Remember the game between the Purdue women’s volleyball team and Indiana on October 19? The showdown on the Boilermakers’ home turf had been marked as a night to remember. Why? Purdue wanted to celebrate Coach Dave Shondell’s incredible milestone in Big Ten volleyball. Just days before, Shondell reached his 470th victory as the head of Purdue volleyball—an extraordinary feat for a coach who’s poured countless summers into Boilermakers’ camps. So on October 19, Purdue University volleyball planned to honor Shondell at Mackey Arena, right on the eve of Alumnae Night. Fans couldn’t miss such a historic occasion.

The night was packed with excitement, with events like the Boilermaker Blackout setting the stage, but Shondell’s celebration added that extra spark fans had been waiting for. And of course, facing Purdue’s in-state rival, Indiana, only made the matchup more intense. The result?

The Mackey Arena saw an attendance of 14,876, filling every inch of the Colosseum! The players, coach, and support staffers felt overjoyed watching such a staggering number in the box. Even the attendance made Emily Ehman, the broadcaster in the match, say, “It is so loud in here, I’m going to have hearing problems for the next week, but it is so worth it.” The night ended with Purdue earning victory against Indiana (3-0). Now, fast-forward to October 26. The same arena and the same vibrant fans in the box! And the record followed. 

On October 28, the Saturday night game was scheduled between Purdue volleyball and Wisconsin in Mackey Arena. The No. 10 had already been motivated after landing several back-to-back wins in the regular season games. Yet the juggernaut of Badgers hit the squad hard, handing it a 0-3 loss. But the sold-out Mackey Arena didn’t lose its energy. Why? This was the second time this season that the prestigious home arena housed 14,876 energetic fans, enjoying every bit of the game. Quite stunning, isn’t it? Notably, the number has already gained Purdue a few more enviable records. 

After October 19, the Boilermakers witnessed the same number in the audience box on October 28. Now, these two outcomes have grabbed two positions in the list of the top three largest crowds in the women’s collegiate volleyball game this year. One follows another! Purdue volleyball now has three entries in the top four attendance lists in Big Ten history, where two Big Ten teams faced off in regular-season games. In the past, the Boilermakers and Badgers marked another high-attendance game (on October 17, 2008). But the number reached a slightly lower value, 10,570! 

Yet, the gathering of thousands of fans fell short in pushing the home team to thwart the guest’s challenge. After fighting neck to neck in three sets (25-20, 25-23, 25-13), the No. 10 Badgers clinched the victory. After September 25, it was the first home game defeat for the Boilermakers and the second defeat in the 30-odd days. So, some statements from the stakeholders had felt to be necessary to keep the energy in place and it came from none other than Dave Shondell. 

The Purdue volleyball eyes channel the energy of its fans 

Following the Saturday night game, freshman Ryan McAleer joined Dave Shondell in a press conference to clarify a few points about the game versus the Badgers. Meanwhile, the question of Mackey Arena’s consecutive high attendance came up. McAleer seems to be waiting for this topic. So, when she had the opportunity to dwell on it, she took a moment to express her gratitude to the fans. 

In her second-long statement, the freshman laid out, “I think it’s really exciting. And like me, I think it helps us perform better. Our fans are really great.” She also mentioned the attendance at the match against Indiana. Meanwhile, the Kansas native displayed her emotion for earning her chance to play in such a packed arena. Later, Dave Shondell took the baton from McAleer to share a few words on Purdue volleyball’s spectacular popularity. 

The experienced coach has been attending the camp for many years and has noticed a recent trend. During the media briefing, the coach regaled the audience with a few anecdotes on the subject. He said, “I mean, look what’s going on at Purdue in the last couple of years, the kind of crowds that we have. They’re just the most loyal, passionate, caring fans ever. And this doesn’t happen very many places.” He went on to mention other Boilermaker teams that are also drawing record-breaking crowds at their home games, something that fills him with pride. His goal now? To keep that momentum rolling strong.