Purdue volleyball rises to the occasion

Purdue volleyball coach Dave Shondell didn’t have a moment to waste.

In the brave new world of college athletics, student-athletes are more mobile than they have ever been. And immediately following the 2024 season and another NCAA Regional appearance, Shondell had to replace four players who had entered the transfer portal.

And he only had about 72 hours to do it. Six-foot-four middle blocker Lindsey Miller, who had played previously at USC and Notre Dame, was already committed as a grad transfer. Still, Shondell knew he needed some additional help on the front line, and in a hurry.

“I got busy and watched a lot of tape of players that I was familiar with, that I thought could play at this level,” says Shondell, who is in his 23rd season at Purdue and will record his 500th victory this season as the program’s all-time winningest coach.

So far, so good when evaluating the Boilermakers’ performance to date. Purdue has thus far proved naysayers with low expectations wrong, entering Big Ten play ranked 10th in the nation with wins over two top-15 teams: No. 15 Kansas and No. 10 SMU.

“We are playing well as a unit,” says Shondell, who has had led Purdue to an NCAA tournament appearance in 19 of his 22 years at the helm, including four trips to the regional finals.

Joining Miller in the five-player transfer class were a pair of 6-3 outside hitters, Akasha Anderson and Nataly Moravec, and another middle blocker, 6-1 junior Dior Charles. Anderson spent two years at Auburn before playing for Michigan State in 2024. Moravec had been at BYU and Iowa, and Charles at Wake Forest. The fifth addition was Bianka Lulić, also a 6-5 middle blocker, who had played previously at Miami (Florida).

“The good news is that the five that I talked to, and the five that I thought at the time that were still available, were the best fits for Purdue,” Shondell says. “We had to adjust and adjust quickly, but I credit my staff and returning players for keeping me focused, and for those kids for wanting to be at Purdue.”

In fact, Anderson, Lulić and Moravec never made an official — or unofficial — visit before making their decision, although Anderson had the familiarity all Big Ten opponents have with Purdue. At Michigan State, the outside hitter had experienced firsthand the “welcoming” atmosphere that was Holloway Gymnasium, Purdue’s home venue.

While the time accounts vary to when Anderson and Shondell connected — Anderson says it was five minutes after she entered the portal, while Shondell says it was about an hour — it doesn’t matter. By the next day, Anderson was committed.

Charles also chose Purdue without any previous knowledge of the university’s program, let alone the university itself. She, however, made a quick study of Shondell’s success and was eager to make the jump.

“I had never heard of Purdue before I entered the transfer portal,” says Charles, who is enrolled in the Mitch Daniels School of Business. “I did a lot of research and loved the legacy of Dave and his program. I am from (Los Angeles), so going to Indiana scared me a little bit, and meeting all those returning teammates and the standard set by the program was a little intimidating. However, it didn’t take long for everyone to make me feel at ease.”

And like the others, Charles was also impressed by the resources allocated to the program, especially the new Gelov Family Purdue Athlete Dining facility. “It’s my favorite building on campus,” says Charles with a laugh. “Everything here, from the academic support to the coaching staff, is welcoming.

“I never would have thought that schools of this level would even notice me. And so that little doubt that I had in myself, it’s just good to see it washed away now that I am at Purdue.”

And make no mistake, academics is a key piece of the puzzle. The five transfers entered the West Lafayette campus wanting to graduate or further their education. It was a priority for each, but also a challenge getting the academic credits aligned and moving in the right direction.

One of Anderson’s first questions to Shondell on that prompt, fateful phone call was whether she would be able to graduate on time. She plans to go pro in January, and she wants to be in position to get her degree in political science while pursuing a pro career.

“I found out quickly how nice it is to be at Purdue, where academics are taken so seriously,” says Anderson, or “Kash” as she is nicknamed. “My professors are very much bought into helping it all work for me.”

But she also noted a more “chill” attitude around the program — a word not often used when describing Shondell’s intense coaching nature.

“I was part of an intense top-25 program for two years (at Auburn), and when you think of a top-15 program like Purdue, you think it is hardcore,” says Anderson, who admits she ranks high on the intensity scale on the court. “While expectations at Purdue are sky high, and we want to go to the Final Four, it was refreshing to find that people are more laid back here and have a good time. I’ve discovered it is about balance and the experience of building relationships at Purdue as much as it is about winning.”

Meanwhile, Moravec’s journey to Purdue took many turns and a lot of patience and faith. She began her career at BYU and transferred to Iowa, where she was a regular in 2023. Yet she yearned for a more competitive program, and with an eye on the transfer portal, Moravec did not return to Iowa for her redshirt sophomore season. Instead, she made the trek to China — where she had connections, in large part because her mother is originally from there — and trained, while also taking online classes so she didn’t lose a year of eligibility.

Coming here (to Purdue) is the happiest I’ve ever been. These girls are amazing.

Nataly Moravec Redshirt sophomore outside hitter

In fact, after entering the portal last year, she had emailed Shondell expressing interest in the program, and as fate would have it, the Purdue coach remembered her email when room became available and connected with Moravec.

It was an experience that still evokes emotion for her.

“I have had a lot of challenges and difficulties in my college experience,” says Moravec, who chose economics as her academic path. “It has not been smooth.

“Yet coming here (to Purdue) is the happiest I’ve ever been. These girls are amazing. We have gotten to know each other really well, especially during the off-season, and they really just welcomed us with open arms. The returning players have taught us how to navigate the systems. The coaches embraced us, and I think that it’s been so special to be a part of that.”

Shondell believes, in time, things will settle down with the transfer portal, revenue sharing and NIL. Some form of normalcy is just around the corner. Yet, the experience has opened a new chapter for him as a coach.

And despite building a program known for player development and remarkable roster stability, Purdue hasn’t missed a beat. The self-proclaimed “old ball coach” has proven he can recruit talent wherever and whenever that may be.

“I plan to be around here for a while,” Shondell says. “There have been rough times, but I really love our team, and am so happy about how well our transfers have not only played, but have become part of the fabric of our program.

“We are fortunate at Purdue.”

Written by Alan Karpick, publisher of GoldandBlack.com