Purdue Volleyball Schedule 2026

2026 Season Outlook

Purdue is coming off arguably the best season in program history - 27-7, 15-5 in the Big Ten for a share of third, a program-record five All-Big Ten First Team honorees and a run to the Elite Eight that ended against top-seeded Pitt. The Boilermakers open 2026 ranked No. 9 nationally and picked fourth in the Big Ten, a projection that reads conservative given they return 71 percent of last season's production and five starters from that regional final team. Dave Shondell said at Big Ten Media Day that this group will be considerably better. The schedule agrees that it had better be: Purdue opens on national television against No. 13 Creighton, hosts reigning national champion Texas A&M four days later, and closes with five of its final six matches on the road, the most demanding finish of any Big Ten team.

Three Boilermakers made the Preseason All-Big Ten team - setter Taylor Anderson, opposite Grace Heaney and outside hitter Kenna Wollard - a total matched only by Nebraska.

Program History & Tradition

Purdue has become one of the Big Ten's most consistent programs under Dave Shondell, reaching back-to-back NCAA regional finals and going 27-7 in 2025 with a 15-5 conference record that tied for third. That team produced a program-record five All-Big Ten First Team honorees. Home matches are split between Holloway Gymnasium and Mackey Arena, where Purdue stages its biggest draws as Mackey Matches.

Head Coach Spotlight

Dave Shondell is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the Big Ten and holds the title of Art and Connie Euler Women's Volleyball Head Coach. He has taken Purdue to back-to-back regional finals and returns five starters from a 2025 team that produced a program-record five All-Big Ten First Team selections. His staff includes associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Kathy Jewell, assistant head coach John Klanac, assistant coach Emily Hill, director of operations Carrie Gurnell, player personnel coordinator Allison Jacobs, and technical coordinator and performance analyst Ryan Wheeler.

What to Watch in 2026

The opener is a real one: Creighton on FOX from Sioux Falls on August 28, against a top-15 program that went 16-0 in BIG EAST play and reached its own Elite Eight. Reigning national champion Texas A&M visits Mackey Arena on September 1 for the first Big Ten/SEC Challenge, with Georgia the following night and TCU on September 6 - three top-20 non-conference opponents in ten days. The Paradise Invitational in the Bahamas follows on September 12 and 13. Big Ten play opens at home against Maryland on September 24 and Wisconsin on September 27, the latter a Blackout Mackey match and the biggest home date of the year.

Purdue has not beaten Nebraska since 2019 and travels to Lincoln on October 17. The finish is brutal - Senior Night against UCLA on November 7 is already sold out, then Michigan State, Michigan and the Monon Spike match at Indiana. The inaugural Big Ten Tournament runs November 20 to 25 at the Fishers Event Center, a short drive from West Lafayette.

Purdue Volleyball 2026 Schedule Overview

Schedule and scores checked October 12, 2026 · Official source: purduesports.com

The 2026 Purdue volleyball schedule opens August 28 against No. 13 Creighton on FOX from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls - a national showcase against a top-15 program that went 16-0 in BIG EAST play and reached its own Elite Eight. Purdue does not get an easy first week. Reigning national champion Texas A&M visits Mackey Arena on September 1 for the first Big Ten/SEC Challenge, with Georgia the following night, and TCU on September 6 makes three top-20 non-conference opponents in ten days. The Paradise Invitational at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in the Bahamas puts Purdue against Houston on September 12 and then either SMU or Kentucky on September 13 depending on results.

Big Ten play opens at home with Maryland on September 24 and Wisconsin on September 27, the latter a Mackey match with a pre-match block party and alumni day - the biggest home date of the year. The West Coast swing to Oregon and Washington comes early, the first weekend of October, and Nebraska in Lincoln follows on October 17. The close is the hardest in the conference: five of the final six matches on the road, ending with the Monon Spike match at Indiana. The inaugural Big Ten Tournament runs November 20 to 25 at the Fishers Event Center, a short drive from West Lafayette.

Full dates, Eastern times, venues and confirmed broadcast are below.