Purdue Volleyball Announces Sellouts for Both Mackey Arena Matches
Purdue volleyball coach Dave Shondell expressed confidence that fans would flock to Mackey Arena to see the Boilermakers in action when they played in the iconic basketball venue later this season. He was right with that prediction.
Friday, Purdue announced that both Mackey Arena matches have been sold out. With Mackey having a capacity of 14,876 fans, it would set a Big Ten Conference record for a volleyball match between two league teams.
Nebraska's volleyball team set the world record for attendance at a women's sporting event last season when it hosted a match at Memorial Stadium. A total of 92,003 fans attended that match in August 2023.
Just us and our 14,876 closest friends in Mackey! 🚂 pic.twitter.com/3oIZ9qacP5
— Purdue Volleyball (@PurdueVB) September 20, 2024
Purdue will host in-state rival Indiana at Mackey Arena on Saturday, Oct. 19. The following weekend, the Boilermakers will play Big Ten power Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 26.
"You don't go to Mackey unless you can get 14,000 people, and we think we'll get 14,000 people," Shondell said at Big Ten Volleyball Media Days. "We think Boilermaker Nation will thrive in that environment.
"A lot of people have done a lot of things to help us get here. So, hopefully we can pack Mackey and we can have another great season."
Purdue concluded nonconference play over the weekend with a trip to Lawrence, Kan. to play in the Jayhawk Classic. The Boilers lost 3-1 to No. 10 Kansas and fell 3-1 to No. 9 Creighton. Purdue closed out the trip with a 3-0 sweep over Tulsa.
The Boilermakers begin Big Ten play Wednesday, Sept. 25 against Penn State.
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RACHEL WILLIAMS SERVING SPECIALIST: Coach Dave Shondell explained how serving specialist Rachel Williams has provided a new spark and dynamic for Purdue's volleyball team early in the season. CLICK HERE
