Purdue volleyball seniors pave their own path to success

WEST LAFAYETTE - They've played in arenas so silent you could hear a pin drop.

And in some of the largest college volleyball venues in the nation.

Sometimes in front of the most raucous of environments: Penn State's Rec Hall, Illinois' Huff Hall, Wisconsin Fieldhouse, Minnesota's Pavilion or Nebraska's Devaney Sports Center to name a few.

There is no substitute for Holloway Gymnasium.

"Every time, everyone is like, playing at Nebraska, a great big gymnasium, but it's not the same to the closeness of the family and crowd here," Purdue outside hitter Emma Ellis said. "It's my favorite place to play. I get more nervous here than playing any other place."

Holloway is the place where the home fans engage with the opponents, rather than tear them down as Purdue players have found to be the case at some other arenas. It's where crowd noise and support provides the intimidation, not ripping down the opposing team with personal taunts. And it's where, after a loss, the fans come by and tell the players that the Boilermakers will get them next time.

It's a special place indeed for those who spend their college careers in black and gold.

Ellis is among a seven-player senior class - five seniors and two graduate transfers - that will play in Holloway Gymnasium Friday night for the final time, barring hosting NCAA tournament first- and second-round matches. The Boilermakers host Michigan in a crucial match for both teams' NCAA resumes.

Fifth-year graduate transfers Hannah Clayton (Iowa) and Grace Balensiefer (Northern Illinois) brought valuable experience.

Ellis, Ava Torrance, Maddy Chinn, Maddie Schermerhorn and Maddie Koch came in together with Meg Renner, who redshirted and is currently a junior eligibility wise.

Their journeys have all differed. Injuries. Opportunities waited for. Being interchangeable parts for one another.

In this day and age of college athletics, sometimes groups don't stick together like Torrance, Chinn, Schermerhorn, Ellis and Koch.

Not while seeing limited playing time for three seasons, sitting behind a talented group.

"We've always been for the team. I don't think we've all gotten the playing time we wanted the first couple of years," Schermerhorn said. "We just kept learning from upperclassmen and all hung with it and stuck together. None of us transferred out and none of us ever considered it. We've always been so selfless in that way."

Because of that, they got to be a part of two Elite Eight teams and a Sweet 16 squad.

Now, they want their own opportunity to lead a deep NCAA tournament run. Currently, Purdue is ranked 19th in the coaches poll.

"It’s a statement about the character of the individuals that are playing here at Purdue and the families they come from that that’s not something they grew up thinking we are just going to just go somewhere else where it is going to be easier or different," Purdue coach Dave Shondell said. "They are committed to doing something special and we are going to make it work.

"There’s several of them that could have looked at the situation and said the grass is going to be greener somewhere else. I think they’ve also enjoyed, not just our volleyball program, but being here at Purdue."

During their careers, those five seniors have dealt with the COVID season, which canceled the fall 2020 campaign and became a conference-only season in the spring of 2021 competing in empty arenas and an NCAA tournament in a bubble.

"They’ve been loyal to this program and to Purdue and they love this university," Shondell said. "I am really excited about the opportunity for them to really play well against Michigan."

Friday will include a senior night ceremony with Purdue's final three regular season matches on the road.

"It went by so fast," Ellis said. "I remember coming in freshman year, new area, new people, we had a great senior class to look up to. Now being the senior class, we have people looking up to us, people coming to us for advice or with questions. The experience in general, being able to share that is really fun.

"Going from the previous years, everything they've taught us and us being able to experience that with them has taught us some valuable lessons that we're trying to incorporate and teach this year since it's a newer team, taking what we learned from them, but also putting how we want to finish."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue volleyball seniors pave their own path to success