Ellard caught my attention when I scouted her during the USAV Nationals this past summer in Indianapolis. She was standing out as a middle hitter for United’s top team in her age group. Fast forward to the prep season, and Ellard is in the Clear Creek Amana rotation as a freshman. Not only that, she was playing on the outside. Ellard is tall with long arms and athleticism. She’s agile for her age and explosive off of the court. There’s power in the swing and a knack for throwing up a strong block, especially at this stage of her development. Targeted in serve-receive, she’s held up well with potential for growth into a six-rotation contributor. The arrow is pointing up for Ellard.

Another athlete who can do a little bit of everything is Payson Ellard Payson Ellard 5'11" | MB/OH Clear Creek-Amana | 2030 IA . The CCA freshman was a primo hitter for Iowa United’s 141 Elite and is now making herself known at CCA. Ellard brings a calm and intimidating presence to the net. What some might mistake for quiet or off is actually just another level of focus and determination. Basically, she has her game speak for itself with a scary swing and strong block. Now with her being in the CCA program with some of the greats, she’s only going to get better from here.

Ellard didn’t have many swings to start, but once she got going, she was unstoppable. The freshman showcased a fast arm swing and a big block on both pins. My favorite part about watching Ellard was the fearlessness in her play. She didn’t care who was on the other side of the net; she had confidence in her swinging ability, and it showed. She did a fantastic job of continuously finding the holes in the block and remained aggressive and consistent through both days of the scrimmages.

Keeping with the theme of 14U middle hitters at the 2026 USAV Nationals with big-time upside, Ellard is an imposing figure for players her age. The Clear Creek Amana freshman is more than a tall kid lining up in the center of the net. Athleticism and explosion created a large obstacle for United opponents. Ellard rises well above the net, gets on top of the ball and finds holes in the defense to put it down. Keen timing helps her maximize her swings and throw up blocks that alter a lot of shots she doesn’t reach. CCA has a history of success with developing players at this position, and Ellard looks like another potential success story.

Iowa United made waves on the regional scene this year, and players like Ellard will maintain the club’s positive momentum. The future Clear Creek Amana prep athlete had an extraordinary showing at our Des Moines event and was at her best during team scrimmages. She transitioned well off the net and made herself an available outlet for her setters. Whether her prep future is in the middle or on the outside, Ellard has infinite impact potential at the net.