Former Purdue First Team All-American Grace Cleveland joined the Butler volleyball coaching staff in August of 2023. Cleveland will work as an assistant coach alongside Tyler Golsteyn and AJ Lux.
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"We're thrilled to be able to add Grace to our coaching staff," Shondell stated. "Someone with Grace's wealth of experience and accomplishments will be a tremendous asset to our athletes."
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Cleveland was an outside hitter for the Boilermakers from 2018-2021. She became a full-time starter in West Lafayette in 2019 as a sophomore and was a unanimous All-Big Ten performer for the rest of her standout career. Cleveland was the fifth Boilermaker ever to be recognized as a First Team All-American. She left campus with 1,320 kills, 469 blocks, 423 digs, and 73 service aces.Â
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Originally from Bloomington, Ill., Cleveland attended Normal Community High School and was the 13th ranked recruit in the nation (PrepVolleyball) heading into the 2018 season. She was a Third Team All-American in 2019 (AVCA and VolleyballMag.com) and a First Team selection in the Spring of 2021.
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Cleveland was one of just three players in Purdue program history to own over 420 career block assists (423). She ranks sixth all-time at PU in total blocks (469) and ninth all-time in attempts (3,599). Cleveland recorded 127 block assists in 2019 to rank 10th in program history in a single-season. She averaged 1.39 blocks per set the following year marking the seventh best performance at Purdue in a single season.
