Ella Davenport brings an analytical approach to the position. Before her freshman season, she compared setting to solving a puzzle in real time. Her experience as a hitter is what helps her find the right piece. “Being a hitter gave me first-hand experience of the demands of attacking and how important the right height, placement and tempo are for a hitter to have success,” she said. “I now think about how to adjust my sets to help each hitter be more successful. Every hitter is an individual and has a different hitting window that they prefer. In addition to making observations on what worked well or didn’t work well, I ask for their feedback and keep open communication as much as possible.”

Ella has already built a plan for the out-of-system moments that test every young setter. “Being a hitter also has helped me identify the strengths of different hitters and be a better decision maker in different situations,” she said. “For example I try to set to the hitter who is the best at tracking a high ball if I receive an out of system pass and alternate between high, quick sets or slower sets depending on the hitter.” She sets each hitter individually instead of giving everyone the same ball, a habit many setters don’t develop until college.

Ella is developing inside one of the top programs in California at Torrey Pines, and recently got the opportunity to set on Varsity. She is targeting a college that pairs competitive volleyball with academic rigor.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Ella Davenport Ella Davenport 5'9" | S/RS Torrey Pines | 2030 CA thinks about the setter position the way a puzzle solver thinks about a table full of scattered pieces. She describes finding, grabbing, and placing the right piece to set up a teammate to score as the best feeling in the world, and that analytical mindset carries into everything she does on the court. Playing both setter and hitter has sharpened her instincts for what a hitter actually needs in the moment, and she has learned that the best setter-hitter communication happens when feedback is both positive and direct at the same time. Davenport sees leadership as built into the position itself. She uses her voice, eye contact, and touch to constantly check in with her hitters, calling plays proactively and helping teammates move past a dropped ball rather than dwell on it. Heading into her freshman season at Torrey Pines, she is looking forward to being pushed by more experienced players inside a top-ranked program, and she is balancing that ambition with a serious academic track, aiming for a college that offers both competitive volleyball and genuine academic rigor. The Freshman Showcase, for her, was a chance to raise her visibility in the recruiting community and start building relationships with the coaches who will one day be recruiting her.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247