104 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED
el with how hard she
works and how positive
she is and showing what
dedication looks like.
And, at libero, it's all
about being what Shon-
dell calls a "mood mak-
er."
"They have to set
the mentality for your
team," he said.
Neill has done that,
Shondell and teammates
said, by not giving much
away emotionally.
During a match, it's difficult to tell if Neill or Pur-
due is playing well or poorly based on her demeanor.
And that's precisely the point.
The "rock" is steady.
"I try to be calm within the storm on the court,"
Neill said. "If things go wrong, I try to make sure I'm
a meditator. I like to bring a lot of energy.
"That's kind of what the libero position is for, to
bring energy, talk a lot."
And she's appreciated
for it — and for so much
more that may go unno-
ticed by some.
"We pride ourselves
on the fact that we
touch the first ball in
everything that hap-
pens," Neill said of de-
fensive players. "So it
may seem like the hitter
or the setter set the play
up, but really the people
who touch the ball first are the ones who started the
whole thing. I think it takes every single one of those
three plays that make the play happen. But … you
see the person who hit the ball last and the setter
that hustled to go get it.
"But I think that's something defensive people
pride ourselves in. We don't need that (notoriety) —
we just like to get it done. We know as players that we
did it right."
j
"She has almost a perfect
technique. She wants to
do things the right way —
not just get things done
— but do it the right way.
I don't think she's ever
satisfied."
— Ashley Evans
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Trent Johnson, Agent
