This story has been updated with quotes and more info.
WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue volleyball wasn’t going to lose on this night.
Just hours before the Boilermakers were set to host Rutgers, Kenna Wollard delivered an Instagram post fans had long hoped to see.
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Wollard, a second-team All-American outside hitter last season for Purdue‘s Elite Eight squad, said she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in August. On Thursday, Oct. 29, Wollard received word treatments for the disease are working and she’s on track remission.
“These past couple months have been so tough, but hearing the news today brought so much joy,” Wollard posted on Instagram. “I still have some treatments left, but I am very hopeful for what’s ahead.”
Purdue learned of Wollard’s condition just before starting the regular season.
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See our best photos from Purdue volleyball spring scrimmage vs Butler
Dave Shondell, Purdue women’s volleyball coach, left, shakes hands with Kyle Shondell, Butler women’s volleyball coach, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. Kyle is the son of Dave and is a graduate of Harrison High School. Purdue won the match after winning 3 of 5 sets.
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See our best photos from Purdue volleyball spring scrimmage vs Butler
Dave Shondell, Purdue women’s volleyball coach, left, shakes hands with Kyle Shondell, Butler women’s volleyball coach, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. Kyle is the son of Dave and is a graduate of Harrison High School. Purdue won the match after winning 3 of 5 sets.
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See our best photos from Purdue volleyball spring scrimmage vs Butler
Dave Shondell, Purdue women’s volleyball coach claps as the players are announced at the start of the match on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
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See our best photos from Purdue volleyball spring scrimmage vs Butler
Purdue senior middle blocker Dior Charles jumps to hit the ball on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. The match went into a fifth set after Butler won the fourth set with a score of 26-24.
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See our best photos from Purdue volleyball spring scrimmage vs Butler
Dave Shondell, Purdue women’s volleyball coach, watches as Purdue senior outside hitter Kenna Wollard dives for the ball on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
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See our best photos from Purdue volleyball spring scrimmage vs Butler
Butler senior setter Kaylee Finnegan jumps to set the ball in the match against Purdue on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
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Purdue redshirt junior setter Grace Heaney jumps to serve the ball in the match against Butler on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
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Purdue senior outside hitter Kenna Wollard attempts to hit he ball over the net while Butler senior opposite hitter Sawyer
Jones jumps to block her on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
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Purdue freshman defensive specialist MaryKate Scheumann bumps the ball on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue won the first two sets and Butler won the second two sets, pushing the match into a fifth set.
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Purdue redshirt sophomore defensive specialist Sienna Foster jumps to hit the ball on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
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Purdue redshirt junior middle blocker Bianka Lulić, left, and Purdue redshirt freshman setter Isabelle Bardin jump to set the ball in the match against Butler on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
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Annaliese Shondell, 6, lays her head on her grandmother, Linda Bouchonnet’s, lap during the match between Purdue women’s volleyball and Butler women’s volleyball on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. Annaliese is the daughter of Butler coach Kyle Shondell and the granddaughter of Purdue coach Dave Shondell.
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Purdue sophomore outside hitter Lameen Mambu, left, watches as the ball from Butler hits the net on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
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Purdue redshirt freshman setter Isabelle Bardin bumps the ball on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. Bardin was on the 2025 JVA All-National Team in High School.
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Purdue sophomore outside hitter Lameen Mambu jumps to hit the ball over the net in the match against Butler on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.
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Purdue junior defensive specialist Ryan McAleer dives for the ball on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. The fourth set was neck in neck, after being tied 24-24 Butler broke through to score twice more. The fifth set continued until Purdue made it to 15 points and won.
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From right, Jade Driscoll, Haleigh Hoffman and Christopher Seng dance and cheer on Purdue women’s volleyball against Butler on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. The three know each other through band.
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Purdue senior setter Taylor Anderson, left, and Purdue redshirt freshman middle blocker Morgan Williams, right, jump to block the ball on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind. Anderson’s season high for assists in 2025 was 60 against Bowling Green.
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Wollard returned to the bench partially in a Sept. 2 win over Georgia, but had to exit the match at Mackey Arena before it ended. Wollard was again on the bench Sept. 27 to watch Purdue against Wisconsin. Since, her presence has become more common.
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Sienna Foster ran off 11 straight service points, including two aces, in Holloway Gymnasium during the fourth set Thursday, leading No. 11 Purdue to a 25-16, 25-18, 16-25, 25-14 victory over the Scarlet Knights. It was Purdue’s sixth win in its last seven matches.
That mattered only second in importance on Thursday.
“The reason our team is where we are right now, still in good shape with a good record and good momentum and everything is because of her, because of how she managed that situation,” Purdue volleyball coach Dave Shondell said. “She never made it about herself and a ‘woe is me’ type situation.
“You’d have a conversation and all she’d want to do is talk about you. How you’re doing. It’s just beyond her age to have that kind of demeanor and mentality. It’s been remarkable in every sense of the word.”
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Wollard originally posted a vague update prior to the season that she was “currently dealing with an unexpected health issue that will keep me away for a little while.”
At the time, Wollard did not wish to share further details.
But teammates and coaches knew the battle Wollard was entering and found inspiration from someone who last season was the Midwest Region Player of the Year, despite not having that component on the floor.
“I think it made everyone so much happier (seeing Wollard around the team),” said Purdue setter Taylor Anderson, one of Wollard’s roommates. “Even though we had not a good outcome (against Wisconsin on Sept. 27), everyone in my house, because me, Grace (Heaney), Ryan (McAleer) and Kenna all live together, we just said it was so good being around her and it’s starting to feel a bit like normal.”
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When Wollard shows up for matches, she doesn’t just watch from afar. She’s provided coaching to sophomore Mimi Mambu and freshman Addy Tindall, both called upon to fill the stat sheet in Wollard’s absence on the outside.
Purdue volleyball outside hitter Kenna Wollard puts her hand in the middle of a team huddle during a timeout in a match against Northwestern at Holloway Gymnasium on Oct. 25, 2026 in West Lafayette, Indiana.
“Just her being around the team, like, she’s just a light in everybody’s life,” Anderson said.
“Whenever she’s with us or when she’s not, she’s always in our hearts and in our mind,” said Foster, a redshirt sophomore defensive specialist. “She’s a light in everyone’s life and she’s the strongest person ever. Just being around her, she’s putting a smile on everyone’s face and she’s had the most beautiful soul inside and out.”
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On Sept. 27, Shondell said it was unlikely Wollard would return to the court this season.
Asked again following the victory against Rutgers, he’s not eliminating the idea. Dressing Wollard for a match could be a possibility. Shondell even vocally pondered the idea of letting Wollard serve a point during a Nov. 7 senior night match against UCLA if doctors allow it and Wollard wishes to do so.
“The players need her,” Shondell said. “She lives with three of our players and they are really, really tight. As we saw that things were going pretty well, everything considered, I think you saw Grace Heaney start to relax a little bit more and start being a better version of who she can be and the same with Taylor. …
“Overall, Kenna’s response to this has just been unbelievable and it’s the reason we’ve been successful.”
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Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
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