Confident Boilers Rattle Off Two More Wins on Back-to-Back Nights
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Dave Shondell had a feeling Saturday night's match against Iowa was going to be a major test for his team. Walking into Holloway Gymnasium, the ninth-ranked Boilermakers had won seven straight matches and were coming off a 3-0 sweep of 25th-ranked Penn State the previous night.
Would complacency set in? Were the Boilers due for a letdown? Would Purdue's seven-game winning streak come to an end against Iowa?
"I knew this one was going to be a struggle. When you've been involved in athletics, you just know when timing isn't great," Shondell said. "We're coming off winning several in a row, we're ranked really, really high ... you just know it's going to be hard to play well. You try everything you can as a coach, all day long, which is probably the biggest mistake. Probably should just shut your mouth and go out and play."
When the match started, Shondell's fear looked like it was becoming a reality. The Boilermakers trailed 3-0 in the first set before getting into a rhythm. Purdue responded nicely, taking the first set 25-22, thanks to big blocks and kills from Grace Heaney and Akasha Anderson.
Things looked worse in the second set, falling behind 9-2 before rallying in the middle of the set and eventually taking a 2-0 lead with a 25-21 victory.
Iowa responded with a dominant third set, taking it 25-17. But Shondell's Boilers battled back in the fourth, jumping out to a big lead and securing the match with a 25-17 win over its own.
Kenna Wollard finished with a double-double, posting a team-high 13 kills and 10 digs to go along with three blocks. Akasha Anderson had 10 kills and four blocks, and Heaney had nine kills, seven digs, and three blocks with just one error.
Taylor Anderson had 36 assists and seven digs. Sienna Foster had four digs and a service ace.
With the win, Purdue improved to 21-3 on the season and 12-2 in Big Ten play, the best conference start under Shondell. Who would have thought this type of season was possible following the wild offseason the Boilermakers endured?
Purdue never fazed by the moment
Shondell may have felt the pressure going into Holloway Gymnasium this weekend, but his team certainly didn't. The Boilermakers posted back-to-back wins over No. 25 Penn State and Iowa, securing their spot as the second-best team in the Big Ten standings with a pair of victories.
During the offseason, the program took time to develop team chemistry. Shondell knew how important that would be, especially with so many new players coming in from the transfer portal.
The bond this team has developed, as well as their outlook on life, has put Purdue in position to earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament at the season's end.
"We're sitting here at 12-2 in the Big Ten, and I keep thinking, 'How in the world have we done it?' There are a lot of teams out there that have as much talent as we do," Shondell said. "But, these guys, the best thing about them is they just stay loose. That's their strength; things don't bother them very often."
Even after losses this year, Purdue has remained confident. After an early-season loss to Georgia Tech, the Boilermakers responded by winning eight consecutive matches. Following a loss to Illinois at Mackey Arena, they bounced back with West Coast wins over UCLA and USC.
Purdue's most recent loss came on Oct. 4 to No. 1 Nebraska, a team that still remains undefeated. Since then, the Boilers have rattled off eight more victories, hoping to extend their winning streak next weekend.
Shondell acknowledged that his team always stays loose, but he's also got a group of highly competitive players in his locker room. That, also, is how Purdue is sitting at 12-2 in Big Ten play in the final month of the season.
"Grace Heaney is a competitor. Taylor Anderson is a competitor. Kenna is a competitor," he said. "They all have that competitiveness."
Related stories on Purdue volleyball
BOILERS MAKE HISTORY: Purdue made program history in multiple ways with a 3-0 sweep of Penn State at Holloway Gymnasium on Friday night. CLICK HERE
WOLLARD NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALIST: Purdue junior outside hitter Kenna Wollard has made a big leap this season for the Boilers. She has been recognized as one of the top players in the country. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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