'This Is About Kenna Wollard': Purdue Volleyball Playing For More Than Just Wins
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Seconds after the volleyball hit the floor from a Kate Hansen kill in Purdue's 3-0 sweep of Texas A&M, head coach Dave Shondell was swarmed by his players inside the sauna they call Mackey Arena. That moment should have been one of the most joyous the "old ball coach" has experienced, but his mind was elsewhere after the Boilermakers took down the defending national champion.
Shondell had just won his 513th match at Purdue, passing Gene Keady to become the school's winningest coach across all sports. A strong quiver in his voice during a television interview moments after the victory told us all we needed to know.
Win No. 513 wasn't on Shondell's mind. Instead, he was thinking about the player who couldn't be on the floor Tuesday night.
"This is about Kenna Wollard," Shondell said, fighting back emotion. "This is about Kenna Wollard and what she means to this team."
Wollard stepped away from the team in August to focus on an undisclosed medical issue. She was a preseason National Player of the Year candidate and was Purdue's leader in kills during the 2025 campaign. At the end of her junior campaign, she earned All-American recognition.
Inside Purdue's locker room, Wollard is recognized as something more meaningful and powerful: a beloved friend.
"I just love that girl"
Purdue partied on the court and in the locker room after Shondell won his 513th career match on Tuesday. The following night, the Boilermakers had another reason to celebrate.
Wollard returned to Mackey Arena on Wednesday, her first trip back since stepping away from the team in August. She was introduced as an honorary starter for Purdue's second match of the Big Ten-SEC Challenge against Georgia.
The All-American received a standing ovation in front of 6,800 fans and stuck around to see her team in action. The Boilermakers found themselves in a dogfight with Georgia (no pun intended) and ultimately pulled out a thrilling five-set victory.
Purdue was happy to win the match, but even happier to have a smiling Wollard back in the building.
"Kenna is a big part of our team. She's all of our best friends," Grace Heaney said after the match. "We love her, and we love to see her."
"Seeing her beautiful face out there was amazing," Taylor Anderson added. "I hope everyone loved seeing her, too."
Purdue's first full week of the season has been like a ship captain trying to navigate through choppy waters. On the court, the Boilermakers have played without their top outside hitter and a team leader. But her absence from the court doesn't compare to the emotional toll the last three weeks have taken on those who care most about Wollard.
"You've gotta realize Taylor and Grace are best friends with Kenna," Shondell said. "When she's not here and we have worries about her, it impacts their play."
Having Wollard back with the team lifted everyone's spirits on Wednesday. That extra motivation helped Purdue pull out a victory in a tough five-set match to finish 2-0 in the Big Ten-SEC Challenge.
"I just love that girl," Ryan McAleer said. "Anytime she's around, we're happy."
The periwinkle hair ribbons
Wollard may not be on the court with Purdue right now, but her teammates still wanted to find a way to support her this season. When you're at Holloway Gymnasium or Mackey Arena, or flip on the television to watch the Boilers, you'll notice everyone wearing a light-colored ribbon.
That ribbon is just a small way Wollard's teammates can show they're continually thinking about her.
"Kenna's favorite color is periwinkle, so that's why we're wearing them," Heaney said. "We're a very close team. A lot of us are really great friends on and off the court."
There is no timetable for Wollard's return. Those who are closest to her are confident she'll be back playing the sport she loves.
The periwinkle ribbon symbolizes that Wollard is always with Purdue, even if she's not 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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