Kenna Wollard, Taylor Anderson Explain Why Leaving Purdue Was Never an Option

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue's topsy-turvy offseason is well-documented. Although four players decided to enter the transfer portal after the 2024 season, seven opted to stay in West Lafayette. For stars like Kenna Wollard and Taylor, leaving the program they love was never an option.

On Saturday afternoon, Purdue capped off its 2025 regular season with a 3-1 win over rival Indiana, sweeping the season series and finishing the year with a 24-6 record. The Boilermakers also closed out the campaign with a 15-5 mark in the Big Ten, good enough for a third-place finish in the league.

Wollard and Anderson were key pieces to Purdue's success this season, and are hoping to propel the team to a deep NCAA Tournament run. which begins on Thursday at Holloway Gymnasium as the Boilers host Wright State.

But once the regular season, Anderson and Wollard reflected on their decision to remain at Purdue, even as some of their former teammates left the program in the dust.

"For me, I truly love all of the coaching staff; it makes it feel like family here," Anderson said. "The seven other girls who remained on the team are truly my best friends in the whole world. I could never quit on them. That's why I'm here."

Wollard echoed Anderson's sentiments following Saturday's match.

"There was not a part of me at all that wanted to leave Purdue," Wollard said. "It's such a special place, and when you get to be on the volleyball team here, it's an absolutely amazing experience. It's not like anywhere else. I think our coaches make such a big difference — I wanted to do it for them and for my teammates who stayed."

The group that stayed in West Lafayette, as well as those added from the transfer portal, helped Purdue earn a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and host the first two rounds of the event. It's a place not many expected the Boilers to be in after so much production from that 2024 squad hit the portal.

Shondell grateful for 2025 team

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Dave Shondell yells down court | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nobody has been more grateful for the players who stayed — and those who committed out of the transfer portal — than head coach Dave Shondell.

After Saturday's win over Indiana, Shondell got slightly emotional when talking about the 2025 team and how they rejuvenated his love for coaching, especially after such a hectic offseason.

"This isn't fake stuff going on in here," Shondell said. "I love them more than they love me, for a lot of reasons, but it's that feeling that has gotten us to where we are with this team. And it's every one of them.

"Sometimes, people who watch sports on TV or they come [to the game] don't realize that every single person matters. Every single one has some impact on whether or not we're going to be successful. We had five freshmen who didn't play a point this year, but they worked their tails off every day and brought life, energy, and more joy to the team."

Shondell has spent more than two decades at Purdue and has led several great teams in West Lafayette. The 2025 team might be the most memorable he has coached.

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Shondell grateful for 2025 team

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