GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 5 56
BY KYLE CHARTERS
KCharters@GoldandBlack.com
L
ast fall felt foreign to Hayley Bush.
Redshirting her first semester at Purdue,
the then-reserve setter could relax. She could
stay in the background. She could go to games know-
ing she wasn't going to play, with her role largely
limited to cheering.
And she wasn't comfortable.
Bush is a competitor, feeling that it's in those mo-
ments of battle that she thrives.
"I feel good in situations where people are relying
on me," the Union, Ky., native said. "I like the pres-
sure. If anyone has to take it, I think I do a good job
of taking it and understanding what my role is on
the court. I've always been a person who likes that,
taking on the pressure."
There's plenty of it now. With the graduation of
Ashley Evans and the departure of Lexi Dorn — the
latter likely transferring to find a better opportunity
to start — Bush has ascended to not only the Boiler-
makers' starting setter, but its only setter.
So during the spring season, with Purdue playing
five matches in March and April, she's had to adjust
quickly to being back on the court full time.
"She's ready for it," Coach Dave Shondell said.
"She's a really tough kid and has very high expec-
tations of what she can do and where she should be
and what her role should be with this program. She's
actually progressed well ahead of where I thought
she might be at this point."
Preparation is key.
Although Bush wasn't an integral part of the Boil-
ermakers last season, it wasn't a wasted semester
Inviting
The
Competition
New setter adjusting to starting role
Purdue Athletics
Redshirt freshman
Hayley Bush has a
big role to fill, taking
over Purdue's setting
duties from Academic
All-American Ashley
Evans.
