The class of 2027 setters in this area is especially deep. I’ve been saying that for well over a year already. Ella is one of nine so far to commit to a play in college next year, and there are a few more in the group that are good enough to play at the next level. She brings a flexibility that many coaches would die for. Quick tempo OH on one set, slide to the MB on the next, freeze the middle for the 1v1 on the RS for the next, and then drop a jump set dump for a point once or twice a set. She is the poster child for the new meta in Volleyball, the Setter/DS hybrid. You are starting to see more and more of them, start at one position, switch to another because of opportunity. Cross train in both ongoing, and next thing you know you’ve got two defensive players that can take both the first and second ball. No more taking the setter out of the play, or easy shots for the LHH OPP. When you’ve got 3 front row players, a back row hitter waiting for the pipe ball at any time, and two defensive players that can dig or send it to any of the four? Couple that with the new Lib rules this season? That’s an offense I can’t wait to see a director/coach to take a shot on this season.

Another in this crowded tier of setters, she’s also in the process with a couple schools and looking forward to a good showing at both AAU Nationals and then straight to GNJC the following week. She’s had strong showings in Kansas City and Salt Lake City and has drifted towards the top of this group with strong serving runs. Like a couple of the MVSA and Loudon setters, I think her height gets held against her, but I’d take her over a large number of other players when you factor in hands, IQ, serving, and defense. Could easily play DS at the next level as well.

She was actually in the running for best serve too, but since she got beat out there, and didn’t make the top setter post last time, I’m going to give her this one, as one of the top setters was the other candidate. Ella has incredibly soft hands, especially when it comes to setting the middle and right side. Her outside sets have drastically improved this year, and the nice touch she has on the ball lets her set different speeds for different hitters. Whether running back towards the lib, or out towards the pin, she’s great at taking that momentum off the ball and keeping it to the spot it needs to get delivered with the right speed.

The more I’ve thought about this one, the more sure I was that she should get some accolades. Ella runs a fine game setting, multiple tempos, sets all 3 spots well, plays smart, very smooth hands, but for this weekend it was all about her serving. Multiple times this weekend she went on runs of 6-8 points, bringing her team back into games they were slipping out of. With plenty of movement on the float ball, smart placement, and a high serve %, she was a game changer out there this weekend.

Ella plays for Crofton, which struggled a little bit last year. They were eliminated early in the regional semi-finals by Leonardtown. The previous year they reached the states but lost in the first round to Broadneck.

At 5’2″ Ella is probably limited to setting the back row. She runs an offense well, moving the ball around. As a former libero her defensive play stands out for the position.

The best part of her game may be the positive attitude she brings to the court. She communicates well with her teammates and shows constant encouragement. When a set slides through her hands she has no problem taking the blame for the poor set and shaking it off.

Ella will play for Maryland Juniors this year.

Ella is a small Setter at 5’3, which means playing at the net is not going to be her strength, but that doesn’t make her any less of a setter. But some people have a height bias to the position or are just really married to a tall setter in a 5-1. She is a former Libero, which means she’s got much better defense than most Setters, and can be used in different ways like taking the deep line away from OH, playing hard-hitting RS, or covering tips and deflections. Her serving is quite a weapon with a nasty float serve, and even though she’s got great hands, the best part of her setting is probably the fact that it’s unreadable where she is going to go with the ball. She can set all three positions and the back row, and can do it in multiple tempos.