WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The budding tradition of volleyball in Mackey Arena will continue this fall, as Purdue is primed to host its home opener in the Big Ten/SEC Challenge on September 1-2, along with Wisconsin on September 27 in the historic building.
"Our team is ever grateful to have the opportunity to play once again in one of America’s premier athletic venues,” said Art and Connie Euler women’s volleyball head coach head coach Dave Shondell. “Every team that we will play in Mackey: Texas A&M, Georgia and Wisconsin are formidable opponents – Battling against the defending NCAA Champion in our home opener is a tremendous way to start our season for our loyal supporters. Then playing another traditionally strong SEC foe in Georgia the very next day will be quite the task. If that is not enough, our third match on Keady Court will bring the Badgers of Wisconsin, one of the top five programs in the country, to West Lafayette for our Alumni night and will help create a tremendous environment for volleyball fans across the Midwest.”
Single-match tickets will go on-sale August 6 to the general public. Tickets for the Big Ten/SEC Challenge will be sold on a per-day basis in single-session format for each day of competition.
In Purdue’s first home match of the season, the Boilermakers will open their doors to 14,876 of their closest friends for the inaugural Big Ten / SEC Challenge, featuring the defending national champions Texas A&M and Georgia. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers will welcome the Badgers on September 27, for the second matchup in three years in Mackey Arena (last: 10/26/2024).
Two of the team’s three Mackey Arena opponents are slotted among the top-10 in the nation in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 10, with the Badgers at No. 4, the Boilermakers at No. 9 and the Aggies at No. 10.
As one of 10 host sites for the Big Ten / SEC Challenge, Purdue will also host Indiana's matches in Mackey Arena, with Purdue vs. Texas A&M and Indiana vs. Georgia on Tuesday, September 1, followed by Purdue vs. Georgia and Indiana vs. Texas A&M on Wednesday, September 2. Match times will be announced at a later date.
“Playing in Mackey is always a memorable event, and we will need our incredible and raucous Boilermaker fans to pack the place to the very top. I promise our team will fight for the glory of ole’ Purdue.”
The 2026 Mackey matches mark the third consecutive year the program has played regular-season matches in the historic basketball arena. The resurgence of volleyball in Mackey began with a pair of sold-out matches as Purdue hosted Wisconsin and Indiana in 2024, which set the Big Ten match attendance record. Meanwhile, Purdue’s last appearance in Mackey was a near-sellout with 11,360 Boilermakers in the stands despite a snowstorm in the 2025 regular-season finale vs. Indiana.
Led by Dave Shondell, who will enter the fall tied with legend Gene Keady as Purdue’s all-time winningest head coach, led the Boilermakers last season to arguably its best season in program history following a Regional Final appearance, a third-place Big Ten standings finish, three All-Americans, a program-record-tying five All-Big Ten honorees, 10 top-25 victories and more.
Purdue returns two AVCA Second Team All-America honorees in senior setter Taylor Anderson, who led the nation last fall in assists, and senior outside hitter Kenna Wollard, who was named an AVCA Player of the Year semifinalist. Meanwhile, Third Team All-America redshirt-junior opposite Grace Heaney, who proved to be one of the most effective players at her position in the nation, will return alongside All-Big Ten Second team honoree junior libero Ryan McAleer.
In total, Purdue returns four All-Big Ten honorees, tying as the most in the league alongside Nebraska and USC.
This fall, the Boilermakers will feature eight freshman (true and redshirt) and two transfers in sophomore outside hitter Lameen Mambu (previously Georgia Tech) and senior middle blocker Kate Hansen (previously Clemson and Texas Tech).