Volleyball Coach Shondell’s Retirement Ends Era at Ball State

Steve Shondell’s volleyball coaching career spans six seasons with the Ball State women’s team and more than three decades with the Burris Laboratory School’s girls team. (Photo courtesy of Ball State Athletics)

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or the first time in more than five decades, there won’t be a Shondell associated with volleyball on the Ball State campus.

Steve Shondell, ’77, MA ’80, retired this spring after leading the Cardinals to a record of 119-68 (64-32 in the Mid-American Conference) during six years as head coach of the women’s program.

Six-year assistant coach Kelli Miller will lead the team next season.

Shondell previously guided the girls volleyball team at Burris Laboratory School for more than three decades and was a four-year letter winner on the Ball State men’s volleyball team, from 1974-77.

His father, Don Shondell, ’52, MA ’56, started the men’s program at Ball State in 1964 and guided the team to 20 Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association titles in 34 seasons and received 12 NCAA tournament berths.

“The past six years coaching the Ball State women’s program have been six of the best years of my life,” Steve Shondell said. “I will deeply miss coaching at Ball State but will always be grateful and humbled for the opportunity I had to follow in my father’s footsteps, and we both graduated, coached and retired from Ball State.”

Ball State Director of Athletics Mark Sandy is equally mindful of the Shondell legacy: “Steve has done a wonderful job elevating the Ball State women’s volleyball program,” he said. “Ball State and Muncie are woven into the very fabric of volleyball in the United States.”