WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermakers looked back on a 2016 season, which including four wins over Top 25 teams and an NCAA Second Round appearance, as well as the career of middle blocker Faye Adelaja at its annual banquet tonight.
Purdue played the fifth-toughest schedule nationally, including 14 against ranked teams and matches against three of the Final Four teams including national champion Stanford. The program remains in elite company as one of just 11 schools nationally to advance to the NCAA Second Round 11 times in the last 13 years. Another season highlight came Nov. 23 when the coaching staff recording its 300th win at Purdue with a victory over Maryland.
National awards from Adelaja and outside hitter Danielle Cuttino's All-America acclaim to setter Ashley Evans' Academic All-America nod and five Academic All-Big Ten selections were celebrated at the banquet. The team also handed out six internal honors, the Carol Dewey Mental Attitude/Toughness Award, the Red Mackey Award and four Sue Jurkonis Strength Awards.
Adelaja took home the two major team honors, earning the Carol Dewey award for the second time in her career (also 2014) and the Red Mackey award. The Carol Dewey Mental Attitude/Toughness Award is bestowed on the individual voted by her teammates as the player who best exemplifies the positive image represented by Purdue Volleyball. The Red Mackey Award was established in 1971 and named for former Purdue Athletic Director Guy "Red" Mackey, who served Purdue from 1942 to 1971. The inspiration for the award bearing his name stemmed from his leadership, loyalty, integrity and concern for others. The award criterion includes competitive spirit and a positive attitude, loyalty and self-discipline, hard work for the best interest of the team, and a willingness to help others.
Adelaja hit at a .367 clip, which ranked 35th nationally, tied for third in the Big Ten and fifth on Purdue's all-time season listing. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native tallied 2.26 kills per set, ranking third on the team, while posting double-digit kills in 13 matches. The model of efficiency, Adelaja hit at a .300 or better clip in 18 of her 30 matches, including .400 or better 14 times and .500 or better seven times. At the net, the honorable mention All-Big Ten selection put up 0.85 blocks per set, including five or more stuffs on 11 occasions and a team-leading tally 17 times. In conference play, she hit at a .345 clip, good for fifth among league players. The redshirt senior earned her spot in the career Top 10 for hitting percentage (second, .362) and block assists (eighth, 341). She ended her career just one block out of the total blocks Top 10 (395). Adelaja is one of just 12 players in Purdue history with 700 kills and 350 blocks to her name. Just as elite in the classroom, Adelaja is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, one of just three in program history.
The Purdue Reamer Club honored defensive specialist Linnea Rohrsen with the Helen B. Schleman Award, which is given to the junior or senior on the team with the highest grade-point average over the last two semesters.
Rohrsen saw action in 28 matches, mostly as a serving specialist. She served up two aces and registered 17 digs, while also making good on 33 of her 35 serve receive chances. Rohrsen, Adelaja, Evans, middle blocker Blake Mohler and outside hitter Azariah Stahl were also recognized for earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Evans also garnered second team Academic All-America accolades.
The team honored four players with Sue Jurkonis Strength Awards, which are given out annually in honor of former Boilermaker Sue Jurkonis who played volleyball for Purdue from 1994 to 1996. Jurkonis was an avid weight lifter and one of the Boilermakers' strongest athletes before losing her two-year battle with brain cancer in 1998. Danielle Cuttino was named as the strongest upperclassman, while middle blocker Shavona Cuttino garnered the Most Improved Upperclassman award. Libero Natalie Haben earned the strongest freshman nod, while setter Lexi Dorn was named as the most improved freshman.
Danielle Cuttino led the Boilermakers with 4.11 kills per set, ranking third in the Big Ten and 39th nationally. She posted double-digit kill tallies in all but one of the team's matches, including 20 or more on seven occasions, and led the team offensively 27 times. The unanimous All-Big Ten selection hit at a .250 or better clip 19 times in 33 matches, including .300 or better 14 times and .400 or better six times. he Big Ten Player of the Week and ESPNW Player of the Week on Sept. 12, Cuttino put up 0.60 blocks per set, including five or more three times and a team-best tally six times en route to AVCA All-Northeast Region honors and All-America nods from Volleyball Magazine (third team) and Prep Volleyball (honorable mention). Among Big Ten players, Cuttino ranked third in kills per set (4.11) in overall matches and third in conference play (4.02).
Shavona Cuttino saw action in 11 matches, starting the first three of the season at middle blocker, putting up 1.00 blocks per set in the season-opening Mortar Board Premier tournament. The Indianapolis native tallied 18 kills (0.72 per set) and 13 blocks (0.52 per set) for the season, including a season-best five kills vs. No. 24 Kentucky. The redshirt freshman also led team with season-best six blocks vs. No. 24 Kentucky.
Haben played in 32 matches, starting 28 at libero and three at defensive specialist, tallying a team-best 3.14 digs per set. The Edina, Minnesota, native posted 23 double-digit dig efforts, including career best 25 at No. 3 Wisconsin, while leading the team in digs 19 times. She also dished out 0.56 assists per set and served up a team-best 29 aces. The rookie also made good on 94 percent of her 591 serve reception chances.
Dorn saw action in seven matches, dishing out four assists and recording two digs. The San Diego native handed out a season-best four assists against Southeastern Louisiana and recorded one dig each against Southeastern Louisiana and at Iowa. The setter made her collegiate debut as a server vs. No. 24 Kentucky.
The Boilermakers return all but one member of the 2016 team, Adelaja. That group of 12 along with incoming freshman Caitlyn Newton, who joined the team in January, will begin spring practices shortly ahead of a four-weekend competition season in March/April.