A few days ago, the Purdue Boilermakers pulled off something truly special to celebrate their head coach, Dave Shondell. After a tough loss to No. 4 Penn State on September 25, the veteran coach was feeling a bit down, but he made a promise to bounce back stronger. And boy, has he delivered! Since that defeat, the Boilermakers have been on a rampage, demolishing their opponents in the volleyball arena.

The first big moment came on October 6 when Purdue hosted Michigan State at their home turf, Mackey Arena. The No. 10 team didn’t just hold their ground; they crushed the Spartans in a stunning 3-0 victory. But wait for it—the win marked Shondell’s 470th career victory! He became only the second active coach in the Big Ten to hit that milestone (right after the legendary John Cook). The team celebrated in style, but they promised there was more to come.

Fast forward to October 19, game day against in-state rivals Indiana. Once again, the Boilermakers took to Mackey Arena, and guess what? They swept the Hoosiers 3-0! This time, a whopping 14,876 fans packed the arena to cheer on Coach Shondell. You could see the emotions on his face as he soaked in the support from such a massive crowd. But hold on, the party’s not over just yet!

The good times keep rolling as Purdue recently made it to the NCAA Committee’s Top 16 Reveal list. And just to add to the celebration, on Wednesday, the Boilermakers swept the Ohio Buckeyes with scores of 28-26, 25-19, and 27-25. That’s right—Purdue snagged their first win against Ohio since 2018! But let’s be real, the journey to this win wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

The Buckeyes desperately attempted to push the game to a fourth set by tying the score in the third set (23-23). But the brave attack from the Black and White jersey team left them at bay. The back-to-back points made by Chloe Chicoine tilted the game toward the Boilermakers and the scores resulted in 25-24. However, Chicoine missed a personal milestone while upping her game. 

With 11 kills and nine Digs, Chicoine ended her show on October 23. But she could have attended her double-double with the addition of one more dig. However, her hearty effort gained a lot of praise from the Boilermakers volleyball camp. But haven’t all these been expected from a team, following its coach’s words as the maxim? 

Purdue volleyball coach discusses the secret sauce behind his team’s success

Nobody had expected to see Purdue Boilermakers facing a defeat in the full-house of Holloway Gymnasium against Penn State. Yet, the fans had to. Their energy failed to bear the result. Result? The excitement hit the rock bottom. Coach Dave Shondell felt the blow. Despite fans trusting him, the veteran coach said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve stood through one of those. That was not enjoyable for anybody.”  

The senior players of the team, including Ali Hornung, echoed the feeling. But they promised to stand again. On Wednesday, the Boilermakers won their fourth straight game and seventh out of the last eight games. A memorable achievement! But the coach doesn’t want any bite from this cake of success. 

After the victory against Indiana, he shared a few thoughts on Instagram on the overall journey. There he mentioned, “I’m thankful for every win–but 1000x more important are the players and coaches who shared those moments. Purdue has been so supportive of our VB program from Day One. Thanks for all the notes. I’m the lucky one and I look forward to many more opportunities. Thanks again to all those who have been part of PurdueVB.”That crystal-clear bond he talks about? It’s hard to argue that it hasn’t fueled the Boilermakers’ fairy-tale run! With such gratitude and unity, it’s no wonder they’re soaring to new heights.