Many Recognizable Faces Show Up at Mackey Arena to Support Purdue Volleyball
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The stars were out in West Lafayette on Thursday night, cheering on the 10th-ranked Purdue volleyball team as it hosted Washington in its Big Ten opener at Mackey Arena. Their support helped push the Boilermakers to a sweep of the Huskies, starting conference play with a win.
Photos of Purdue basketball players Fletcher Loyer, Antione West Jr., Liam Murphy, and Omer Mayer circulated across social media during Thursday night's Mackey match.
The social media account "Boiler in Valpo" shared a photo of three of those individuals at the match, though Murphy is not pictured. Purdue's official Instagram account also shared a short video of the four in attendance.
Love to see them supporting volleyball! pic.twitter.com/joMh44pqNM
— @Boiler In Valpo (@boilerinvalpo) September 25, 2025
Those basketball stars weren't the only big names in attendance.
Legendary Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady had a courtside seat to the action, watching the Boilers take down the Huskies in consecutive sets. After the match, volleyball coach Dave Shondell also said that football coach Barry Odom made an appearance to show his support.
Indy Ignite head coach Lauren Bertolacci was also in attendance Thursday night. She was interviewed by Big Ten Network during the broadcast.
To play in front of such great Purdue players and coaches had to be a thrill for the volleyball team on Thursday night. It also speaks to the level of support within the athletic program in West Lafayette.
Purdue returns to Mackey Arena on Sunday afternoon, hosting Illinois in another Big Ten match. More than 6,000 fans showed up for Thursday's match, can the Boilermakers draw an even larger crowd over the weekend?
First serve is set for 2 p.m. ET and the match airs on Big Ten Network.
Boilers get win over Washington
With Thursday night's win over Washington, Purdue improved to 10-1 on the year and has won eight straight matches. The Boilermakers received plenty of contributions to win their Big Ten opener.
Setter Taylor Anderson had a big night, totaling 39 assists, seven digs, five blocks, and a kill in the win. Outside hitters Kenna Wollard and Akasha Anderson combined for 30 kills, with Wollard leading the way with 16.
Opposite Grace Heaney also had a strong night, totaling 12 digs and nine kills for the Boilermakers. Serving specialist Rachel Williams also had some key serves throughout the match.
Purdue is hoping to extend its winning streak to nine matches on Sunday and jump out to a 2-0 start in Big Ten play.
Related stories on Purdue volleyball
BOILERS TAKE DOWN WASHINGTON: Purdue got 16 kills from Kenna Wollard and 14 from Akasha Anderson in a sweep of Washington at Mackey Arena. Setter Taylor Anderson also had a big night. CLICK HERE
WOLLARD, ANDERSON BIG TEN'S TOP PLAYERS: Through the first month of the volleyball season, Purdue setter Taylor Anderson and outside hitter Kenna Wollard have been among the Big Ten's top players. CLICK HERE
HOLLOWAY AMONG LOUDEST BIG TEN VENUES: 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? 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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