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Elon’s newest volleyball head coach looks to build player-coach connections

When Matt Troy took the head coaching job for Elon University’s volleyball team, he saw it as an opportunity to grow as a coach. Troy previously hadn’t heard much about Elon’s volleyball program but after watching film of the team, he believed they had potential that could be built upon once the season begins in […]

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When Matt Troy took the head coaching job for Elon University’s volleyball team, he saw it as an opportunity to grow as a coach. Troy previously hadn’t heard much about Elon’s volleyball program but after watching film of the team, he believed they had potential that could be built upon once the season begins in August. Last year, Elon finished 11-18.

While Troy does plan on incorporating a few things such as an up-tempo offense, he isn’t looking to change everything about the team. Elon will have 11 returning players next year, and Troy recognizes how tight-knit most of the players are going back to former head coach Mary Tendler’s tenure. Tendler spent the last 22 seasons coaching Elon where she won over 300 games. 

Troy said he made it a priority to know the players on the team so he could get a better understanding of who they are. He and his staff have also started recruiting players in preparation for the fall. 

“One of the first things I did coming in is I started to put meetings into play,” Troy said. “Once we started in February, I have them in my office every week and just get to know them.”

Troy said he’ll typically ask the players questions about their lives such as their personal interests or how they’re doing in school. He doesn’t want to know them as only volleyball players. 

“We’re invested in them as players of course, but also as people,” Troy said. 

When it comes to volleyball, Troy finds it easier to apply his offense from his previous coaching jobs, which he acknowledges is different from the offense they ran in the fall. During Troy’s most recent stint at Johns Hopkins, he compiled a 151-17 record which included an appearance in the 2019 NCAA Division III Championship. His career record in 14 seasons is 357-96.

Troy said he uses practices as an opportunity to get the players accustomed to his offense. The practices resemble most game simulations with lots of gameplay in an attempt to replicate game-like scenarios.

Although Troy recognized it might take some time to be fully effective, he is fine with this philosophy.

“In practice, it’s a lot of six on six and learning within the gameplay,” Troy said. “We’re willing to take some chances in our practices, and we might make some mistakes but we’re going to be better because of that.”

Troy also counts on the players to express their thoughts in practice. He believes that giving them ownership of the team will allow them to be more invested going forward. 

So far players including junior Cameron Lanier have admired Troy’s efforts in building connections with everyone on the team. She said Troy has been friendly and said she has gotten to know him better through one-on-one meetings.  

“Almost every week we do one-on-one meetings with him, and we watch film or go over questions that we have,” Lanier said. “That’s been really nice because he cares about us and wants us to get better.”

Troy said he’s invested in watching film of plays. He believes it’s an opportunity to really break down everything without worrying about performing a particular skill. 

Lanier said Troy hasn’t been afraid to incorporate new ideas during practice either. She believes the team has already shown glimpses of how effective Troy’s up-tempo strategy could be. 

She also said Troy sets high expectations for practice when the team is scrimmaging against each other. She said Troy expects everyone to practice the way they’d compete in an actual game. 

“He holds us to a high standard in practice and wants us to hold each other to a high standard,” Lanier said. “He’s always mentioning that which is nice because it’s true.”

Through Troy’s first few months on the job, he has found the players to be very receptive of his approach toward building connections along with the style of practices. 

He hopes to continue developing relationships among the players before the season through team activities whether it’s having dinner at his house or team road trips. 

“They’re brought into it pretty well,” Troy said. “One of my hopes is that a lot of our activities start taking place in the fall. And I think it’s fun when they’re a bit more genuine and not always planned.”




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Still plenty of scenarios on the table as L-L League boys volleyball reaches the finish line [notebook] | Boys’ volleyball

And just like that — snap! — the final week of L-L League boys volleyball section play has arrived. And how are we in May already? The curtain will come down on the regular season after league matches on Tuesday and Thursday. Here’s everything you need to know about the races, plus plenty of […]

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And just like that — snap! — the final week of L-L League boys volleyball section play has arrived. And how are we in May already?

The curtain will come down on the regular season after league matches on Tuesday and Thursday.


L-L Spring Sports Roundtable 2025: Tennis champs crowned, section chases, plus a new panelist

Here’s everything you need to know about the races, plus plenty of news and notables heading into the last week of play.

SECTION 1

Out front: Cedar Crest (9-1 league, 13-2 overall) and Warwick (9-1, 9-1) are tied for the top spot. Yes sir, it’s all tied up with two to play. We’re looking at a photo finish in this race, with three teams battling it out for two L-L League playoff slots — oh, and the section title.

Still in the picture: Hempfield (7-3, 8-4) is two games back, but depending how things shake down, the Black Knights could end up in some sort of a tie. Stay tuned. And keep the District 3 power ratings close if this indeed comes down to a tiebreaker.

Chase pack: Penn Manor (5-5, 9-7), Manheim Township (4-7, 9-8), Elizabethtown (1-9, 4-11) and Ephrata (1-10, 4-12) are in spoiler mode.

Matches to circle: After a nonleague tilt on Monday against Lower Dauphin, Cedar Crest finishes up Tuesday at Ephrata and Thursday at home against E-town. … Warwick gets Penn Manor at home on Tuesday and then visits — wait for it — Hempfield on Thursday. Circle that one. … The Black Knights are at E-town on Tuesday before welcoming the Warriors on the last night of league play.

Notable: Cedar Crest is seeking its first L-L League section championship. Warwick is going for its fourth straight Section 1 title; the Warriors shared the crown with Hempfield last spring.

SECTION 2

Out front: Manheim Central (12-0, 13-0) is not only alone in first place, but the Barons have clinched no worse than a tie for the section crown. One more win, and Manheim Central gets the gold trophy.

Still in the picture: Cocalico (10-2, 14-2) is alone in second place, and needs two wins, and for Manheim Central to fall twice, to force a tie for the title. We’ll go ahead and call that a long shot. But hey, it’s still on the table. … Conestoga Valley (8-4, 8-6) is two games behind Cocalico, and needs two wins, and for the Eagles to fall twice to force a tie for second place. Again, very likely a long shot. But that’s why you play the matches. … Still some house-cleaning to do here before anything is etched in stone.

Chase pack: Lancaster Mennonite (7-5, 9-7), Northern Lebanon (5-7, 8-10), Lebanon (3-9, 3-10), McCaskey (3-9, 3-11) and Garden Spot (0-12, 1-16) are all looking for fast finishes — especially Lancaster Mennonite and Northern Lebanon, which are in line for postseason bids.

Matches to circle: After an intriguing trip to York Suburban for a nonleague showdown on Monday, Manheim Central finishes up at McCaskey and at Lebanon. A win vs. the Red Tornado, and the Barons would snag the section outright. … Cocalico wraps it up Tuesday at Garden Spot and Thursday at home vs. Conestoga Valley. The Buckskins get Lancaster Mennonite at home on Tuesday and then are at Cocalico to put a bow on the regular season.

Notable: Manheim Central is in line for its third straight section title, and the Barons have also won the last two L-L League tournament championships. Should Manheim Central lock up the section crown, the Barons would host the league semifinals on May 12, with a double-header starting at 5 p.m. The L-L League finale is May 15 at 7 p.m. at Ephrata.

And this: Manheim Central is riding a 36-match winning streak in section play. The Barons have dropped just one set this spring, and that was to Cocalico back on April 1 in Manheim.


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KNIGHTS, STREAKS IN HAPPY VALLEY

The last regular-season tournament was contested on Saturday, and Hempfield and Manheim Township participated in the powerhouse State College Invitational.

Manheim Township did not make it out of pool play, but Hempfield did make it all the way to the playoff bracket. After going 6-0 in the first round of pool play, and 3-3 in the second round of pool play, the Black Knights found themselves in quarterfinals against WPIAL titan North Allegheny — and NA KO’d Hempfield.

NA went on to beat Central Dauphin in the championship match, in what was a star-studded playoff bracket. … Both of the top-ranked teams in the PVCA state rankings were there: Meadville in 2A and Cumberland Valley in 3A; Meadville lost to NA — No. 2 in the PVCA-3A state rankings — in the semifinals, and Cumberland Valley was tripped up by Central York — No. 3 in the PVCA-3A state rankings — in the quarterfinals. … Greater Latrobe — No. 5 in the PVCA-3A state rankings — fell to Meadville in the quarterfinals.

Meadville is ahead of No. 2 Manheim Central in the PVCA-2A state rankings; the Bulldogs beat the Barons in last year’s PIAA title match. Shaler beat Parkland for 3A state gold last spring.

Cedar Crest (8) and Warwick (9) finished up last week inside the PVCA-3A state rankings.

TOP PERFORMERS

* Getting it started with a couple of Cedar Crest stalwarts: St. Francis recruit Jack Wolgemuth waffled 14 kills in a nonleague win against Daniel Boone, he tacked on 11 kills in a Section 1 win over Manheim Township, and he capped the week with 14 digs in the Falcons’ must-have section victory over Hempfield. … Teammate Ryder Rohrer teed up 22 assists in the Daniel Boone match, he had 32 assists in the W over Manheim Township, and he set up 31 assists against Hempfield.


Cedar Crest survives, knocks off Hempfield to remain out front in Section 1 boys volleyball race

* Three players from Cocalico in the spotlight: Colson Hildebrand dominated at the net with 14 kills in a nonleague victory over Ephrata in the Backyard Brawl, and he tacked on 11 kills in a win over Lebanon, and he slammed 12 kills in a dub over Lancaster Mennonite. … Reilly Stark pounded 14 kills against Ephrata, he served up five aces and he had four digs against Lebanon, and he sparked the D with seven digs against Lancaster Mennonite. … And Jacob Wambolt was the maestro; he had 34 assists against Ephrata, 27 assists vs. Lebanon, and 27 assists in the Lancaster Mennonite match.

* McCaskey’s Yasiel Rodriguez was huge up front with 10 kills and 10 blocks in the Red Tornado’s win over Garden Spot, as McCaskey tripled its win total from 2024.

* Lucky 22. Lebanon picked up a win — its third this season, as the Cedars’ program, like McCaskey’s, picks up some steam — over Garden Spot, with Yadiel Gonzalez getting 22 digs on D, and Savian Perez-Crespo dishing off 22 assists against the Spartans.

* Northern Lebanon bumped off Conestoga Valley 3-2 last Tuesday to knock the Buckskins down a peg in the Section 2 hunt. The heroes were E-town College commit Sam Kolacek, who boomed 17 kills, and Carter Kubica, who set up 37 assists for the Vikings.

* Can’t get through an L-L League boys volleyball notebook without mentioning these two: Manheim Central’s Dylan Musser and Reagan Miller did plenty of damage in two wins last week. Miller uncorked 30 kills — 16 vs. Lancaster Mennonite and 14 vs. Conestoga Valley — and Musser had 33 assists and four aces against the Blazers, and 28 assists with a trio of aces vs. the Buckskins, as the Barons kept on keeping on.

* Penn Manor had a busy week with four matches, including three in a row, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Comets won the last three straight, with victories over E-town, Lower Dauphin and Daniel Boone. Rayn Andreychek had five digs against E-town, 15 digs against LD, and 15 more digs against Boone. And David Kirkley had five blocks vs. E-town and 15 digs and three aces vs. Boone, as Penn Manor continues to chase a D3-3A playoff bid.

* Talk about stuffing the stat sheet. Ephrata’s Fries brothers were key cogs for the Mountaineers in three matches last week. Against Cocalico, Austin swatted 18 kills and Brayden had 32 assists and 13 digs; against Warwick, Austin had 12 kills and Brayden set up 30 assists; and against Manheim Township, Austin had 13 kills, 13 blocks and 14 digs, and Brayden had 23 assists, 13 digs and a pair of aces.


Brotherly love: Penn Manor, Ephrata siblings having standout seasons in L-L League volleyball

DISTRICT 3 PLAYOFF PICTURE

Heading into the final week of the regular season, eight L-L League teams are inside the bubble in their respective classifications to snag a playoff invite.

Class 3A: Warwick (3), Cedar Crest (5), Hempfield (11), Cocalico (13) and Penn Manor (16) are inside the 16-team window. … Those three straight wins to cap last week helped the Comets, who muscled their way into the top-16. … Manheim Township (19) and Conestoga Valley (21) need fast finishes — and help — to make it. … Warwick fell to No. 4 Central York in last year’s finale. … Cumberland Valley is at No. 1 to start the week.

Class 2A: Manheim Central (1), Lancaster Mennonite (5) and Northern Lebanon (10) are all safely inside the 14-team bubble. … Linville Hill Christian out of the Commonwealth Christian Athletic Conference is at No. 4. … As mentioned, Manheim Central is at No. 2 York Suburban for a must-see nonleague tilt on Monday. That could be a finals preview. … The D3 playoffs, in both classifications, start May 20.

Undefeated D3 squads heading into the week: Manheim Central (13-0), Cumberland Valley (14-0), Governor Mifflin (13-0) and Central York (12-0).


DISTRICT 3 BOYS VOLLEYBALL POWER RATINGS

PVCA BOYS VOLLEYBALL STATE RANKINGS



Northern Lebanon is the new kid on the L-L League boys volleyball block

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MORE L-L LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL COVERAGE


Brotherly love: Penn Manor, Ephrata siblings having standout seasons in L-L League volleyball


Northern Lebanon is the new kid on the L-L League boys volleyball block


L-L Spring Sports Roundtable 2025: Tennis champs crowned, section chases, plus a new panelist





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Men’s Track & Field Concludes CCIW Outdoor Championships

Story Links NAPERVILLE – The Carthage men’s track & field team competed in the second and final day of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Outdoor Track & Field Championships at North Central College on Saturday. The team competed hard across all events, leading to a fifth place team finish.  […]

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NAPERVILLE – The Carthage men’s track & field team competed in the second and final day of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Outdoor Track & Field Championships at North Central College on Saturday. The team competed hard across all events, leading to a fifth place team finish. 

Team Results

  1. North Central – 236
  2. Illinois Wesleyan – 139
  3. Augustana (Ill.) – 125
  4. Millikin – 85.5
  5. Carthage – 81
  6. Wheaton (Ill.) – 58.5
  7. North Park – 38
  8. Carroll (Wis.) – 32
  9. Elmhurst – 24

SPRINTS

The 4x100m relay consisting of Christopher Seals, Shawn Rodgers, Luke Shugarman, and Dylan Parker placed seventh with a time of 43.30. The squad scored two points.

Parker placed fourth in the 400m with a time of 49.30.* He later followed that up with a sixth place finish in the 200m with a time of 22.33.* Parker registered eight points between the two events.

The 4x400m relay consisting of Tre Mitchell III, Michael Barber, Shugarman, and Chase Upmann, placed eighth with a time of 3:25.32. 

DISTANCE

Upmann placed second in the 800m with a time of 1:55.89.* Upmann picked up eight team points in the event

Jacob Curulewski placed sixth in the 5000m with a time of 14:55.04.* Curulewski registered 

JUMPS

Kedrick Johnson III placed fifth in triple jump with a mark of 13.73m.*

THROWS

Shot put contributed twelve points to the team score with Tyler Rose placing second with a personal best throw of 15.32m.* Lucas Leal placed fifth with a mark of 14.35m.*

Leal placed third in the discus throw with a throw of 45.92m.*

*Performance earned All-CCIW honors



 

  • Jacob Brost’s winning throw from day one in the javelin now ranks second on the Carthage all-time list, trailing behind Dan Ledman (2002) at 61.35m.
  • Freshman Harlan Matson entered the Carthage top ten list with his 9:35.74 performance in Friday’s 3,000m steeplechase. Matson ranks seventh for the Firebirds, passing Cameron Fischer (2023) at 9:36.45.

“While a 5th place finish is a disappointing team result for us,” said Head Coach Josh Henry. “We still had several outstanding performances that shouldn’t go unnoticed. 

Jacob [Curulewski] had arguably one of the best distance double performances in school history with a 30:33 10k followed by a 14:55 5k. He is truly an outstanding competitor who put it all out there this weekend. 

Another impressive weekend came from Dylan [Parker] in the sprints who qualified for the 400m and 200m finals on day 1. Day 2 consisted of anchoring the 4×100 relay, the 400m finals, and 200m finals an hour later. That was 5 high level races and he left everything out on the track this weekend. 

In the throws we had several standout performances led by Jake [Brost] winning the Javelin throw on his last attempt making for a dramatic way to win a conference title. The other performances that really stood out from that group were Tyler [Rose] and Lucas [Leal] in the shot put. Tyler competed very well throwing a lifetime best when it mattered most to become the conference runner up in the event. Lucas also was impressive in the shot for other reasons. This was the first time he competed in the event this year due to an elbow injury. He worked through discomfort to score crucial points for the team and showed a lot of grit. 

Probably one of the most unsung performances this weekend came from freshman distance runner Harlan [Matson]. He doubled in the 3k steeple and 1500m, narrowly missing scoring in both. His performance in the steeple ranks seventh in school history and was the top performance in the conference among freshmen. It also is the 12th best performance in NCAA Division III among freshmen this season. Falling short of scoring with a performance of that caliber truly showcases the level of competition in the CCIW. 

Overall I’m incredibly proud of how our team competed and how they represent our program on a daily basis. We will be graduating several incredible people who have been outstanding leaders for this team. I would like to thank them for their dedication and leadership over the years. They’re leaving the program with an outstanding culture that’ll help elevate our underclassmen and incoming freshmen class. The future is bright for the Firebirds.”

Carthage men’s track & field will be back in action Friday May 9, at the Penultimate Qualifier hosted by Augustana (Ill.) in Rock Island, Ill. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.




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Tumultuous Offseason Brings New Life, Fresh Perspective to Purdue Volleyball Program

On a frosty December morning, coach Dave Shondell, his staff and 17 players stepped onto the team bus in the heart of Kentucky Bourbon Country. Hungover with disappointment following Purdue’s 3-0 loss to Louisville in the regional semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament, the Boilermakers made the 183-mile trek back to West Lafayette. What awaited […]

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On a frosty December morning, coach Dave Shondell, his staff and 17 players stepped onto the team bus in the heart of Kentucky Bourbon Country. Hungover with disappointment following Purdue’s 3-0 loss to Louisville in the regional semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament, the Boilermakers made the 183-mile trek back to West Lafayette.

What awaited Shondell when he returned to campus was harsher than the bitter cold of a Midwestern winter. He was about to be hit with a flurry of text messages and phone calls from four members of his team, all wanting to talk about the transfer portal.

It started with redshirt sophomore Lizzie Carr, who had asked her coach for a meeting upon their return to Purdue.

“As a coach, immediately you know that this could be a situation where we’re talking about her leaving,” Shondell said.

An incredibly hard worker in the practice gym, Carr saw limited action during her three seasons in West Lafayette. Following a productive conversation with the 6-foot-6 middle blocker, Shondell understood her interest in exploring new options.

Purdue had been hit with a snowball when Carr decided to enter the transfer portal. Little did Shondell and his staff know that the volleyball program was about to be buried in an avalanche of bad news.

Two-time All-American outside hitter Eva Hudson and two-time All-Big Ten outside hitter Chloe Chicoine were preparing to pack their bags — and not just for the holiday break.

“The next day, I’m out doing stuff around the house and I missed a call from Eva,” Shondell said. “So, I called Eva back and, much to my disappointment, she’s telling me, ‘Thank you for everything that you’ve done, I’ve had a great experience, but I feel it’s in my best interest to go in the portal.’

“My head is starting to spin a little bit at this point. One of the best players you’ve ever coached, who has played virtually every single point for three years, is leaving … Then, about two hours later, I get the next call from Chloe. Very short conversation and she basically says the same thing (Eva said). To be honest with you, I was pretty much numb by then.”

The last bit of bad news came after Hudson and Chicoine told Shondell of their plans. Five-year veteran and middle blocker Lourdes Myers also let her coach know she was entering the transfer portal.

By that point, though, Shondell was shell-shocked. He didn’t have much of a rebuttal for Myers, having received four lumps of coal shortly before Santa Claus was due for his Christmas Eve voyage.

In the 48 hours after Purdue’s 27-7 season came to an end, four Boilermakers were heading out the door. It was something nobody in West Lafayette — or the college volleyball world — had anticipated.

“We really kind of got caught off guard, to be honest with you,” Shondell said. “As a coaching staff the week prior (to the NCAA Tournament), we had those discussions — is there anybody we need to be concerned about who might hit the portal? None of us felt like we had anybody who was going to leave.”

Like a bear preparing for those frigid winter temperatures, Shondell went into hibernation for a few days, not knowing what lie ahead.

Purdue rejuvenated through quick commitments

Three days before Christmas, Shondell’s smiling face popped up in a video posted to social media. Walking on a treadmill inside his home to avoid a chilly December morning, the 22-year Purdue coach had awoken from his slumber with a more positive perspective.

It took a few days, but Shondell digested what had unfolded and knew he had to get back to work. After all, there’s no time to rest for teams competing in the best volleyball conference in the country. Knowing they had some holes to fill with the departures of Carr, Hudson, Chicoine and Myers, members of the Purdue coaching staff went to work.

“When you’re trying to compete at the top of the Big Ten, the first thing you’re doing is looking in the portal and saying, ‘Who can help us do that? Who can help us do that who we can get to come to Purdue?'” Shondell said. “There were some names out there, but they’re probably looking at Texas, Nebraska, some of the bluebloods.”

Purdue was quick to land former Notre Dame and USC standout Lindsey Miller, filling a void at middle blocker. Then came commitments from outside hitters Akasha Anderson (Auburn, Michigan State) and Nataly Moravec (BYU, Iowa). The Boilers rounded out their time in the portal with pledges from middle blockers Dior Charles (Wake Forest) and Bianka Lulic (Miami).

In the matter of a few days, Shondell’s attitude completely changed.

“What was kind of the saving grace for me, what lifted me back up was that everyone I talked to from the portal was excited about Purdue,” he said. “Their impression of Purdue volleyball and the university was extremely positive. Nobody asked me, ‘Why did so-and-so leave?’ They didn’t care. They just knew there was a spot here.”

Indeed, Purdue has staked its claim as one of the top programs in the Big Ten under Shondell’s guidance. The Boilermakers have won 21 matches or more in seven of the last eight seasons, with the lone outlier being the 2020 COVID-19-shortened campaign.

In 2023 and 2024, Purdue’s Holloway Gymnasium sold out every home match. Last year, the Boilermakers made Big Ten history, posting conference attendance records of 14,876 in matches against Indiana and Wisconsin, both hosted at historic Mackey Arena.

Purdue’s status in college volleyball has risen to the top. The culture, resources and support has reached new heights, exploding in popularity and establishing a standard for success.

When the offseason resembled a revolving door of departures, though, Shondell began to question everything.

“The first thing you’re thinking is ‘How is this going to look to the outside world? What are people going to think is going on at Purdue? Why would those players (enter the transfer portal)?’ he said. “If they leave, you really have to start evaluating what happened. At the end of the day, I don’t know what you change. Maybe more conversations, more communication with them — there’s always that.

“The first time you get hit like that, you certainly think it’s your fault, you failed. After watching what has transpired across the country the last six months, you realize it’s going to happen to everybody, every year. The less you take it personal, the better off you’re going to be, but if you don’t take it personal, you’re not going to learn and get better. So, I did take it personal — not that I was angry with those players, just that we need to do better.”

Perception is everything, and while Shondell had some internal battles regarding the culture in West Lafayette, many in the transfer portal considered Purdue one of the top destinations in the sport. So much so, in fact, that only one needed to visit campus before committing.

Of the transfer players to pledge, Charles was the only one who put boots to pavement in West Lafayette. The others were quick to grab their tickets to play for one of the Big Ten’s best programs.

That helped Shondell hit the reset button heading into a new year.

“For those players to commit to us within two days certainly changed my attitude and my mentality about where we were,” he said. “It was something I needed badly, and was just really blessed and fortunate that it happened that way.”

Springing into a new volleyball season

The snow melted, grass began showing signs of green life and the 14,000 trees across the Purdue campus started to bloom. A new season in West Lafayette meant the doors to Holloway Gymnasium were about to crack open.

On the 2025 spring roster is a 50/50 mix of returning talent and new players. Eight players from the 2024 squad are back, including key contributors Kenna Wollard (outside hitter), Ryan McAleer (defensive specialist) and Taylor Anderson (setter). The other seven are newcomers — five transfers and two freshmen.

When those transfer players — Lindsey Miller, Dior Charles, Akasha Anderson, Nataly Moravec and Dior Charles — finally stepped on Purdue’s campus, their eyes were opened to a new world of college volleyball.

“It’s amazing when you get these players who come in from other schools, they can’t believe what a great situation we have at Purdue,” Shondell said. “They’re blown away by the support we have here, the facilities we have, all the people we have around — it’s just been neat to hear them say those things.”

With elite resources comes high expectations. There was no time to stand around wide-eyed and gawk at what Purdue had to offer. It was time to get to work in West Lafayette and begin the process of building a championship-caliber team.

Shondell, refreshed and rejuvenated, was ready to get back to offseason training.

“Getting those players committed certainly raised our enthusiasm, but now you’ve got to find a way to help them compete in the best conference in the country,” he said. “We knew we had certain things to improve on in this situation.”

Top priorities for the Boilermakers during the offseason included improving on first-ball contact and power hitting. After all, Purdue did lose two of the hardest-hitting players in the Big Ten with Hudson heading to Kentucky and Chicoine committing to Louisville.

Serve-receive issues proved to be costly in Purdue’s seven losses in the 2024 campaign. Correcting that was a major focus during those training sessions. And, in the Big Ten, terminating balls is a necessity. If you can’t put points away, it’s going to be awfully difficult to win matches.

Improvement on the court is only half the battle in a team sport, though. With a roster featuring a healthy mix of returners and newcomers, getting acquainted with new teammates is just as important.

“We’ve set up some things this semester to pull this team together. I mean, we have eight players who return and seven newcomers. That allowed us to set up a ‘buddy system,’ Shondell said. “Every week, they go out and do something fun with one of their new teammates — whether that be going to make candles, having dinner or go out for coffee.”

Woven into Purdue’s spring season was a schedule with five matches, which tested Purdue’s blend of on-court training and team chemistry. The Boilers hosted three matches at Holloway Gymnasium, playing Butler, Miami (Ohio) and Loyola Chicago in late March and early April. Then, Purdue traveled to Fishers (Ind.) to play Vanderbilt at a neutral-site location and closed out the spring schedule with a trip to Muncie for a match against Ball State.

Purdue posted a perfect 5-0 record, winning 17 sets and dropping only two.

It’s important not to slip into the habit of reading too much into spring exhibitions — there are too many variables to consider. But Purdue’s success in those five matches — especially with McAleer, Charles and Anderson sidelined due to injury — serves as a sign that, through the avalanche of bad news from the winter, the Boilermakers can dig themselves out and remain near the top of the Big Ten.

Shondell perseveres for Purdue, his players

December was one of the most difficult months Shondell has endured in more than 20 years at Purdue. At times, he questioned whether or not he should return as the leader of the program.

It didn’t take him long to nix the thought of leaving.

Purdue took a chance on Shondell back in February 2003, hiring him away from Muncie Central High School. He wasn’t about to bail on the school during one of the program’s toughest moments.

“I decided I needed to come back and make this thing work for two reasons: (Former athletic director) Morgan Burke hired me out of high school — I was a high school coach. Who does that? He did that for me and it changed my life, my family’s life in such a positive way. I owed it to Purdue,” Shondell said.

“I also owed it to these kids who wanted to come back and play, and these freshmen who were coming in and committed their college lives to Purdue. Those things really hit home for me.”

Yes, Shondell wants to win a lot more volleyball matches while he’s at Purdue, and he’s hopeful that this year’s team will continue to keep the Boilermakers near the top of the Big Ten standings. But what brings him the most excitement about this next chapter is the opportunity to coach a hard-working, unselfish and fun group.

“Our kids are great people. They knew that we had hit a low level and everyone was here to make it better,” he said. “I’m just really happy that, right now, we’re in a really good place.”

BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL MEDIA DAYS: Dates have been announced for 2025 Big Ten Volleyball Media Days. It will be a two-day event held in Chicago at Big Ten Network headquarters. CLICK HERE



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Swims You Might Have Missed on the Final Day of the 2025 Ft. Lauderdale Pro Swim Series

2025 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale Whilst there were several swims on the final day at Fort Lauderdale that you won’t have missed thanks to Gretchen Walsh, Katie Ledecky, Regan Smith and Ilya Kharun, the fast swimming didn’t stop there. There were more individual World Records yesterday than in the entire Paris Olympics, and […]

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2025 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale

Whilst there were several swims on the final day at Fort Lauderdale that you won’t have missed thanks to Gretchen Walsh, Katie Ledecky, Regan Smith and Ilya Kharun, the fast swimming didn’t stop there. There were more individual World Records yesterday than in the entire Paris Olympics, and here are some other swims that may have gone under radar.

DAY 4 – SWIMS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Out of the early heats of the women’s 800 free, Michaela Mattes hacked 10 seconds off her best time to drop from an 8:44 to 8:34.76. That ended up ranking fifth after the final heat was swum, and she also now ranks #5 among US women so far this season. She may well have landed herself a place in the final heat at US Trials with this swim.

Jack Harvey, who swims internationally for Bermuda, dropped over a second off his entry time in the 100 backstroke to claim second in the final behind Hubert Kos. He broke his own Bermudan record in the morning with a 54.87, his first-ever swim under 55, and sliced another three-tenths off in to go 54.56 in the evening. His previous mark stood at 55.19, and he is now less than half a second off the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut.

Gavin Keogh took third in the same race, shaving 0.02 of his top-ranked 17-18 time this year to go 54.72. Keogh, an honorable mention in the 2025 recruiting class, will join NC State in the fall, adding to a backstroke group that includes Daniel Diehl, Oleksandr Zheltyakov and Quintin McCarty. McCarty swam the heats of the 100 back here, shaving half a second off his best of 55.73 to go 55.26, before scratching the final in favour of the 50 where he ended up placing third.

Leah Hayes took on a tough double tonight, swimming the 200 breast and 200 IM, placing third in both. In the first of those she set a new best time in both heats and finals, shaving eight-tenths off over the course of the day to end with a time of 2:27.60 and contribute to a Virginia 1-2-3. Hayes swam this event at both ACCs and NCAAs, finishing sixth at the conference championships before adding time at Federal Way to finish 17th. With her IM 2.5  seconds off her best of 2:08.91, she could have far more time to drop when fully tapered.

Julian Koch took a fantastic third place in the 100 fly on the final night in a time of 52.29, a hundredth slower than his prelims time. That had been a 1.42 second drop from his previous best time of 53.70 set in May 2024, and he set a 50 fly best on the first 50 as well. He was out in 23.93, only 0.36 slower than eventual winner Ilya Kharun. Koch has just finished his freshman year at Pitt, and holds a best of 46.76 in yards; if he follows the lead of swimmers like Dare Rose who have previously dropped big in yards after a summer of doing so in long course, he could crack NCAA qualification next year.

Ellen Walshe had already set one Irish record in Fort Lauderdale, and came close to two others on the final day. In the 100 fly she was 58.12, just 0.16 off her own record of 57.96 from 2016, and just 16 minutes later swam 2:11.59 in the 200 IM. She was just under seven-tenths off the record of 2:10.92, again one of hers, but was 1:08.05 on the second half, only behind winner Alex Walsh. It was also over a second faster than she came home when swimming the record, and again showcases the freestyle gains she has made this season.

Aleksas Savickas was the top seed in the 100 breast on Day 2, but didn’t quite pace the heats in the 200 right and slipped to 11th, missing out on the ‘B’ final. He made the most of the clean water there, going 2:10.34 to take the win by over five seconds in a time  less than seven-tenths off his best, and was only five-hundredths of Denis Petrashov‘s winning time from the ‘A’ final.

Tolu Young set his third Fijian record in three days here, in a quintessentially Arizona State slate of 50 free, 100 free, 50 fly. He shaved 0.42 off his own 50 free record today in 22.29 in the prelims, before going under the old record again in finals with a 22.53





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TCU Beach Volleyball Makes History Advancing to Their First National Championship

History is made on the sands of Gulf Shores. For the first time in program history, TCU Beach Volleyball (31-5) is headed to the NCAA Championship Final after a dominant Saturday performance that saw the Horned Frogs defeat both #7-seeded Texas and #6-seeded Cal Poly. The Horned Frogs, who have steadily climbed into national prominence […]

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History is made on the sands of Gulf Shores. For the first time in program history, TCU Beach Volleyball (31-5) is headed to the NCAA Championship Final after a dominant Saturday performance that saw the Horned Frogs defeat both #7-seeded Texas and #6-seeded Cal Poly.

The Horned Frogs, who have steadily climbed into national prominence over the last few seasons, made a resounding statement by sweeping in-state rival Texas 3-0 in the quarterfinals. TCU remains the unquestioned beach volleyball powerhouse in the Lone Star State, improving to 42-0 all-time against Texas programs.

In the semifinal dual, it was the team’s star pairings that carried the Frogs to victory. TCU’s AVCA Top Flight honorees: Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno, Anhelina Khmil and Ana Vergara, and Allanis Navas and Sofia Izuzquiza delivered clutch performances to secure a 3-1 win over Cal Poly and punch the program’s first-ever ticket to the NCAA title match.

In a dramatic semifinal matchup against Cal Poly, Alvarez and Moreno, veterans of Gulf Shores, earned their first point of the weekend at #1 with a tight 27-25, 21-12 win. The Olympic-level duo improved to 15-4 on the season and remains unbeaten in four NCAA tournament appearances together.

Khmil and Vergara kept their perfect season intact, moving to 20-0 with a 25-23, 21-18 victory at the No. 4 spot. Although Hamlett and Gonzalez fell in a three-set thriller, the match came down to the third pairing, where Izuzquiza and Navas delivered under pressure, grinding out a 21-13, 18-21, 15-13 win to send TCU to the finals.

The Frogs are now 6-6 all-time in NCAA Championship play and hold a 6-4 series lead over Cal Poly.

TCU enters the championship final playing its best volleyball of the season. The Frogs’ depth and consistency across all five pairings make them a formidable opponent for LMU on Sunday morning.

With momentum, history, and a national title on the line, the Horned Frogs are ready to take the final step in what has already been a groundbreaking season.



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TCU wins first NCAA beach volleyball title

TCU won the NCAA beach volleyball championship Sunday, marking the first time in tournament history a California school did not win. GULF SHORES, Ala. — Texas Christian University won its first-ever beach volleyball championship Sunday, marking the first time in tournament history that the University of California, Los Angeles or the University of Southern California […]

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TCU won the NCAA beach volleyball championship Sunday, marking the first time in tournament history a California school did not win.

GULF SHORES, Ala. — Texas Christian University won its first-ever beach volleyball championship Sunday, marking the first time in tournament history that the University of California, Los Angeles or the University of Southern California didn’t take home the trophy. 

TCU defeated No. 4-seeded Loyola Marymount 3-2 in the title matches, according to the NCAA. The teams competed at 9:30 a.m. Sunday in Gulf Shores, Ala. TCU was seeded No. 2 heading into the tournament. 

TCU defeated Georgia State University, the University of Texas and Cal Poly to make it to the final. 

TCU’s No. 1 pair, Daniela Álvarez and Tania Moreno, also represented Spain at the Paris Olympic Games last summer. The pair is undefeated in the national tournament, according to TCU. 

Daniela Alvarez’s AVCA Collegiate Beach Player of the Year 

In the tournament’s nearly ten-year history, only UCLA and USC have won the sixteen-team tournament, according to the NCAA. USD has taken home the top prize since 2021. 

This was the Horned Frogs’ first appearance in the NCAA tournament. 

The team is coached by Hector Gutierrez, Majo Orellana and Daniel Lindsey.

The championship was played in single-elimination duals with 10 student-athletes split into five pairs from each team. The dual meet match is played in five best-of-three sets, with each pair’s match being worth one point.



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