Book Synopsis
It is one of the least known stories, but perhaps the most intriguing and important, in both the history of the Ball State athletics and college volleyball. “The Volleyball Debate” examines the five-year struggle in the 1960s of how Hall of Fame coach Don Shondell and his new Ball State men’s volleyball team overcame resistance for school officials and their athletics director to become one of the first college varsity volleyball teams in the nation. To understand the growth of college volleyball throughout the Midwest and how Ball State became a volleyball powerhouse, it begins with Shondell and these early club-era volleyball teams. In addition, to understand the legacy of Shondell and the influence Ball State still has on college volleyball, it starts at the beginning of the program’s history.