MAMBU/TINDALL: LEADING THE BIG TEN
- Purdue's Addy Tindall and Mimi Mambu tie for #2 in the league for kills/set (4.06). Purdue's the only school with two players ranked in the top-8.
The pair combined for just three attack errors vs. Texas A&M in 58 attempts.
HISTORY MADE
- With the first win of the 2026 season, head coach Dave Shondell will become the outright all-time winningest head coach in Purdue Athletics history, surpassing men's basketball legend Gene Keady, earning 513 wins.
- Shondell ranks No. 2 among active head coaches for wins at their current Power 4 program (trails only Jerritt Elliott of Texas, in his 26th season with 638 Longhorn victories).
A GAUNTLET TO START THE SEASON
- Purdue is competing in its toughest start to the season in program history, seeing three top-18 ranked opponents in the first four matches.
- The Boilers face seven opponents in the first 17 days of the season (which includes NCAA-mandatory off-days), with over half of the opponents vs. top-18 ranked teams. This also includes three in the first six days of play - a stretch that included the defending national champions.
LAST WEEK AT A GLANCE
- Last week, Purdue went 2-1 as the squad continued a gauntlet to start the season, playing three matches in a six-day span.
- The Boilers averaged a .238 clip with 14.45 kills/set, 15.18 digs/set and 2.50 blocks per set.
- Lameen "Mimi" Mambu led the team with 4.18 kills per set, doing so on a .250 clip.
- Kate Hansen led the team in efficiency and blocks, totaling 13 (1.18/set) and a .395 attack %.
- Ryan McAleer put up a defensive clinic vs. Georgia where she racked up 27 digs and was one assist shy of a double-double. Overall last week, she averaged 4.27 digs per set.
- Taylor Anderson continues to improve, totaling 11 blocks (second only to Hansen), 31 digs (second only to McAleer) while totaling 116 assists (10.55/set).
- The team's most efficient set was .462% vs. #12 Texas A&M. Overall, they hit at least .333 in four sets and held opponents under .200 for four sets.
NEWCOMERS BY THE NUMBERS: 2026 CONTRIBUTIONS
- Overall, 67% of the team's points have been generated by newcomers: 182 of 271.5 points.
- Newcomers (freshmen and transfers) have combined for 157 of the team's 221 kills (71%).
- In the back row, veteran libero Ryan McAleer is joined almost exclusively by newcomers (exception: Grace Heaney and Taylor Anderson's full rotation - newcomers seen in the back include MaryKate Scheumann, Elle Schara, Kate Hansen).
BACK ROW STRENGTH
- Three players posted double-digit digs in the match vs. #13 Creighton: freshman defensive specialist MaryKate Scheumann (13), junior libero Ryan McAleer (14) and senior setter Taylor Anderson (then-career-high 17).
- Against Georgia, Purdue combined for 89 digs– the most by a Purdue team since 2021 (89 vs. Illinois on October 1, 2021). 27 of those digs were by Ryan McAleer, a career-high 18 by Taylor Anderson and 16 by Grace Heaney.
KATE HANSEN: ON THE SCENE
- Kate Hansen, a senior transfer from Clemson (previously Texas Tech), has proven lethal in the front row.
- She led the team vs. #18 TCU with a .429 clip (7-1-14) and three blocks.
- Against #12 Texas A&M, she also posted a 7-1-11 attack (.545%) with six blocks - trailing only Taylor Anderson in the match.
