Purdue Volleyball Nightmare Continues as Another All-American Goes Down With Injury

After a strong start and early set 1 win, Purdue standout outside hitter Grace Heaney suffered an injury that kept her sidelined for the rest of the match.

Purdue Boilermakers opposite Grace Heaney celebrates during the Monon Spike Match at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Purdue volleyball had high expectations for 2026, entering the season ranked No. 9 overall and No. 3 in the Big Ten. Three Boilermakers were named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watchlist and the Preseason All-Conference team.

But Purdue fans held their breath Friday night during the second set against Creighton as freshman Sydney Vice was subbed in for All-American redshirt junior Grace Heaney (OPP). Heaney sat on the bench with a trainer for a few plays before leaving for further evaluation.

The broadcast says that Grace Heaney left to get further evaluation. Was in "near tears."

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteDustin) August 28, 2026

Before the injury, Heaney had two kills and one error on 16 swings and two blocks, helping Purdue win the first set 25-19.

Grace Heaney brings the HEAT as @PurdueVB closes in on Set 1 pic.twitter.com/Cvad5n1GBO

— Women's Sports on FOX (@wsportsonfox) August 28, 2026

With Heaney unavailable, the Boilermakers found themselves once again with a “next man up” mentality. Redshirt freshman Addy Tindall (OH) and Georgia Tech transfer Lameen Mambu (OH) stepped up, accounting for 41 of the team’s 62 kills.

As hard as they fought, Purdue ultimately lost to No. 13 Creighton 3-2 (25-19, 22-25, 23-25, 25-11, 11-15)

Heaney missed a majority of her sophomore season with a shoulder injury but had a standout junior year, earning her spot as a Player of the Year finalist and leading the Boilermakers to a Regional Final in the NCAA tournament.

Thankfully, Heaney did return to the bench before the end of the match with ice on her foot and updated that her injury wasn’t too serious, but enough to shut her down for the night.

Grace Heaney won't return. She's on the bench with ice on the foot. Thankfully, she says it's not too serious.

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteDustin) August 29, 2026

Kenna Wollard Shares Heartbreaking Update

Early this week, Purdue volleyball was rocked by the announcement that fellow senior All-American Kenna Wollard (OH) would be out for an indeterminate amount of time as she battled an unexpected health concern.

“Sometimes life changes in ways you could never imagine or prepare for," Wollard wrote in an Instagram post. "I’m currently dealing with an unexpected health issue that will keep me away for a little while. While I’m not ready to share the details at this time, I hope you understand and respect my privacy until I am ready to share more. But know that I am surrounded by an incredible medical team, family, teammates, and people who love me.

“Right now my focus is simply on getting healthy and taking this one day at a time. I trust that this is all in God’s hands. Thank you for all the messages, prayers and support. They mean more than you know.

“I’m excited to cheer on my girls and be back on the court as soon as possible. Boiler up!”

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Wollard's post was met with an outpouring of support and love from current and former teammates, coaches, and the volleyball and Purdue community at large.