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Shondell signs strong class Coming off another deep postseason run, Coach Dave Shondell will be looking to build on the successes of 2013 but also to fill the shoes left by an accomplished outgoing senior class. That process began several years ago, culminating on Nov. 13 when Shondell received signed letters of intent from four highly-rated Danielle Cuttino recruits for the class of 2014. Highlighted by a pair of instate standouts, the class is made up entirely of top-50 recruits, with Indianapolis middle blocker Danielle Cuttino leading the way as the No. 9 recruit in the country. "Danielle has incredible potential," Shondell said. "She's a high-charChristina Ambrose acter player that we can't wait to get on campus." The class addresses several areas of need for Purdue, adding a setter and a pair of outside hitters, to go with Cuttino. With four players ranked among the top 50, the class is regarded as one of the best in school history and the highest-ranked group in Shondell's tenure in West Lafayette. Each was named an Under-Armour All-American this fall, with Cuttino and Lydia Dimke earning first-team honors. Shondell expects to add three more players to the class that will sign in the fall of 2014. Elkhart's Azariah Stahl is joining Cuttino as the other in-state signing for the Boilers. Stahl was re82 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 Azariah Stahl Lydia Dimke cently named Indiana's Gatorade Player-of-the-Year for her performance this fall. The other half of the class has a much more national feel to it, as outside hitter Christina Ambrose hails from Orlando, Fla., while Lydia Dimke is a setter from Minnesota. "Dimke brings some special qualities to our program," Shondell said. "She has leadership and confidence that a lot of young players don't have. Down the road I can see her competing for some time at setter. I'm not sure redshirting her is going to be a luxury we have because of her abil- ity to help us early on. "Ambrose was the Florida Player-of-the-Year this year and at 6-foot-3-and-a-half, she is a really physical player. We are looking forward to getting her up here on campus in a couple of weeks." While Stahl and Cuttino will finish their high school careers this spring and continue playing for one of the state's premier club teams in Circle City, Ambrose and Dimke will be joining the Boilers in the coming weeks as mid-year enrollees. Carly Cramer and Catherine Rebarchak will graduate in December, making the move possible by freeing up a pair of scholarships for the spring semester. Shondell sees the positives in both scenarios. "You can frame it any way you want to, to be honest," Shondell said. "It gives Ambrose and Dimke the f