Purdue Volleyball Loses Freshman to NCAA Transfer Portal
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One member of Purdue's 2025 recruiting class has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Defensive specialist Mattie Casale decided to explore opportunities following the conclusion of the Boilermakers' 2025 campaign, which concluded in the Elite Eight.
Casale, a 5-foot-7 freshman, has also already found a new home. On Christmas Eve, Houston posted on social media that it had received a commitment from the former Boilermaker. She will have all four seasons of eligibility remaining with the Cougars.
Purdue ➡️ Houston
— Houston Volleyball (@UHCougarVB) December 24, 2025
Mattie is joining the Cougar Volleyball family! 🏐 pic.twitter.com/BEvGaS98Ee
Casale spent one season in West Lafayette but did not play in any matches. She used the 2025 campaign as a redshirt year.
Houston added three new players to the roster in recent weeks, trying to bolster its squad ahead of the 2026 campaign. The Cougars also received commitments from middle blocker Kaitlyn Evans (Loyola Marymount) and outside hitter Sydney Jones (Tennessee).
"Our volleyball staff has been working to rebuild Houston Volleyball and with the two transfers we announced last week, we have improved our team for the 2026 season," head coach David Rehr said in a statement. "The additions of Casale, Evans and Jones continue to make us a better volleyball team."
Casale joined Purdue as a member of the 2025 recruiting as the No. 1 defensive specialist/libero in the state of Florida, per PrepDig.com. She was a national finalist for Libero of the Year in 2023.
Houston ended the 2025 regular season with a 9-20 record.
Purdue in great shape at DS/libero
Losing a talented freshman to the transfer portal isn't a great feeling, but Purdue is in really good shape at the libero spot moving forward. Ryan McAleer just concluded her sophomore season and was an All-Region honorable mention for the 2025 season. She also earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.
McAleer has solidified her spot as Purdue's top libero, especially after a stellar season. She averaged 3.634 digs and 1.267 assists per set for the Boilermakers this past season. She also developed into one of the top servers on the team, especially late in the year. The sophomore had 21 service aces for the season.
The Boilermakers also have depth at defensive specialist, with both Rachel Williams and Sienna Foster in the back row. Those two have primarily been utilized as serving specialists, but have also improved as defensive players in coach Dave Shondell's system.
Purdue prides itself on the defensive end and has plenty of skill, even with Casale's departure from the program.
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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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