Where Purdue Ranks in AVCA's Preseason Volleyball Top 25
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Dave Shondell's team is going to enter the 2026 season ranked inside the top 10. On Monday, the AVCA Preseason Poll was released and Purdue was listed at No. 9. The Boilermakers are one of four teams to crack the top 10 in the initial rankings.
Purdue returns 71% of its offensive production from a team that went 27-7 last season and made a run to the regional final of the NCAA Tournament. Some of the top returners include National Player of the Year candidates outside hitter Kenna Wollard, setter Taylor Anderson and opposite hitter Grace Heaney.
The Boilers also bring back starting libero Ryan McAleer, middle blocker Dior Charles and defensive specialist Sienna Foster. Purdue also added transfers Mimi Mambu (Georgia Tech) and Kate Hansen (Clemson), both expected to have an impact.
Here's a look at the complete top 25 to start the 2026 college volleyball season:
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Texas Longhorns
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Pitt Panthers
- Stanford Cardinal
- Wisconsin Badgers
- Louisville Cardinals
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- SMU Mustangs
- Arizona State Sun Devils
- Creighton Bluejays
- Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Florida Gators
- TCU Horned Frogs
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- USC Trojans
- Baylor Bears
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Colorado Buffaloes
- BYU Cougars
- Oregon Ducks
In the Big Ten Preseason Poll, Purdue was picked to finish fourth, behind Nebraska, Wisconsin and Penn State.
Boilers open with tough four-game stretch
It was already understood that Purdue was going to have a tough four-game slate to begin the 2026 season. That's only been reinforced with the release of the preseason poll.
Three of Purdue's first four matches will be against teams ranked in the top 20 of the AVCA Preseason Poll. The Boilermakers open the season against No. 13 Creighton in Sioux Falls, S.D., a match that will be played on Friday, Aug. 28 and will air on FOX.
On Sept. 1, the Boilers return to West Lafayette for the Big Ten-SEC Challenge and will host reigning national champion and No. 8 Texas A&M at Mackey Arena. The following night, Purdue will play Georgia.
Shondell's squad will then round out the tough stretch on Sunday, Sept. 6, against No. 18 TCU, a match that will be played at Holloway Gymnasium, Purdue's traditional home court.
In total, Purdue will play 11 matches against teams that are ranked in the AVCA Preseason Poll. It's an opportunity for the Boilers to make a strong statement in 2026.
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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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