunday. They will play the upstart in-state rival Indiana Hoosiers, who are 13-1 and undefeated in the Big 10, next week in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. For now, Heaney and her teammates are continuing to have fun and take advantage of the

“We’re capable of as big of dreams as we can,” she said. “I think we have the opportunity to beat anybody that we play. We have a great base with each other and our relationships with each other that we can beat whoever.”

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