WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A member of the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024, Annie Drews will be officially inducted on Friday.
Drews was a four-year letterwinner as an outside hitter for Purdue Volleyball. She was a gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, playing a key role in Team USA's historic run on the world stage.
Drews was also a silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has become a regular with the U.S. Senior National Team.
Before her international glory, she led the Boilermakers to three NCAA Tournament trips, including two Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight. Drews closed out her Purdue career with Second Team All-America honors in 2015 along with back-to-back First Team All-Big Ten accolades.
A leader on the court and in the classroom, she was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Q: How would you describe your approach to your athletic and academic pursuits during your time at Purdue?
Drews: At Purdue, I was given every resource to succeed both on and off the court. I aimed to maximize my athletic and academic ability by tapping into those resources with the hope of simplifying my life so I could best perform on the weekends. Big and small services, such as meals, laundry, charter flights, massages, tutors, internship opportunities and fellowship of Christian athletes all aided in helping me optimize each day I wore Old Gold & Black.
Q: What did you learn during your time at Purdue that has been the most valuable for you?
Drews: I gained confidence to say yes to opportunities that ultimately propelled me into my professional and national team success. I had several summer jobs and internships, both through athletics and through my school. I left the country every single year -- for volleyball, a Big Ten All-Star tournament and a mission trip. I learned how to deal with the pressure of being a critical piece of a team in the toughest conference in the country. All of these events stretched me out of my comfort zone and provided me valuable life experience that made my next steps post-college not seem so scary.
Q: What advice would you give current student-athletes that you wish someone had given you during your time at Purdue?
Drews: I am a nine-year pro and two-time Olympic medalist, and I can confidently say that in most circumstances I've gotten to experience playing post-college, none have come close to having the resources that Purdue has. It's a posh and well-rounded experience.
Exhaust the resources to be your absolute best, because it will never be as efficient or seamless once you leave. And if there's ever a time to unapologetically invest in and bet on yourself to be great, now is the time! You won't know what you're capable of unless you drive your own ship.
Q: What is your favorite Purdue Athletics memory?
Drews: My sophomore year, we went to Mizzou for the NCAA Tournament and knocked out a top seed that I believe had been undefeated, and then went to Illinois to eliminate them and advance to the Elite Eight.
We fell short in the quarterfinal, but I'll never forget the student section, band and cheerleaders making the trip in a heavy blizzard to meet us at our hotel before the match and properly send us off into our game.
Q: Did you have a favorite coach, trainer, or administrator?
Drews: John Shondell was a big piece in making me believe I could do more than I thought I was capable. I will never forget sitting in his office right after my senior season concluded and him looking me in the eye and telling me, clear as day, I could be on the national team if I wanted. It seemed like a pipe dream at the time, but it's one example of a meaningful moment of encouragement.
Drews was a four-year letterwinner as an outside hitter for Purdue Volleyball. She was a gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, playing a key role in Team USA's historic run on the world stage.
Drews was also a silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has become a regular with the U.S. Senior National Team.
Before her international glory, she led the Boilermakers to three NCAA Tournament trips, including two Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight. Drews closed out her Purdue career with Second Team All-America honors in 2015 along with back-to-back First Team All-Big Ten accolades.
A leader on the court and in the classroom, she was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Q: How would you describe your approach to your athletic and academic pursuits during your time at Purdue?
Drews: At Purdue, I was given every resource to succeed both on and off the court. I aimed to maximize my athletic and academic ability by tapping into those resources with the hope of simplifying my life so I could best perform on the weekends. Big and small services, such as meals, laundry, charter flights, massages, tutors, internship opportunities and fellowship of Christian athletes all aided in helping me optimize each day I wore Old Gold & Black.
Q: What did you learn during your time at Purdue that has been the most valuable for you?
Drews: I gained confidence to say yes to opportunities that ultimately propelled me into my professional and national team success. I had several summer jobs and internships, both through athletics and through my school. I left the country every single year -- for volleyball, a Big Ten All-Star tournament and a mission trip. I learned how to deal with the pressure of being a critical piece of a team in the toughest conference in the country. All of these events stretched me out of my comfort zone and provided me valuable life experience that made my next steps post-college not seem so scary.
Q: What advice would you give current student-athletes that you wish someone had given you during your time at Purdue?
Drews: I am a nine-year pro and two-time Olympic medalist, and I can confidently say that in most circumstances I've gotten to experience playing post-college, none have come close to having the resources that Purdue has. It's a posh and well-rounded experience.
Exhaust the resources to be your absolute best, because it will never be as efficient or seamless once you leave. And if there's ever a time to unapologetically invest in and bet on yourself to be great, now is the time! You won't know what you're capable of unless you drive your own ship.
Q: What is your favorite Purdue Athletics memory?
Drews: My sophomore year, we went to Mizzou for the NCAA Tournament and knocked out a top seed that I believe had been undefeated, and then went to Illinois to eliminate them and advance to the Elite Eight.
We fell short in the quarterfinal, but I'll never forget the student section, band and cheerleaders making the trip in a heavy blizzard to meet us at our hotel before the match and properly send us off into our game.
Q: Did you have a favorite coach, trainer, or administrator?
Drews: John Shondell was a big piece in making me believe I could do more than I thought I was capable. I will never forget sitting in his office right after my senior season concluded and him looking me in the eye and telling me, clear as day, I could be on the national team if I wanted. It seemed like a pipe dream at the time, but it's one example of a meaningful moment of encouragement.