The Eyes of Texas Are on Ella Swindle

Ella Swindle has had an interesting career in college athletics so far, to say the least. She stepped into a starting role as a true freshman where she was tasked with leading the offense of the defending national champions and one of the most watched programs in the country. Not an easy situation for someone brand new to NCAA volleyball, but she thrived. She quickly became a fan favorite with her physicality, her raw emotion and energy, and her leadership despite being just a freshman. Ella was able to lead Texas to another National Championship in her first year, something many talented players are never able to achieve. Everything seemed primed for Ella to have a long, successful career... until it didn't. Texas acquired another elite setter, Averi Carlson, in the offseason and Ella spent the majority of her sophomore year as the backup setter.

On the transfer of Carlson from Baylor to Texas, Ella said "It was a little bit surprising just because we had just won a national championship and things had been going really well," and she certainly wasn't alone in that surprise. Just about everyone in NCAA volleyball expected Ella to be gearing up for year two of leading the charge for the Longhorns. Ella adds, "When you're a freshman setter, you're gonna have a lot of ups and downs, and there's a really big learning curve, so to get through that and to win a national championship, it felt very exciting. And then you find out that another setter is gonna be coming in and it's not by any means defeating, but but it's just surprising, especially after the outcome that you have of a great season." It served as a stark reminder that everything in the Texas gym is earned, that there's no room for complacency, and you will always be surrounded by talent.

For Ella, this opened up something that she had never experienced before. She was used to being the starter at all levels of volleyball, so sitting on the bench "was just something new that I had to wrap my mind around." It forced her to rethink her role, not just as a player but as a teammate. "That was a different kind of relationship than I've had with any other setter, just because it was the most competition that I've had... you have to learn how to communicate really well and to manage your emotions whenever things aren't going your way." The two setters maintained a good relationship throughout the year, but it was something new for Ella to navigate.

Even in the moments when Ella was able to earn her spot on the court, it didn't feel the same as her freshman year. "Last year, I was just playing not to lose and not to mess up, and I don't think that's the right mindset to have whenever you're on the court." With another setter ready to sub in at any point Ella started to falter, her mentality was "always looking over your shoulder, wondering when it is that you're gonna be pulled off the court." She felt like she was "trying to make myself someone I wasn't instead of playing the game that I know how to play" and "not really playing with a lot of the freedom that I knew I played with here before." Put simply:

​

"I didn't really feel like Ella Swindle a lot last year."

​

This year, all of that changes. Ella committed to returning to Texas pretty quickly after the season ended, even before knowing Carlson's plans. "I think I pretty much shocked everyone in the country whenever I decided to stay at Texas," she joked. There was a lot of noise going around in December, but Ella was keen on blocking everything out and making the decision that was best for her. "At the end of the day, other people are gonna say a lot of things about you and tell you what you should do with your life, but my confidence was in Texas and my confidence has always been in Texas because I chose this place for a reason. Whenever I committed here the first time, it was because I wanted to be here whether volleyball was going great or it wasn't going well at all. I knew that I love this place for what it was, and I want to go through all the ups and downs here... it's hard what we do, but it's also a really big blessing. It really is a blessing to be able to play for the University of Texas." A refreshing perspective in an era of college athletics that has felt increasingly transactional, where the transfer portal has become the norm rather the exception. It's rare to see someone double down like this on a situation that tested them.

Now, with Carlson at SMU, Ella Swindle is the no-doubt starter and this is her year. "I feel a lot like myself right now, and I think a lot of that just has to do with learning that what I've done on my own, it doesn't have to do with any other player in our gym or anything else." Although last year was a difficult one for Ella, there are a lot of positives she's able to take away from the experience. "I've learned how to manage my game at a higher level and to manage my emotions... how I walk into the gym every single day, how to be okay with failure, and just focusing on my game rather than anyone else's."

The Texas coaching staff has been a significant part of helping her grow not only as a volleyball player, but as a person, giving extra credit to one person in particular. "Ben [Josephson] has played a huge role in that, just helping me figure out how to focus on myself and be okay with the learning curve that you have to deal with every single day." 

As the setter, an important role is not only to command the offense, but to be a captain and emotional leader of the team, and Ella sees that as a big role for herself this year. Last year only helped her grow leadership qualities that she can apply going forward. "I try to look for the blessings in the messy parts of life and I think that a really cool thing that came out of my journey last year was just the fact that I can relate to a lot of people in our gym." For any of her teammates that are four-year starters, wide-eyed freshmen, a starter that got benched, or anywhere in between, "I've kind of experienced all of those roles and I know what people need in those situations because I've been through it." Empathy is something that will only make a leader stronger, and I think a lot of Texas players will want to play for Ella because of that.

Looking ahead to this fall, Texas fans will get to watch vintage Ella Swindle back in full force. The version that plays fast, fearless, and free. The version that leads with edge, poise, and empathy. Last season tested her identity in ways most athletes are never forced to face, and she came out of it sharper, stronger, and more self-assured. And now, she gets to define the narrative on her own terms. Seeing this amount of maturity is extremely impressive from someone who has only played two years of college volleyball, and it only makes me want to root for Ella even more. And if her words and mindset are any indication, year three is going to be something special.