Five Matches That Will Define Purdue Volleyball's 2026 Season
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Expectations are always high in West Lafayette, but it's fair to say that the goals of this year's Purdue volleyball team are loftier than ever. The Boilermakers return 71% of their production from last season, have added some key transfer portal pieces and have a strong freshman class.
At Big Ten Volleyball Media Day, head coach Dave Shondell said his team would be "considerably better" than last season. However, the conference is stronger than it was a season ago, so what will success look like for Purdue this fall?
Purdue was ranked as the fourth-best team in the conference in the preseason poll. It's considered to be a top contender for a league title. There are several matches that will define the Boilermakers in 2026. Here's a look at some of the biggest matches on the schedule.
Honorable mention: vs. Creighton (Aug. 28)
The season opener isn't exactly a cakewalk for the Boilermakers. Purdue will travel to Sioux Falls, S.D. to begin the year with a matchup against a Creighton squad that is regularly in the top-25 and an NCAA Tournament team. The Bluejays lost their top two leaders in kills from a team that went 16-0 in Big East play and reached the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. But Creighton replenished through the transfer portal and is a tough opening matchup for the Boilermakers.
vs. Texas A&M Aggies (Sept. 1)
One of college volleyball's heaviest hitters will make its way to West Lafayette for the inaugural Big Ten-SEC Challenge when the calendar turns to September. Purdue's match against Texas A&M, the reigning national champion, is just the second of the season for the Boilermakers, yet it's an opportunity for Purdue to show it's one of the top teams in the country. This should also be an electric matchup, being played in Mackey Arena.
vs. Wisconsin Badgers (Sept. 27)
The third and final match Purdue will play in Mackey Arena this season comes against one of the premier powers in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers haven't taken a set off the Badgers since 2023, when they won a five-set match at Holloway Gymnasium in 2023. Wisconsin is a young group that will play against a team full of veterans at Purdue. For the Boilers to be a contender in the Big Ten, they'll need an early victory over the Badgers.
at Nebraska Cornhuskers (Oct. 17)
Nebraska has won three straight Big Ten titles and finished last year's regular season with an undefeated record. During the conference's media day earlier this month, Shondell said he believed the Huskers are still the team to beat in the Big Ten. They return nearly everyone from last year's squad, including reigning Big Ten Player of the Year setter Bergen Reilly. The Boilermakers haven't defeated Nebraska since 2019 and this won't be easy, especially with the match scheduled to be played in Lincoln.
at Penn State Nittany Lions (Oct. 31)
Purdue had little trouble with Penn State last season, winning the match at Holloway Gymnasium in a 3-0 sweep. But the Nittany Lions return talented right-side hitter Kennedy Martin and brought in some big-time talent from the transfer portal in outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein and setter Alexis Stucky. This is a Penn State team with much more firepower than it had last season, which will pose some challenges for the Boilermakers in State College.
at Indiana Hoosiers (Nov. 17)
The Hoosiers are on the rise under head coach Steve Aird, but this has still be a series dominated by Purdue. Shondell owns a 41-4 career record against Indiana and the Boilers have won 26 of the last 27 meetings against their in-state rival. Aird said at Big Ten Media Days that he "doesn't think about Purdue," which could add some fuel to the Boilers' fire this fall. This is going to be an excellent match to close out the regular season and could allow Purdue to carry momentum into the Big Ten Tournament with a victory.
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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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