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Hall of Fame BSU volleyball coach Don Shondell dead at 92

His professional career included being a coach, professor and author.

MUNCIE, Ind. — Hall of Fame Ball State University volleyball coach Dr. Don Shondell has died. He was 92.

'Don Shondell was a friend to Ball State, an icon in our Muncie community, and a pioneer in the sport of volleyball," said Geoffrey S. Mearns, Ball State University president. "Through his extraordinary contributions to our university and the sport, his unmatched legacy lives on in so many of our current and past student athletes. We are deeply indebted to Dr. Shondell for the impact he made on so many lives - as a coach, teacher, and friend to us all."

Shondell was a 1952 and 1956 graduate of BSU. His professional career included being a volleyball coach, professor and author.

Shondell formed a men's club volleyball team in 1960 and worked until 1964 to get it recognized as a varsity sport. He then coached 34 seasons, finishing with a record of 769-280-6.

Credit: Ball State University
Ball State men’s volleyball players Jason Fehr (left) and Mitch Sadowsky carry head coach Dr. Don Shondell off the court following Dr. Shondell’s final match as the program’s head coach on April 4, 1998, at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals swept Rutgers-Newark that day to give Dr. Shondell his 769th career victory — the second most in NCAA men’s volleyball history.

Also during his time as a coach, Shondell earned eight Coach of the Year honors, 19 regular season MIVA titles, 12 MIVA Tournament championships, and 13 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship tournament berths.

In 2018, BSU opened the Dr. Don Shondell Practice Center. It holds two regulation-size courts designed specifically for the volleyball and basketball programs, in addition to a training room for taping and treatment, two team meeting rooms, and a video room.

Credit: Ball State University
Dr. Don Shondell (center) cuts the ribbon to the 19,000-square-foot Dr. Don Shondell Practice Center on the Ball State University campus on July 18, 2018. Joining Dr. Shondell are family members, Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns, athletics director Beth Goetz, members of the Ball State Board of Trustees, current Ball State women’s volleyball head coach Kelli Miller Phillips, and former Ball State men’s volleyball coach Joel Walton.

"Dr. Shondell's impact on the Ball State Athletics Department was transformational in every role he served," said Beth Goetz, director of athletics at Ball State University. "His amazing legacy will never be forgotten, and we are forever grateful that current student-athletes, alumni, and future Cardinals will experience that impact every time they walk into the Dr. Don Shondell Practice Center for generations to come."

Shondell is survived by his three sons and one daughter.

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