WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Following a historic season, Purdue volleyball associate head coach-recruiting coordinator Kathy Jewelll was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) awards committee.
Jewell is the first coach in program history to receive national coach/assistant coach of the year recognition.
Jewell, a member of volleyball’s coaching staff for 23 seasons and was head coach Dave Shondell’s first hire upon joining the Boilermakers, has helped Purdue to a 27-7 (15-5 Big Ten) record, a Regional Finals appearance this season.
Jewell, who oversees recruiting efforts, helped the Boilermakers reload for the 2025 season with five transfers joining the program in addition to the five incoming freshmen. Not only did the transfer class account for 40% of all points scored over the season, she worked daily in practice with the back row players, developing their passing skills, including helping to develop Ryan McAleer into becoming the youngest libero to earn All-Big Ten honors in Purdue history.
This season, Jewell reached 500 wins at Purdue, not only owning the title as winningest assistant coach in program history, but Purdue Athletics history.
The 2025 season was one defined by defying expectations. With Jewell’s assistance, the coaching staff developed a team that was picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten standings with zero All-Big Ten preseason honorees and no returning All-Americans to a team that finished third in the league standings with a program record five All-Big Ten selections, a program record 10 wins against ranked opponents, two AVCA Player of the Year Watch List additions mid-year, with one moving on to become a semifinalist, a program-record three reverse sweeps, a program-record three NCAA tournament All-Region honorees, a Regional Final appearance and three All-Americans between second and third team, which stands among the most in the NCAA – an improvement in every area from a season ago.
An important factor in growing team chemistry through team-building activities from the spring and on, she helped the team become one of the most well-connected and strongest teams in not just the nation this year, but in the program’s storied history.