Purdue's Kenna Wollard Recognized Among Top College Volleyball Players in 2025
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Junior outside hitter Kenna Wollard has stepped up for Purdue in a big way this season. As a result of her efforts, she has been named one of 14 semifinalists for the AVCA National Player of the Year.
Wollard was one of seven players named a Player of the Year semifinalist on Thursday. The remaining seven players will be revealed on Friday.
"I am so excited that Kenna has been recognized as one of 13 finalists for the AVCA Player of the Year," head coach Dave Shondell told Purdue Boilermakers on SI. "Her emergence as a six-rotation athlete who contributes to our team in every aspect of the game has been a remarkable development. The commitment to becoming special by Kenna and so many of her teammates has lifted our team to the best start in 30-plus seasons."
Four players from the list of semifinalists will be selected as finalists for the award on Monday, Dec. 15. The winner will be announced on Friday, Dec. 19.
After a tumultuous offseason, Wollard was asked to take on a bigger role with the departure of Purdue's top two hitters, Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine, from last season. The Illinois native has delivered beyond expectations in West Lafayette.
This season, Wollard is averaging 4.581 kills per set and has a .251 hitting percentage for the year. She's also accounting for 1.733 digs and 0.477 blocks per set.
Wollard accounted for just eight percent of Purdue's total points during the 2024 campaign. This year, she is among the top-15 players in kills (394) and kills per set.
Wollard has helped the Boilermakers to an impressive 19-3 record, which includes a 10-2 record in Big Ten play. Purdue currently sits second in the conference standings, behind only Nebraska. The Boilers are ranked No. 9 in the AVCA poll.
Purdue will host No. 25 Penn State on Friday and Iowa on Saturday at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette.
Wollard has been recognized by Big Ten, too
Wollard's spot in the National Player of the Year race isn't anything new. She's among the best players in the Big Ten this season, and has been recognized by the conference multiple times.
On Sept. 8, Wollard was named the co-Big Ten Player of the Week after leading Purdue to wins over Bowling Green and then-No. 15 Kansas in the Stacey Clark Classic. She received Big Ten Player of the Week honors again on Oct. 6 after the Boilers earned wins over No. 24 UCLA and No. 17 USC in Los Angeles.
Purdue still has eight matches remaining in the regular season for Wollard to continue to prove herself on the court.
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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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