Ep 48: Kenna Wollard: Purdue’s Breakout Power, Purpose & Future Smile Maker

[upbeat music] Welcome to the Side Out Society podcast, your go-to place for the culture, stories, and communities surrounding women's volleyball.

I'm one of your hosts, Tiff Oshinsky.

And I'm Lindsay Harwood, your other host.

Lindsay, the countdown to the start of the 2026 NCAA volleyball season continues, and as of the date that this podcast publishes, we are only nine days away from the AVCA first serve of the first match of the season.

Ooh, I didn't realize it was nine days already.

I was like, "Okay, it's coming soon." I feel like we've been talking about this or anticipating it for a long time, and now it's only nine days, so I gotta, like, finish all my TV shows first-

[laughs]

... and then I'm like, all I'm gonna watch [laughs] for the next few months is volleyball.

I know.

We're gonna be jam-packed with just lots of hours of volleyball.

I can't wait.

And, you know, although our guest today gets an extra week of prep before the season officially kicks off, she and her team will get their own exciting showcase, as they're one of the teams that gets to travel to the Bahamas as part of their non-conference schedule.

I know.

That's so fun.

I was like, oh, if you get...

If you have to wait an extra week to start, I would say going to the Bahamas for Paradise Invitational is worth it.

I know.

And so happy Side Out's going too, so we'll see our guest down there also.

Yes.

Although, to be fair, our next guest spent her high school days dominating the sport in Chillicothe, Illinois, which is also known as the Bahamas of the Midwest, a title that I just completely made up right now.

[laughs] But we're gonna roll with it just for this introduction.

[laughs] So, before taking West Lafayette by storm, she was a total phenom, setting the Peoria area record for all-time career kills and ranking third in the entire state.

Since stepping onto campus at Purdue, she has transformed into an absolute superstar sixth rotation outside hitter.

Last season, she put up a staggering 577 kills, the third most in a single season in Boilermaker history, earning her AVCA National Player of the Year semifinalist honors and cementing her status as one of the most lethal attackers in the country.

And if dominating the Big Ten wasn't enough, she used to be a competitive swimmer, was a complete pillar of loyalty during the transfer portal chaos, and off the court she's a pre-dental student planning to become an orthodontist, which means she's equally capable of breaking your defensive block or fixing your bite.

She is an AVCA All-American, a fan favorite, and an absolute powerhouse on the pin.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Purdue star outside hitter Kenna Woolard.