Boilermakers Country

Loudest Volleyball Venues in the Big Ten — How Many Coaches Named Purdue?

Purdue's Holloway Gymnasium is one of the best environments in college volleyball. How many said it was the loudest venue in the Big Ten?
Dustin Schutte|
The Purdue student section shakes keys at a volleyball match
The Purdue student section shakes keys at a volleyball match | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue's Holloway Gymnasium is one of the most intimidating environments in college volleyball. Although its capacity isn't large, the home of the Boilermakers is still considered one of the loudest venues in the sport.

Recently, the Big Ten published a video asking Big Ten coaches which venues were the loudest in the conference. Purdue was frequently mentioned throughout the clip.

Seven Big Ten coaches mentioned Purdue's Holloway Gymnasium as the loudest venue in the conference. That includes votes from Nebraska's Dani Busboom-Kelly and Indiana's Steve Aird.

Holloway Gymnasium seats just under 2,300 fans, but the design of the arena and the intensity of the fanbase creates one of the best atmospheres in college volleyball. Clearly, Big Ten coaches feel the same way.

As if that's not enough, Purdue also has the luxury of scheduling some of its bigger matches in Mackey Arena, a venue considered to be the loudest in college basketball. Last year, the Boilermakers hosted two matches at the cathedral, setting a Big Ten attendance record at 14,876 fans.

This year, Purdue will play three matches at Mackey Arena: vs. Washington (Sept. 25), vs. Illinois (Sept. 28), and vs. Indiana (Nov. 29).

Purdue returns to top 10 in AVCA poll

Purdue rounded out non-conference play last weekend, defeating Ball State on Friday and IU Indy on Sunday. The Boilermakers completed its 10-game out-of-league schedule with a 9-1 record.

Purdue defeated three teams ranked in the top 25, taking down No. 11 SMU, No. 18 Kansas, and No. 22 Tennessee. As a result of a strong non-conference performance, the Boilermakers worked their way into the top 10 of the AVCA poll. Here's how the top 10 looks this week:

  1. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-0)
  2. Texas Longhorns (8-0)
  3. Kentucky Wildcats (7-2)
  4. Stanford Cardinal (9-2)
  5. Pitt Panthers(8-2)
  6. Louisville Cardinals (7-2)
  7. Wisconsin Badgers (7-1)
  8. Arizona State Sun Devils (9-2)
  9. TCU Horned Frogs (10-2)
  10. Purdue Boilermakers (9-1)

Related stories on Purdue volleyball

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PURDUE VOLLEYBALL IN AVCA POLL: Purdue finished off the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 9-1 record. Have the Boilermakers finally cracked the top 10 in the AVCA poll? CLICK HERE

PURDUE CONFIDENT ENTERING BIG TEN PLAY: Purdue is full of new faces, but the Boilers were still incredibly successful during non-conference play, posting a 9-1 record. CLICK HERE

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

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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