Dave Shondell has reached another place in Purdue history, and this one sits above every coach in every sport the university has ever had.
The longtime Boilermakers volleyball coach picked up career win No. 513 at Purdue on Tuesday night, when No. 14 Purdue swept No.
12 Texas A&M 3-0 inside Mackey Arena in the first match of the Big Ten-SEC Challenge. The win came over the defending national champions and gave Purdue a statement result in a sweltering basketball venue.
The sweep came by set scores of 27-25, 25-23, and 25-20.
That victory pushed Shondell past Gene Keady, who had been tied with him at 512 wins. Keady’s total came over 25 seasons in West Lafayette, and Shondell moved ahead of him on Keady Court with the Hall of Fame basketball coach sitting courtside for the match.
Shondell had already claimed the title of Purdue’s all-time winningest volleyball coach during the 2024 season, when he passed Carol Dewey with his 470th victory. He reached 500 wins as a head coach last season, another marker in a career that has now stretched 24 years in West Lafayette.
The résumé is a big one: 20 NCAA Tournament appearances in his first 23 seasons leading the program.
Purdue is now 1-1 on the season. The Boilermakers opened with a five-set loss to No.
10 Creighton in Sioux Falls on Friday. They return to the court Wednesday night at home against Georgia in the second night of the Big Ten-SEC Challenge.
In Other News...
Purdue Just Put An In-State Name Worth Watching On Its Radar
The early recruiting board is taking shape for Purdue, and one in-state name now belongs on it. Micah Mohler, a rising prospect from Indiana, announced that he has picked up a Division 1 offer from the Boilermakers, adding another local target to a class that is still very much in its infancy. Mohler is already drawing attention beyond West Lafayette, with offers from Indiana, Western Kentucky and Evansville, and his stock has only kept moving after a strong freshman season at Austin High School.
For Purdue, the appeal goes beyond geography. Mohler is the third player the Boilermakers have offered in the 2029 class, and his profile fits the kind of long-term evaluation that can quietly shape a future recruiting cycle. Playing on the Adidas 3SSB circuit gives him another stage to prove he belongs on major-college radars, and if his freshman-year momentum continues, this will be one of those early offers that looks more meaningful by the time the class comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]