Ella completed her fifth season of Division I college volleyball in the fall of 2024 after finishing her club career at AVC in 2020, and is excited to return to the club as a coach. She is currently the assistant for 17 Red and is co-leading setter training for the 12-18 national teams. Her parents, Dan and Kristen, also coach at AVC, and her younger sisters, Kate and Anna, are former AVC players who have started their own college volleyball careers. Drawing from her playing experience and family coaching background, Ella focuses on developing discipline and mental toughness in her athletes.
During her college career, Ella played in all but one match, seeing court time as a setter, defensive specialist, and right side hitter. She spent four years at Northern Illinois University before transferring to Cleveland State University for her COVID year. At CSU, Ella helped lead the Vikings to win the Horizon League Championship and to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024.
Career Highlights:
* 3,021 assists
* 1,040 digs
* 528 kills
* 146 service aces
* 31 double-doubles
* 2 triple-doubles
Before her collegiate career, Ella played at Padua Franciscan High School, where she earned First Team All-State and Under Armour All-America honors. She helped lead her team to a Division II state title in 2017 and two state runner-up finishes in Division I in 2018 and 2019.
Ella’s goal is to inspire young girls to achieve their full potential while cultivating a love for the game, and to give back to the club that played such a formative role in her development as both an athlete and a person.
