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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1 73 BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com T he Boilermakers are likely to face adversity this sea- son, typical in a Big Ten that is the country's deepest and most talented league. But it probably won't be anything more trying than their offseason; during the summer, a water main break displaced the Boilermakers from their gym for a couple months, forcing them to work out elsewhere. And before that, a couple players transferred, joining five others who graduated, dropping the roster to only 13 players, seven of whom have Purdue experience. And now, Purdue faces the pros- pect of lowered expectations, with many figuring it's no better than a lower-half Big Ten team this sea- son. "I think definitely all the sudden looking around and having play- ers gone and having people look at you like you're not going to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten, that was a wake-up call," said Coach Dave Shondell, who enters his 14th season at Purdue. "When there are less people, there's more accountability. I think everyone in our program has pride in who we have been and they don't want to be a program that is going to start a downward trend, by any stretch of the imagination. "I think there's some fight in these guys." And there's chemistry. It's the kind of bonding that can hap- pen quickly when a group has to Home Sweet Home On May 28, Purdue faced a bit of a disaster, when a water main break caused flooding in the Brees Academic Center, home of volleyball's Belin Court, and in Mackey Arena. The damage was so bad that floors had to be replaced in both locations, leaving volleyball and basketball to temporarily relocate. For volleyball, that meant working out at the Co-Rec and on Cardinal Court during the summer, with its youth camps moved into temporary courts in Mollen- kopf. Although that was a bit of a hassle, the Boilermakers ended up with a shiny new floor, one they were able to play on again as of Aug. 19. "It really wasn't a big deal, that was the least of our worries," Coach Dave Shondell said of the situation, "growing up, maturing, developing better leadership, committing more to being great, those are the things that were more crucial and to me, those are the things will help us be competitive in this league." — Kyle Charters Boilermakers think they can exceed expectations Taking Aim Volleyball Preview Purdue