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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 5 58 More than those Xs and Os of the position, though, Bush sets the right tone as a setter. "She's not afraid of hard work," Shondell said. "She's very coach- able. There are some players who you use as an example, to get on a lot, because they can take it. And she's one of those I like to do that with, be- cause it's good for team. I can get on her and at the same time everyone pays attention, because you're getting a little excited about something. But she handles that very, very well. "It's really important to have a really good rela- tionship with the setter. It's like coach-quarterback, coach-point guard, those people are pretty critical to what happens on the floor. She's somebody who lends herself to that kind of relationship with the head coach, or any coach, or for that matter the rest of the players. I think that's the one thing, our play- ers respond to her, because there's a really good rela- tionship that she has. Players just like her, and that helps." Bush does need to be more vocal. It's a trait re- quired of the position; the transition between de- fense to offense — on every play — requires com- munication. That's fine with Bush, but after a season in which she wasn't required to say much, it's been an adjustment now. "At practice, I know she's talking a lot more than she was when we first started," senior middle block- er Erin Williams said. "She's now demanding, 'Hey, if you guys need something just let me know,' and it's helpful. If we're ever stuck, she'll start talking and being outside of herself more. That's really fun to see." Shondell thinks Bush will continue to take on those vocal leadership qualities. Again, being liked by her teammates helps. "If we need to com- municate more we just talk to each other about it," Bush said. "We have a good chemistry on the court that we haven't had in a while, so that makes it easier to communi- cate. It's not as hard as I thought it was going to be, because I get along so well with everyone on the team." That growth will need to continue over the summer, as Purdue preps for the 2018 season, one that'll look much different than last fall, when the Boilermakers were led by Evans, Danielle Cuttino and Azariah Stahl. Bush becomes a central figure as Purdue's start- ing setter, although she'll be pushed by newcomer Joy Chen, who arrives in the fall to provide depth at the position. For Bush, the new role was a lot to consider during the first game of the spring. Against Ball State March 29 in Indianapolis, Bush couldn't help but take note of the number of people in the stands — she esti- mated around 500 — unusually high for a spring match. Her hands, only slightly important to a setter, were shaking for at least the first set. But Bush got over the nerves. Early in her career, she's shown to be adept at adjusting and quickly turning instruction into learning. "She's a player who you tell her something one time and that's the only time you've got to tell her," Shondell said. "I've been coaching a long time and there aren't a lot of people like that. You tell her one thing and she makes the adjustment and you don't have to tell her again on Tuesday or Wednesday. That's pretty unique." j "She's a player who you tell her something one time and that's the only time you've got to tell her. I've been coaching a long time and there aren't a lot of people like that." — Coach Dave Shondell