Shondell’s spirit drives historic season for Ball State men’s volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Ball State men’s volleyball is enjoying a historic season.
Following a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association tournament win, the team earned the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest in school history.
However, the team is deeply missing the man who brought volleyball to Ball State. Don Shondell died in November.
Ball State became a premier destination for volleyball after Shondell founded the men’s team in the 1960s and took it to 13 NCAA tournaments.
“When you have an icon like Dr. Don Shondell, it’s hard to not kind of everywhere you look where you’re reminded of what he has done and the legacy he built,” said first-year head coach Donan Cruz.
But, it’d been 20 years since Ball State men’s volleyball has been in the Big Dance until they locked up an automatic bid and heard their name called on Sunday night. The team says it daily feels the presence of “Dr. Don,” and that’s what is driving them on their magical run.
“Now, there’s moments that I look back on the year thinking, ‘Man, there’s someone that’s watching over what we’re doing,’” Cruz said.
The players share the same feeling. “We just know that we’re doing it for him,” setter Quinn Isaacson said, “and I think that’s the motivation around our team and around our players. It’s like we know he’s not here with us and it’s hard, but we know that he’s watching down supporting us every day.”
Opposite Angelos Mandilaris said, “We’re going to give it our best and we’re going to find a way again to honor him, you know, to remind the volleyball world who he is and what he’s contributed to the sport.”
Shondell’s family is there to watch. “The fact that the guys are so determined to bring back that first national title to Ball State, that’s really important because they’re playing with heart,” Shondell’s son Steve said. “I wish there could have been here to see it, but he’s looking down from above.”
The Cardinals are just two wins away from making school history, and if they do, it’s for “Dr. Don.”