Butler is 1-4 all-time against Purdue. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The volleyball team lost to 17th-ranked Purdue in straight sets on Sept. 9.
Head coach Kyle Shondell’s squad led for the majority of the first set, but let a 17-12 lead evaporate, with the Boilermakers knotting the score at 22. The visitors then took three of the next four points to escape with a 25-23 first-set win.
Shondell was pleased with the way his team commanded the court, particularly early on, despite the lack of results.
“I felt like we had control of most of the sets at times,” Shondell said. “We did a really good job of making Purdue feel uneasy. We just couldn’t capitalize on that.”
Set number two was equally competitive, but Purdue — led by Kyle’s father, Dave Shondell — was in control the whole way. The Boilermakers led from wire-to-wire, securing a 25-22 victory and going up two sets to none.
Butler struggled to close one last time as Purdue shut the door with a 28-26 third set.
Despite looking to the other sideline and seeing a familiar face throughout the game, Kyle felt no comfort in facing off with his father.
“From a standpoint of who I’m coaching against, [it was] terrifying,” Kyle said. “He’s got one of the best staffs in the country, so we [made] adjustments, but I [knew] it wasn’t gonna last for long.”
Junior outside hitter Kenna Wollard tallied a match-high 15 kills for Purdue, while sophomore defensive specialist Ryan McAleer led the Boilers with 15 digs.
While the Bulldogs did not get the result they hoped for, the tightly-contested match did deliver on its hefty amounts of hype. The lower sections of Hinkle Fieldhouse were lined with energetic students and opposing fans alike, setting a Butler volleyball attendance record of 3,067 fans on hand to watch the first father-son coaching matchup in Division I women’s volleyball history.
It was a special experience for the Shondell family.
“I loved the draw that it got from the Indy community,” Kyle said. “I’m glad we played maybe the best match in my time at Butler in front of my dad.”
With the family reunion in the rearview mirror, the Dawgs will set their sights on three games at the Indiana State Invitational from Sept. 12-13.
