GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 5 57
by any means. Bush, who had been ranked No. 73 in
PrepVolleyball.com's list of Senior Aces in the 2016
Class, learned quickly that the minimum wasn't go-
ing to be enough. So even as Bush waited her turn,
she worked to try to improve.
"When I got here, I realized that you actually have
to fight for a role here," she said. "If you want to be
a starting player, you have to compete, you have to
show how you want to be on the floor. I think from
high school to now, I've definitely gotten a lot more
competitive and developed as a person and player.
College has made me become more competitive."
Bush found film study helpful. During down time,
she says, she'll pull up her VolleyMetrics account, al-
lowing her to watch highlights of other setters, like
those in the Big Ten and SEC. She watches a lot of
Evans, the Boilermakers' starter the last four sea-
sons. The two talk frequently too, with Bush seeking
answers to help her improve as quickly as possible.
"I want to be one of the best," Bush said. "Since I
was little, I worked to be the best I could be, in any
sport. I have always wanted to be the best at what I
do. So every day when I come in, I think about that.
… Every day I try to get better, it's what I've been
working for since I was little."
Shondell likes what he's seen so far. Bush, he
thinks, could be "the best defensive setter we've ever
had," although at 5-foot-10 (rather than Evans' 6-2),
she's unlikely to be as effective as a blocker near the
net. Bush is still working to develop chemistry with
her teammates, learning precisely where each hitter
wants the ball and how to consistently deliver it to
them. But that will come.
Purdue Athletics
Coach Dave Shondell likes that Bush picks up lessons quickly,
needing to be told only once before making corrections.