(Editor’s note: We have to release our Player of the Years differently than planned because of scheduling issues. Therefore, we are releasing our Junior and Sophomore Player of the Years on Wed. and Thu. respectively as planned. Senior POY will be released next week. Freshman is TBD.)
It wasn’t long ago in 2016 when Mother McAuley went 40-1 and finished the high school season as national champions. The lone loss that season? It came against St. Joseph’s Academy MO on Day 2 of the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament. The Macs went on to capture the Asics Challenge title – a tournament they host – and the Illinois 4A state championship to complete a memorable season.
Imagine the excitement and possibilities that started building this September when the Macs captured the LIVT trophy. Not only was it the first time Mother McAuley achieved that feat, the school also remained undefeated at the time. It elevated Mother McAuley into the national championship picture once more as the chance of a perfect season was still in tack.
The hope of a fairytale season didn’t last long however, as the Macs were topped by rival Marist less than two weeks later. Mother McAuley would lose twice more after that. Once to Assumption – which the Macs defeated in the final of the LIVT – and once to Barrington in tournament play. While the losses knocked Mother McAuley from the national championship picture, it was hardly a deterrent from winning the Asics Challenge once more and bringing home another 4A state championship – avenging a loss to Marist along the way.
It was one of the best seasons in program history – with Mother McAuley finishing No. 9 in our final Top 50 national rankings – and at the center of it all was junior outside Ellie White. The 4-star recruit committed to Michigan as a setter but has spent her time in high school hitting. Her stats are easy to comprehend. She led her team with 542 kills, averaging 5.9 per set and hitting .348. She was also third in digs with 289, averaging 3.1 per set, and third in blocks with 103, averaging 1.1 per set.
What’s harder to understand is the manner in which the 6-0 White does it. For those who were fortunate to witness White play this fall, you know the power and ferocity she attacks with. To say White was a dominating force is an understatement. It’s all reason why White is vballrecruiter.com’s 2022 High School Junior Player of the Year.
“She’s a humble person,” Mother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld said. “So many people admire her and really aspire to be like her. I’m always using her as an example. Usually I use former players like Kayla Caffey or Charlie Niego as examples. It’s not often I use current players still in the program as examples. I don’t like to put Ellie on the spot but it’s hard not to give her all the accolades and praise she deserves.”
White checks off all the tangibles when it comes to selecting a Player of the Year. She’s a high-caliber player who had a tremendous impact on a state championship-winning team. Even against a talented field of finalists, White stood out in clear fashion. She also possesses the intangibles that puts her in a special category.
“She loves to pushed and loves to be challenged,” DeJarld said. “If I don’t hold the best player to the highest level than who am I as a coach? She has to be better than others in the gym and ‘Okay’ is all she ever says and she just goes and does it.
“She’s the most humbled player and she could not be happier for other people. She takes everything in stride. She’s one of the few players who doesn’t get impacted by outside stresses and outside anxiety. It might creep in but she doesn’t really stress much. She keeps playing and stays in the moment.”
“It comes natural to me,” White said. “In those tight situations where it’s point for point I don’t tighten up. I tend to take a step back and take it all in. I try to stay calm and live in the moment.”
Though White played outside during the shortened spring season in 2020, she blossomed on the left during her sophomore campaign. It was challenging taking on a new role, one that not everyone would thrive in like White has.
“Playing outside is a totally different position,” White said. “I was a little nervous but it was a new opportunity. It was a new way to get better. Taking on a new position gave me a different look at the game. It’s a whole different side of it. Having the versatility of playing both positions increases my court awareness. It’s super fun.”
One example White said is hitting has helped her learn to read the block better when setting. Another is having a better understanding of giving her hitters better balls in the right spots.
“Both ways impact each other,” White said. “I think it’s super fun. I love it. Even playing defense and serve receive is so much fun.”
It’s just one more thing to marvel at. The focal point of White’s development has been on setting. It hasn’t been centered on the intricacies of playing outside.
“Skill wise, she has spent so much time setting and getting extra training sessions that she never passed and trains in that,” DeJarld said. “Still, she’s an elite passer who understands angles. I think she could be a six-rotation outside on any Big Ten team.”
Last season the Macs had senior Caroline Macander setting. This fall they used seniors Tess Hayes and Olivia Klapp as backrow setters. Because of that DeJarld said there was never a question of having White set.
“Never do I think about her setting,” DeJarld said. “She’s an amazing outside to me. Honestly, her back row attack is probably stronger than her front row. There were times she scored more out of the back row. This year we had two strong setters, so it was an easy transition.”
The setting position isn’t as clear cut next fall. DeJarld didn’t rule out White setting but would definitely love to let her keep swinging. Either way, DeJarld is excited to have one more season with her.
“Her potential is unlimited,” DeJarld said. “I’m super excited to see what kind of caliber she is going to bring. A player like Ellie won’t come back the same. She’ll come back better in a lot of ways.”
Regardless of what happens next year, there is no denying this much. This fall belonged to White in a lot of ways.
“I think our season basically starts with summer training with speed and agility,” White said. “Right then and there we were forming a connection over the summer. That was huge for us and led to our success and team chemistry. Our achievements were huge, from Louisville all the way to state.”
