Highlights from the Dig City Podcast 8/23/2023

[DocRon]

For those of you who do not want to take the time to listen to the full 30 min podcast or need a quick review (there so many new faces and names), here are some key highlights from Coach Shondell:

What did you learn from the Gold and Black Scrimmage last weekend?

• Looked pretty good, very impressive
  • Scrimmage was one of best we’ve ever had
  • Eva Hudson (So) took time off due to injuries and she is close to completely back
  • Chloe Chicoine (Fr) is a rising star - hits ball with more pop than probably any player we’ve ever had. Never shows any sign of wearing down.
  • Kenna Wollard (Fr), Illinois Player of the Year, so much better since her arrival in Jan. If we would start a match today she would be in the opp position. Undersized but an incredible blocker.
  • There is a real war for that opp position including Grace Heaney (Fr) - a lefty and just needs to be more consistent.
  • Another player really doing well is Emily Rastovski (R-So) who had injury problems last year but is now hitting the tar out of the ball.
  • Raven Colvin (Jr) is a freak of nature and playing by far better than ever before. She obviously will be in one of the MB positions but Lourdes Myers and Lizzie Carr are fighting for the other MB position. One of them could move to the right side as well.

So on weekend #1 you have 3 matches in 3 days and I imagine you will be trying some things - you don't want to be running people into the ground on the first weekend.

• Yes, but you are playing 3 teams that are in the top 50 in the nation so you want people to get rest but also you want to win matches. We have to win first.
  • Fans should not expect us to play the full roster.
  • We have ended up with 3 centers who can play. Sidney Yim is a So eligibility-wise who can play. I am shocked at how well she is playing not because I didn't think she had it in her but she never showed us that before.
  • We have Taylor Anderson (Fr) who is one of the very best in the country in that class.
  • And of course the transfer Lorrin Poulter (Gr) who has separated herself a little bit from that pack. We have a really young team to begin with so her experience is a real plus. From what we have seen in the last 2 weeks Lorrin has a better feel for what will make our team play better.

Let's talk of your freshman class ranked as one of the best you've ever had.

• Fans need to understand we have 2 redshirt freshman who have 4 years of eligibility..
  • Brielle Warren, a physical left-sided hitter from Houston, Texas who is making progress and I am pleased with her effort.
  • Lizzie Carr, 6'6" from Pennsylvania is going to be a blue-chipper.
• They join freshman players
  • Rachel Williams from right here in W. Lafayette who is better than I anticipated. She is a steady, focused and a cerebral player. She is a good server and could serve in any match for us.
  • Julia Kane from Orlando, Florida. She is tall for a DS at over 6'. She plays with "a little reckless abandon" and we are trying to get her a little bit more settled. I love how she has received our instruction. She is so much better than she was two weeks ago.
  • Taylor Anderson we talked about. She needs to be in the weight room a little bit more but has a smooth release and is a hard worker.
  • Grace Heaney who is left-handed. She is smart and works hard. She is a 3-sport athlete and brings something a lot of teams don't have which is a good lefty on the right side. She comes from a great family that expects success.
  • And then Chloe Chicoine from here in West Lafayette. She is clearly a special player. She reminds me of both Carson Edwards and Rondale Moore. She explodes like they do. And she believes in herself. She deserves a spot on the floor as a freshman and already leads our team in many ways.
  • And Kenna Wollard from Illinois as I mentioned is going to be very special as a player. One of the best human beings I've ever recruited at Purdue. She cares about people. She's a good athlete, a good student and a great teammate. We are trying to get her on the floor. She can play the right side.
  • Right now Eva and Choloe are capable of playing all six positions and she will be also.

What does playing people in all six positions do to your rotation?

• It allows you to mix your subs. You can use a sub for just a specific purpose.
• You can sub two players at a time, like USA Volleyball does.
• But we won't wear Eva and Chloe out either.

Are freshman more ready to play than in the past?

• It depends on the people .There are not any of these kids who are not ready to play at the college level and of course 4 of them where here in the spring.
• Club VB used to be that you would train twice a week and play every 3rd or 4th weekend. Now, you practice more than that but play in tournaments 3 or 4 times a month.

Who are the 3 or 4 teams favored to win it all nationally this year.?

• There are 3 teams that are getting the attention to be in the finals and believe it or not, one is not Nebraska.
• They are Texas, Stanford and Wisconsin.
  • Texas is ranked #1 on the basis of their winning the championship last year. They lost some people but also gained some great ones.
  • But there is also Nebraska, Pitt, Penn State and others that have incredible talent.
  • Then look at Minnesota who has great talent, Nebraska who doesn't have a senior on their team but has all top 10 recruits and maybe the top ranked setter in the country.
• The B1G will be very, very well represented.
  • Indiana will have the best team they have had since 2010.
  • Northwestern will be better than a lot of people give them credit for. They got banged up late last year and that halted their run to the NCAA tournament - they haven't been to a lot of them. But they hit the portal hard including our great Maddie Chinn.
  • Maryland will be a tough out as always.
  • Michigan State and Iowa with 2nd year coaches will make some noise.
  • Our league will be super tough.
• I think it will be a really, really high level NCAA tournament this year because you still have 5th year players on teams and a lot of really good teams.
• I think we may have the toughest schedule in the nation.
• I can't wait to see the Block Party which is different every year
  • A good sign is that all the Block Party tickets sold out in the first 40 minutes.

 

[MichaelRR]

For those of you who do not want to take the time to listen to the full 30 min podcast or need a quick review (there so many new faces and names), here are some key highlights from Coach Shondell:

What did you learn from the Gold and Black Scrimmage last weekend?

• Looked pretty good, very impressive
  • Scrimmage was one of best we’ve ever had
  • Eva Hudson (So) took time off due to injuries and she is close to completely back
  • Chloe Chicoine (Fr) is a rising star - hits ball with more pop than probably any player we’ve ever had. Never shows any sign of wearing down.
  • Kenna Wollard (Fr), Illinois Player of the Year, so much better since her arrival in Jan. If we would start a match today she would be in the opp position. Undersized but an incredible blocker.
  • Real war for that opp position including Grace Heaney (Fr) - a lefty and just needs to be more consistent.
  • Another player really doing well is Emily Rastovski (R-So) who had injury problems is hitting the tar out of the ball.
  • Raven Colvin (Jr) is a freak of nature and playing by far better than ever before. She obviously will be in one of the MB positions but Lourdes Myers and Lizzie Carr are fighting for the other MB position. One of them could move to the right side as well.

So on weekend #1 you have 3 matches in 3 days and I imagine you will be trying some things - you don't want to be running people into the ground on the first weekend.

• Yes, but you are playing 3 teams that are in the top 50 in the nation so you want people to get rest but also you want to win matches. We have to win first.
  • Fans should not expect us to play the full roster.
  • We have ended up with 3 centers who can play. Sidney Yim is a So eligibility-wise who can play. I am shocked at how well she is playing not because I didn't think she had it in her but she never showed us that before.
  • We have Taylor Anderson (Fr) who is one of the very best in the country in that class.
  • And of course the transfer Lorrin Poulter (Gr) who has separated herself a little bit from that pack. We have a really young team to begin with so her experience is a real plus. From what we have seen in the last 2 weeks Lorrin has a better feel for what will make our team play better.

Let's talk of your freshman class ranked as one of the best you've ever had.

• Fans need to understand we have 2 redshirt freshman who have 4 years of eligibility..
  • Brielle Warren, a physical left-sided hitter from Houston, Texas who is making progress and I am pleased with her effort.
  • Lizzie Carr, 6'6" from Pennsylvania that is going to be a blue-chipper.
• They join freshaman back-court players
  • Rachel Williams from right here in W. Lafayette who is better than I anticipated. She is a steady, focused and cerebral player. She is a good server and could serve in any match for us.
  • Julia Kane from Orlando, Florida. Tall for a DS at over 6'. She plays with "a little reckless abandon" and we are trying to get her a little bit more settled. I love how she has received our instruction. She is so much better than she was two weeks ago.
  • Taylor Anderson we talked about. Needs to be in the weight room a little bit more. Smooth release and hard worker.
  • Grace Heaney who is left-handed who is smart and works hard. She is a 3-sport athlete and brings something a lot of teams don't have which is a good lefty on the right side. She comes from a great family that expects success.
  • And then Chloe Chicoine from here in West Lafayette. She is clearly a special player. Reminds me of both Carson Edwards and Rondale Moore. She explodes like they do. And she believes in herself. She deserves a spot on the floor as a freshman and already leads our team in many ways.
  • And then Kenna Wollard from Illinois as I mentioned is going to be very special as a player. One of the best human beings I've ever recruited at Purdue. She cares about people. She's a good athlete, a good student and a great teammate. We are trying to get her on the floor. She can play the right side.
  • Right now Eva and Choloe are capable of playing all six positions and she will be also.

What does playing people in all six positions do to your rotation?

• It allows you to mix your subs. You can use a sub for just a specific purpose.
• You can sub two players at a time, like USA Volleyball does.
• But we won't wear Eva and Chloe out either.

Are freshman more ready to play than in the past?

• It depends on the people .There are not any of these kids who are not ready to play at the college level and of course 4 of them where here in the spring.
• Club VB used to be that you would train twice a week and play every 3rd or 4th weekend. Now, you practice more than that but play in tournaments 3 or 4 times a month.

Who are the 3 or 4 teams favored to win it all nationally this year.?

• There are 3 teams that are getting the attention to be in the finals and believe it or not, it is not Nebraska.
• They are Texas, Stanford and Wisconsin.
  • Texas is ranked #1 on the basis of their winning the championship last year. They lost some people but also gained some great ones.
  • But there is also Nebraska, Pitt, Penn State and others that have incredible talent.
  • Look at Minnesota who has great talent, Nebraska who doesn't have a senior on their team but all top 10 recruits and maybe the top ranked setter in the country.
• The B1G will be very, very well represented.
  • Indiana will have the best team they have had since 2010.
  • Northwestern will be better than a lot of people give them credit for. They got banged up late last year and that halted their run to the NCAA tournament - they haven't been to a lot of them. But they hit the portal hard including our great Maddie Chinn.
  • Maryland with be a tough out as always.
  • Michigan State and Iowa with 2nd year coaches will be make some noise.
  • Our league will be super tough.
• I think it will be a really, really high level NCAA tournament this year because you still have 5th year players on teams and a lot of really good team.
• I think we maybe have the toughest schedule in the nation.
• I can't wait to see the Block Party which is different every yea
  • A good sign is that all the Block Party tickets sold out in the first 40 minutes.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the block party?

 

[DocRon]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the block party?

The student section, like The Paint Crew for MBB.
________________________

 

[JeffBoiler]

Season opener tonight at home at 7pm I think, against Duke.
BTN+ I’ve not subscribed yet but will listen to radio feed. Anxious to see who starts and how they play. Lots of new faces as Doc said. Boiler Up ladies!

 

[DocRon]

First set to Boilers 25-19. A lot of errors both teams. Chicoine is damn impressive, as promised. Hudson and Colvin are playing an incredible game.
______________

 

[DocRon]

2nd set goes to Duke 28-26 after Purdue gave up a nice lead late in the set, then fought off multiple set points until Colvin was blacked for their win. Purdue was hoping to take the match in 3 as they have a quick bounce-back tomorrow afternoon due to a TV request. It is not going to be as easy as they hoped.
______________

 

[DocRon]

Purdue wins 3rd set 25-19 once again. Raven having a night, along with Chicoine. But a lot of service errors, not a lot of Aces to accompany them and not a lot of bloaks.
______________

 

[DocRon]

Purdue wins the 4th set handily and the game. Chicoine had 19 kills exceeding Hudson’s 18 in her first game last year. But Colvin was player of the game with 12 kills hitting 0.688, 6 blocks (double next highest Hudson with 3) and 2 aces. Back at it at tomorrow at 3:30.

12 players got mins with 8 playing in at least 3 sets. Overall a nice game to see many of the newcomer’s skills. It is a fun team to watch.
_________________

 

[Boilermb]

Purdue wins the 4th set handily and the game. Chicoine had 19 kills exceeding Hudson’s 18 in her first game last year. But Colvin was player of the game with 12 kills hitting 0.688, 6 blocks (double next highest Hudson with 3) and 2 aces. Back at it at tomorrow at 3:30.

12 players got mins with 8 playing in at least 3 sets. Overall a nice game to see many of the newcomer’s skills. It is a fun team to watch.
_________________

Just got home from the Duke game. Was really nice to be back in Holloway again.
Purdue started Colvin, Hudson, Myers, Chicoine, Wollard and Poulter in set 1 with Schermerhorn as libero. Hudson and Chicoine played the entire match. Myers started the first 2 sets at MB opposite Colvin, then Carr started the last 2 sets opposite Colvin.
Colvin and Poulter have very nice timing between them. Glad we got Poulter, she’s a very good setter.
Unusual move by Shondell at the end of set 2. When we were serving he subbed Carr in for Poulter, which put Carr in the front row along with Myers. Myers played middle and Carr took the off side position. That left us with no true setter on the floor, Maddie Schermerhorn assumed the setting responsibility.
Duke also had an undersized outside hitter, Rachel Richardson who is listed as 5’9”.
I had Allie Shondell sitting directly in front of me during the match. Our 2024 setter recruit.
Stopped outside Holloway to talk with some friends after the match. Will Berg walked right past us, apparently headed to the bball practice court at around 9:30 in the evening.

 

[DocRon]

Just got home from the Duke game. Was really nice to be back in Holloway again.
Purdue started Colvin, Hudson, Myers, Chicoine, Wollard and Poulter in set 1 with Schermerhorn as libero. Hudson and Chicoine played the entire match. Myers started the first 2 sets at MB opposite Colvin, then Carr started the last 2 sets opposite Colvin.
Colvin and Poulter have very nice timing between them. Glad we got Poulter, she’s a very good setter.
Unusual move by Shondell at the end of set 2. When we were serving he subbed Carr in for Poulter, which put Carr in the front row along with Myers. Myers played middle and Carr took the off side position. That left us with no true setter on the floor, Maddie Schermerhorn assumed the setting responsibility.
Duke also had an undersized outside hitter, Rachel Richardson who is listed as 5’9”.
I had Allie Shondell sitting directly in front of me during the match. Our 2024 setter recruit.
Stopped outside Holloway to talk with some friends after the match. Will Berg walked right past us, apparently headed to the bball practice court at around 9:30 in the evening.

Thanks for your impressions. I so wish I could be there.

Coach decided to limit use of his DS players. Do you think, with Chloe and Eva often playing all six positions, that this is how it will be all season? It has to be a little disappointing to Hornung and Brown.
_________________

 

[DocRon]

Also pretty neat that freshman Taylor Anderson, in her first play in a Purdue uniform, had a service ace in the 4th set. That had to be thrilling for her, her family and those rooting for her.
_________________

 

[Boilermb]

Thanks for your impressions. I so wish I could be there.

Coach decided to limit use of his DS players. Do you think, with Chloe and Eva often playing all six positions, that this is how it will be all season? It has to be a little disappointing to Hornung and Brown.
_________________

I hope you can get to a game in Holloway some time. It’s a great venue. Have you thought about going to Michigan State for a Purdue game?
I think both Chloe and Eva will play 6 rotations as much as possible this season, especially Chloe. There’s a limited number of substitutions per set, so playing them 6 rotations conserves substitutions. CDS will speak to fans in the Situation Room 40 minutes prior to today’s match vs Creighton, including fielding questions from the fans. That would be a good question to ask him, how much he plans to play both thru all 6 positions. Unfortunately I’m going to miss today’s match. I’m going back for the Loyola match tomorrow, but the Situation Room is only on Saturday.
Fyi, there are three 6 rotation players with the setter Poulter being the 3rd.

 

[Boilermb]

Also pretty neat that freshman Taylor Anderson, in her first play in a Purdue uniform, had a service ace in the 4th set. That had to be thrilling for her, her family and those rooting for her.
_________________

For those of you who do not want to take the time to listen to the full 30 min podcast or need a quick review (there so many new faces and names), here are some key highlights from Coach Shondell:

What did you learn from the Gold and Black Scrimmage last weekend?

• Looked pretty good, very impressive
  • Scrimmage was one of best we’ve ever had
  • Eva Hudson (So) took time off due to injuries and she is close to completely back
  • Chloe Chicoine (Fr) is a rising star - hits ball with more pop than probably any player we’ve ever had. Never shows any sign of wearing down.
  • Kenna Wollard (Fr), Illinois Player of the Year, so much better since her arrival in Jan. If we would start a match today she would be in the opp position. Undersized but an incredible blocker.
  • There is a real war for that opp position including Grace Heaney (Fr) - a lefty and just needs to be more consistent.
  • Another player really doing well is Emily Rastovski (R-So) who had injury problems last year but is now hitting the tar out of the ball.
  • Raven Colvin (Jr) is a freak of nature and playing by far better than ever before. She obviously will be in one of the MB positions but Lourdes Myers and Lizzie Carr are fighting for the other MB position. One of them could move to the right side as well.

So on weekend #1 you have 3 matches in 3 days and I imagine you will be trying some things - you don't want to be running people into the ground on the first weekend.

• Yes, but you are playing 3 teams that are in the top 50 in the nation so you want people to get rest but also you want to win matches. We have to win first.
  • Fans should not expect us to play the full roster.
  • We have ended up with 3 centers who can play. Sidney Yim is a So eligibility-wise who can play. I am shocked at how well she is playing not because I didn't think she had it in her but she never showed us that before.
  • We have Taylor Anderson (Fr) who is one of the very best in the country in that class.
  • And of course the transfer Lorrin Poulter (Gr) who has separated herself a little bit from that pack. We have a really young team to begin with so her experience is a real plus. From what we have seen in the last 2 weeks Lorrin has a better feel for what will make our team play better.

Let's talk of your freshman class ranked as one of the best you've ever had.

• Fans need to understand we have 2 redshirt freshman who have 4 years of eligibility..
  • Brielle Warren, a physical left-sided hitter from Houston, Texas who is making progress and I am pleased with her effort.
  • Lizzie Carr, 6'6" from Pennsylvania is going to be a blue-chipper.
• They join freshman players
  • Rachel Williams from right here in W. Lafayette who is better than I anticipated. She is a steady, focused and a cerebral player. She is a good server and could serve in any match for us.
  • Julia Kane from Orlando, Florida. She is tall for a DS at over 6'. She plays with "a little reckless abandon" and we are trying to get her a little bit more settled. I love how she has received our instruction. She is so much better than she was two weeks ago.
  • Taylor Anderson we talked about. She needs to be in the weight room a little bit more but has a smooth release and is a hard worker.
  • Grace Heaney who is left-handed. She is smart and works hard. She is a 3-sport athlete and brings something a lot of teams don't have which is a good lefty on the right side. She comes from a great family that expects success.
  • And then Chloe Chicoine from here in West Lafayette. She is clearly a special player. She reminds me of both Carson Edwards and Rondale Moore. She explodes like they do. And she believes in herself. She deserves a spot on the floor as a freshman and already leads our team in many ways.
  • And Kenna Wollard from Illinois as I mentioned is going to be very special as a player. One of the best human beings I've ever recruited at Purdue. She cares about people. She's a good athlete, a good student and a great teammate. We are trying to get her on the floor. She can play the right side.
  • Right now Eva and Choloe are capable of playing all six positions and she will be also.

What does playing people in all six positions do to your rotation?

• It allows you to mix your subs. You can use a sub for just a specific purpose.
• You can sub two players at a time, like USA Volleyball does.
• But we won't wear Eva and Chloe out either.

Are freshman more ready to play than in the past?

• It depends on the people .There are not any of these kids who are not ready to play at the college level and of course 4 of them where here in the spring.
• Club VB used to be that you would train twice a week and play every 3rd or 4th weekend. Now, you practice more than that but play in tournaments 3 or 4 times a month.

Who are the 3 or 4 teams favored to win it all nationally this year.?

• There are 3 teams that are getting the attention to be in the finals and believe it or not, one is not Nebraska.
• They are Texas, Stanford and Wisconsin.
  • Texas is ranked #1 on the basis of their winning the championship last year. They lost some people but also gained some great ones.
  • But there is also Nebraska, Pitt, Penn State and others that have incredible talent.
  • Then look at Minnesota who has great talent, Nebraska who doesn't have a senior on their team but has all top 10 recruits and maybe the top ranked setter in the country.
• The B1G will be very, very well represented.
  • Indiana will have the best team they have had since 2010.
  • Northwestern will be better than a lot of people give them credit for. They got banged up late last year and that halted their run to the NCAA tournament - they haven't been to a lot of them. But they hit the portal hard including our great Maddie Chinn.
  • Maryland will be a tough out as always.
  • Michigan State and Iowa with 2nd year coaches will make some noise.
  • Our league will be super tough.
• I think it will be a really, really high level NCAA tournament this year because you still have 5th year players on teams and a lot of really good teams.
• I think we may have the toughest schedule in the nation.
• I can't wait to see the Block Party which is different every year
  • A good sign is that all the Block Party tickets sold out in the first 40 minutes.

Thanks for taking the time to summarize the podcast!

 

[DocRon]

I hope you can get to a game in Holloway some time. It’s a great venue. Have you thought about going to Michigan State for a Purdue game?
I think both Chloe and Eva will play 6 rotations as much as possible this season, especially Chloe. There’s a limited number of substitutions per set, so playing them 6 rotations conserves substitutions. CDS will speak to fans in the Situation Room 40 minutes prior to today’s match vs Creighton, including fielding questions from the fans. That would be a good question to ask him, how much he plans to play both thru all 6 positions. Unfortunately I’m going to miss today’s match. I’m going back for the Loyola match tomorrow, but the Situation Room is only on Saturday.
Fyi, there are three 6 rotation players with the setter Poulter being the 3rd.

My wife and I had season tickets for a number of seasons. But with it being a 4+ hr drive from our home, at our age it is no longer feasible. Plus I am awaiting a knee replacement and would not want to go hobbling around like I do. So enjoy going while you can. Sorry you have to miss today’s challenging game.

Last night for the game I listened to the radio broadcast while watching on BigTen+ (muted). The last couple of years Kyle Shondell (Dave’s son) did the broadcast and I thought he was very good. But he now has a HC job for the Butler WVB team. Whoever they had last night (didn’t catch his name) was very mediocre often not mentioning players names (“Purdue gets a kill” and “the Boilers dig it out”) and being well behind the actual action on the court. I am listening to the rebroadcast of the game this AM with the BTN+ announcers and they were much better (which almost never was the case last year).
_____________________

 

[Boilermb]

My wife and I had season tickets for a number of seasons. But with it being a 4+ hr drive from our home, at our age it is no longer feasible. Plus I am awaiting a knee replacement. So enjoy going while you can. Sorry you have to miss today’s challenging game.

Last night I listened to the radio broadcast while watching on BigTen+ muted. The last couple of years Kyle Shondell (Dave’s son) did the broadcast and I thought he was very good. But he now has a HC job for the Butler WVB team. Whoever they had last night (didn’t catch his name) was very mediocre often not mentioning players names and being well behind the actual action on the court. I am listening to the rebroadcast of the game this AM with the BTN+ announcers and they were much better (which almost never was the case last year).
_____________________

This is just my third year of season tickets. Have had men’s basketball tickets for over 40 years, else would have started volleyball earlier.
Hopefully the announcer for the radio broadcast improves quickly.
My company has their annual 25 year picnic today (employees who worked there 25+ years). I’m going to the picnic in Crown Point, then cutting out a little early to rush down to Wheatfield to watch my grand daughter golf for her high school team. Have family friends lined up to use my Holloway tickets today. A mother and daughter. The daughter is a freshman volleyball player for her high school here in NWI. She’s really excited. To boot, today is Taylor Swift night in Holloway.

 

[DocRon]

This is just my third year of season tickets. Have had men’s basketball tickets for over 40 years, else would have started volleyball earlier.
Hopefully the announcer for the radio broadcast improves quickly.
My company has their annual 25 year picnic today (employees who worked there 25+ years). I’m going to the picnic in Crown Point, then cutting out a little early to rush down to Wheatfield to watch my grand daughter golf for her high school team. Have family friends lined up to use my Holloway tickets today. A mother and daughter. The daughter is a freshman volleyball player for her high school here in NWI. She’s really excited. To boot, today is Taylor Swift night in Holloway.

Wow, who would have thought Taylor Swift would come to Holloway? Grin.
________________________