Steve Shondell
Volleyball Coach
Inducted: July 2, 2017
35th Annual Induction Ceremony
Providence, Rhode Island
(The following appeared in that year’s HOF induction program)
Steve Shondell was one of the top girls volleyball coaches in the nation during his 34 years at Burris High School in Muncie, Indiana. From 1976 to 2009, Shondell won 1,183 matches and lost only 95 - a 92.7 winning percentage that is tops among high school coaches with at least 700 victories. Shondell ranks seventh all-time nationally in coaching victories.
During his 34 years at Burris, Shondell coached seven teams to undefeated seasons, including his final season in 2009. Four of his teams were named mythical national champions with four runner-up finishes.
As good as Shondell's teams were during the regular season, they were even better in postseason tournaments. He led Burris to 21 Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Girls Volleyball State Championships. Amazingly, the first eight of those state titles came in single-class competition when Burris, a school with less than 300 students, competed against all schools in the state.
Shondell finished his career at Burris with 13 consecutive IHSAA Class 2A state championships from 1997 to 2009. Overall, in his 34 years, Shondell led Burris to the state championship match 22 times, winning 21. During the 1997-2009 tournament streak, his teams won 89 consecutive state tournament matches and 102 consecutive sets.
In addition to teaching his players the Xs and Os necessary to win 21 state titles, Shondell also believed in teaching his players respect and sportsmanship. As a result, 11 of his Burris players won the prestigious IHSAA Mental Attitude Award for scholarship, leadership, mental attitude and athletic ability.
In addition to coaching girls volleyball, Shondell coached boys basketball at Burris from 1979 to 1989 and was assistant men's volleyball coach at Ball State University, also located in Muncie, from 1991 to 1998.
Upon his retirement from Burris in 2009, Shondell was named head volleyball coach at Ball State, where his father, Don, coached for many years. Shondell coached six years at Ball State and compiled a 119-68 record. He led his alma mater to the 2010 Mid-American Conference regular season title and earned an at-large bid to the 2011 NCAA championship.
Shondell was named Indiana Volleyball Coach of the Year 10 times and National High School Coach of the Year two times. He has been inducted into several previous halls of fame, including the Indiana Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1996, the Delaware County Hall of Fame in 1988, the Ball State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005 and the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007.
Shondell and volleyball are synonymous terms in Indiana. In addition to his father, Don, who is a legend in the state for his success at Ball State, his brother, Dave, is the women's volleyball coach at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Shondell was born August 3, 1954, in Rolla, Missouri. He is now retired and lives in Muncie, Indiana.
