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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3 86 some rough patches early before hitting stride in the sec- ond half of the season. Left-side hitter Azariah Stahl be- came a six-rotation player, rather than subbing out when she came off the front line; Evans took over as the full- time setter; freshman Natalie Haben solidified the libero position, a question spot coming into the season; Atkin- son, a raw but impressive athlete, came on toward the end of the year, helping to lock down the right side. "I personally saw a huge growth in our team and the way we all matured and learned to play with each other," Cuttino said, "because a lot of us hadn't played with each other or hadn't played the certain positions that we were in. We were putting a lot of pressure on some young peo- ple and I did think it was a good season, but I am excited to see what we can do next year." Next season could be a big one. Purdue returns 12 play- ers, plus brings in four in a recruiting class that includes three ranked in the top-100 seniors. It'll feature an impressive front line, particularly with Cuttino, Stahl and Atkinson. Cuttino, a versatile 6-foot-4 athlete, is one of the more dynamic players in the Big Ten, perhaps in the country. Cuttino didn't catch on immediately on the left side, as it took her months before she truly started to feel more comfortable. But now that the adjustment is complete, it'll pay big dividends. "It took a long time," she said. "I don't think it was until the last few weeks of the season that I finally figured it out, but it was a huge adjustment. When Dave and (associate head coach) John (Shondell) first told me that I was going to play outside before spring, it was exciting because it was something different, but when you actually try to put the work in, it's tough. You get so frustrated because you don't want to fail, but I feel like they were so patient with me and I am very thankful that they believed in me. It was tough. I questioned myself a lot, but it was fun." Dave Shondell thinks Cuttino can be the type of player who can carry a group, especially one as talented and ex- perienced as the Boilermakers should be in 2017. "(She) can be as good as any player in the country this season," the 14th-year Purdue coach said. "If you watched her development and how she played offensively in the last three weeks of the season, it came together. It absolutely came together; she hit balls that I've never seen any- one hit in the time that I've been here at Purdue." The defensive back row will be more experienced, after several underclass- men had to man the critical positions in 2016. Haben was as good as could be hoped for as a freshman libero, giving the Boilermakers a solid contributor to build their defensive effort around. But the senior class might be the biggest determinant in the Boilermak- ers' 2017 campaign in what will un- doubtedly — again — be an incredibly tough Big Ten. The class is solid, with Cuttino, Stahl, Evans and reserve de- fensive specialist Linnea Rohrsen. They're experienced, yet haven't had the kind of success of the preced- ing classes at Purdue. In their first season, in 2014, Purdue was snubbed from the NCAA Tournament. Then, the following two years, they won first- Home of Boilermaker Hospitality