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It was Dave Shondell's three-word reply on social media that became the rallying cry for Purdue volleyball.
"We not dead," Shondell posted March 28, a response to an account that claimed NIL had killed the Boilermaker volleyball program.
Purdue then spent 34 matches during the 2025 season backing up their coach's belief.
It concluded Saturday night in Fitzgerald Field House against top-seeded and regional host Pitt, a 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17 winner, in the Elite Eight, the Panthers' fifth straight Final Four appearance.
Before it ended, though, the Boilermakers made one thing perfectly clear: Purdue volleyball did not die.
After losing 92.5% of its offense from a season ago, including four potential starting players who transferred elsewhere, Purdue rebuilt its roster through the portal and with returnees stepping into larger roles.
The Boilermakers went 27-7, reaching their first regional final since 2021.
"I will never forget this year," junior outside hitter Kenna Wollard, a first-team All-Big Ten selection and Midwest Region Player of the Year, said. "Everything we've gone through and everything we've accomplished has just been absolutely amazing.
"The girls that I played with this year were so, so special to me."
On Wollard: Elite 8 run inspires Purdue volleyball coach to sign new contract
Purdue will lose four players from its roster: Rachel Williams, Julia Kane, Lindsey Miller and Akasha Anderson, the latter two transfers who played just one season with the Boilermakers.
Shondell opened his post-match news conference following the team's season-ending loss with a cautionary tale of current-age college athletics in its era of name, image and likeness, revenue sharing and mass transfers.
"It was a meaningful season for Purdue and a meaningful season, as I told our team, for college athletics," Shondell said. "First of all, college athletics has changed. It's not going to go backwards ... I think teams and programs and administrations just have to recognize that when people do decide to leave, you wish them well and you go find more players.
"If your program truly is a positive program that develops athletes and provides great experiences, players will come into your program and you'll be able to continue. I think that's what we were able to do at Purdue."
1 on 1: Dave Shondell was ready to retire, how 'ever grateful' Purdue reenergized him
Purdue welcomed in five new faces via the portal: Anderson (Michigan State), Miller (USC), Bianka Lulić (Miami), Dior Charles (Wake Forest) and Nataly Moravec (Iowa). Purdue tied a program record with five All-Big Ten selections, which included All-Midwest Region honorees Grace Heaney, Taylor Anderson and Ryan McAleer, all returnees.
An offseason was spent as much on relationship building as much as skill development.
Purdue's volleyball program didn't die. It got better.
"When I got there in the spring, it felt like people just were a little broken, emotionally and mentally, and I feel like the entire team just used the entire spring, in the summer, in the fall, to just completely love each other with open arms," Akasha Anderson said. "I think that's just been shown on every single game that we've won, every single game that we've lost, this team just loves each other.
"If they keep that up, that's just going to take them so far."
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue volleyball proves it can win in NIL era of college athletics
Continue reading...
"We not dead," Shondell posted March 28, a response to an account that claimed NIL had killed the Boilermaker volleyball program.
Purdue then spent 34 matches during the 2025 season backing up their coach's belief.
It concluded Saturday night in Fitzgerald Field House against top-seeded and regional host Pitt, a 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17 winner, in the Elite Eight, the Panthers' fifth straight Final Four appearance.
Before it ended, though, the Boilermakers made one thing perfectly clear: Purdue volleyball did not die.
After losing 92.5% of its offense from a season ago, including four potential starting players who transferred elsewhere, Purdue rebuilt its roster through the portal and with returnees stepping into larger roles.
The Boilermakers went 27-7, reaching their first regional final since 2021.
"I will never forget this year," junior outside hitter Kenna Wollard, a first-team All-Big Ten selection and Midwest Region Player of the Year, said. "Everything we've gone through and everything we've accomplished has just been absolutely amazing.
"The girls that I played with this year were so, so special to me."
On Wollard: Elite 8 run inspires Purdue volleyball coach to sign new contract
Purdue will lose four players from its roster: Rachel Williams, Julia Kane, Lindsey Miller and Akasha Anderson, the latter two transfers who played just one season with the Boilermakers.
Shondell opened his post-match news conference following the team's season-ending loss with a cautionary tale of current-age college athletics in its era of name, image and likeness, revenue sharing and mass transfers.
"It was a meaningful season for Purdue and a meaningful season, as I told our team, for college athletics," Shondell said. "First of all, college athletics has changed. It's not going to go backwards ... I think teams and programs and administrations just have to recognize that when people do decide to leave, you wish them well and you go find more players.
"If your program truly is a positive program that develops athletes and provides great experiences, players will come into your program and you'll be able to continue. I think that's what we were able to do at Purdue."
1 on 1: Dave Shondell was ready to retire, how 'ever grateful' Purdue reenergized him
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Purdue welcomed in five new faces via the portal: Anderson (Michigan State), Miller (USC), Bianka Lulić (Miami), Dior Charles (Wake Forest) and Nataly Moravec (Iowa). Purdue tied a program record with five All-Big Ten selections, which included All-Midwest Region honorees Grace Heaney, Taylor Anderson and Ryan McAleer, all returnees.
An offseason was spent as much on relationship building as much as skill development.
Purdue's volleyball program didn't die. It got better.
"When I got there in the spring, it felt like people just were a little broken, emotionally and mentally, and I feel like the entire team just used the entire spring, in the summer, in the fall, to just completely love each other with open arms," Akasha Anderson said. "I think that's just been shown on every single game that we've won, every single game that we've lost, this team just loves each other.
"If they keep that up, that's just going to take them so far."
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue volleyball proves it can win in NIL era of college athletics
Continue reading...
