WEST LAFAYETTE — A thunderous collective of cheers rang across Mackey Arena when Purdue volleybal l made its introductory jog across Keady Court.
These days, the venue just doesn't seem big enough to fit the record setting 14,876 fans who watched No. 10 ranked Purdue throttle rival Indiana 25-18 25-14 25-9 — the largest attended match in the history of Purdue volleyball.
"Well first of all thanks to Carol Dewey," Purdue coach Dave Shondell said in a nod to one of his predecessors. "This program has always had great support. She built a tremendous program back in the 70s. It did have some moments where it wasn't drawing large numbers of fans. It just took a team that came in and started to win a little bit and the fans poured out. They've been great fans, supportive fans and community fans across the Boilermaker state."
Now it was Purdue's turn to take its usual show at Holloway Gymnasium across the hall.
Amplify its stature further on the hardwood floors usually reserved for Purdue's nationally ranked men's basketball team and women's basketball team which still holds claim to capturing the Big Ten Conference's lone national title.
Purdue volleyball being part of a growing trend where the sport is seeing its growth in both media ratings and the sport's overall participation .
It was the explosive night for junior outside hitter Eva Hudson who pounded home 17 kills.
Lafayette and West Lafayette's love affair is already well documented. However, it officially reached new heights after its old home attendance record was shattered by over 3,000 fans on Saturday night.
"It means more than anyone can say," Hudson said. "We are just a little stepping stone in the scheme of women's sports. And the fact we are at 50 years of women's sports is a really cool thing. To have nearly 15,000 fans has been an absolutely amazing experience."
While Mackey was sold out, there was still a game to win against Indiana. Purdue middle blocker Raven Colvin, known for her calm demeanor couldn't hide the pregame nerves before stepping onto center court.
"Before the game I was talking to (defensive specialist) Ali (Hornung) and I was saying how I was trying to act normal because we were home but there were so many people, so it was kind of our element," Colvin said. "It was a surreal moment feeling having everyone on our side and having so many people support us."
Once the opening whistle sounded from atop the referee's ladder, Purdue locked in.
Purdue dusted Indiana. Hornung and Ryan McAleer deflected shots from the ground, setter Taylor Anderson gracefully set assists that were slammed violently down by Colvin, Hudson, Chloe Chicoine and Lourdes Myers.
"We talk about every pregame about focusing what's between the lines and we finally put it to work today," Colvin said. "Always having constant communication allows us to be focused on the court and not really worry about the outside elements."
More: Purdue volleyball coach Dave Shondell reflects on becoming program's all-time wins leader
Purdue hit .333 as a unit with Anderson generating 28 assists for the team's 40 kills. The nine points allowed in the third set by Purdue was the lowest point total for a set in the rivalry's history since the modern scoring system of volleyball was implemented in 1999.
Olympic gold medalist Annie Drews made an appearance after being inducted into the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday. And Gene Keady himself came as well, being an observer of a historic night for women's sports in West Lafayette.
"Just seeing things that Nebraska did with the football stadium and other schools setting records, it was really cool to be part of that in our own Purdue way," Colvin said.
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com , on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson .
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue volleyball savors Mackey Arena history by pounding Indiana
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