Indiana University Athletics
Q&A: Boersema Next in Line at Middle Blocker
8/22/2024 5:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Q&A: Boersema Next in Line at Middle Blocker
For the longest time, Ella Boersema wore the number eight. But as most volleyball players do, she began to grow. The 6-foot-2 middle blocker from Churubusco, Ind. hit her growth spurt around the 10th grade and was forced to change numbers. As the jerseys got bigger, the numbers got bigger. Number 27 it was.
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She's stuck with the number 27. Once she got it, she never went back. That number will stand out on the court this season as Boersema preps for her debut season with the Hoosiers. She is part of a middle blocker group that has reshaped itself heading into the 2024 season. And Boersema will play a big part in it.
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We caught up with Boersema before the season started. One of five girls in her family, she's quiet on the court and lets her play do the talking. She's known as a fantastic offensive talent and will be the next in a long line of true freshmen to make an impact for the Hoosiers.
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Q: When did you start playing volleyball?
"Basketball was a sport for me for so long. Right when I hit sixth or seventh grade, I blew my ankle out and I just stopped. A year later, I started playing club volleyball and just stuck with it. I got so many questions about playing basketball but volleyball just grew on me."
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Q: When did you know that volleyball could be a legitimate future for you?
"I started travel in eighth grade and I wasn't the best. But the coaches saw potential in me. Every single practice I did not know what I was doing. My coach would have to pull me to the side to teach me little things like blocking. I gradually got better as each year went."
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Q: What was the adjustment to learning the middle blocker position?
"So much was basic when I first started playing middle blocker. It was eighth grade but it was also COVID and I was injured. It was maybe 10th grade when I started putting it all together. I still needed help but I could trust in myself to get through things."
Â
Q: What was your first taste of recruitment like?
"I was shocked the moment I woke up [on June 15]. It got to the point where I would refuse to look at it because it was too much. I went to weights that morning and I came back with so many messages. I was never going to commit on that day. It wasn't until later when I started to narrow down my options."
Â
Q: On that note, what made IU the right choice?
"I was asked to come to the Indiana camps and I came here to play. Steve pulled me into my office and told me they wanted me and asked me if I was in. Even with some staff changing, I knew it was the place and people I needed to be around."
Â
Q: What was it like playing for a four-time Olympian in club volleyball at Team Pineapple?
"We've always been the best team in the club. We were playing up at a young age. This past year, we knew what our goals were. Having Coach [Lloy] Ball as our coach, it made us know every day that we needed to go had. We had a big goal at the end. Nothing ever changed.
Â
Q: How exciting is it to know that IU intends to involve its middle blockers offensively?
"It's very exciting. Most places are pin heavy. Having the middle be able to be involved here, it helps me know I need to get better because the ball is going to come to me at big moments."
Â
Q: What's it like in a family of five girls?
"Every day is a lot. But it is rewarding. They won't say it but my younger sisters look up to me a lot. They're really excited for me. My dad, he always puts us first no matter what."
Â
Q: How was it like being away from home for the first time?
"The beginning was kind of rough. I'm such a family person and I hadn't been away from mine for a while. But now we've got such a good routine and all the people around me help me out so much. Everything feels normal now."
Â
Q: What's going to be exciting about playing in college?
"There are certain things you don't experience in high school or club. Scouting reports and the little aspects of prepping. We are very prepared by the coaches for the games we're going into. Knowing I'll be able to what they tell me to do is reassuring."
For the longest time, Ella Boersema wore the number eight. But as most volleyball players do, she began to grow. The 6-foot-2 middle blocker from Churubusco, Ind. hit her growth spurt around the 10th grade and was forced to change numbers. As the jerseys got bigger, the numbers got bigger. Number 27 it was.
Â
She's stuck with the number 27. Once she got it, she never went back. That number will stand out on the court this season as Boersema preps for her debut season with the Hoosiers. She is part of a middle blocker group that has reshaped itself heading into the 2024 season. And Boersema will play a big part in it.
Â
We caught up with Boersema before the season started. One of five girls in her family, she's quiet on the court and lets her play do the talking. She's known as a fantastic offensive talent and will be the next in a long line of true freshmen to make an impact for the Hoosiers.
Â
Q: When did you start playing volleyball?
"Basketball was a sport for me for so long. Right when I hit sixth or seventh grade, I blew my ankle out and I just stopped. A year later, I started playing club volleyball and just stuck with it. I got so many questions about playing basketball but volleyball just grew on me."
Â
Q: When did you know that volleyball could be a legitimate future for you?
"I started travel in eighth grade and I wasn't the best. But the coaches saw potential in me. Every single practice I did not know what I was doing. My coach would have to pull me to the side to teach me little things like blocking. I gradually got better as each year went."
Â
Q: What was the adjustment to learning the middle blocker position?
"So much was basic when I first started playing middle blocker. It was eighth grade but it was also COVID and I was injured. It was maybe 10th grade when I started putting it all together. I still needed help but I could trust in myself to get through things."
Â
Q: What was your first taste of recruitment like?
"I was shocked the moment I woke up [on June 15]. It got to the point where I would refuse to look at it because it was too much. I went to weights that morning and I came back with so many messages. I was never going to commit on that day. It wasn't until later when I started to narrow down my options."
Â
Q: On that note, what made IU the right choice?
"I was asked to come to the Indiana camps and I came here to play. Steve pulled me into my office and told me they wanted me and asked me if I was in. Even with some staff changing, I knew it was the place and people I needed to be around."
Â
Q: What was it like playing for a four-time Olympian in club volleyball at Team Pineapple?
"We've always been the best team in the club. We were playing up at a young age. This past year, we knew what our goals were. Having Coach [Lloy] Ball as our coach, it made us know every day that we needed to go had. We had a big goal at the end. Nothing ever changed.
Â
Q: How exciting is it to know that IU intends to involve its middle blockers offensively?
"It's very exciting. Most places are pin heavy. Having the middle be able to be involved here, it helps me know I need to get better because the ball is going to come to me at big moments."
Â
Q: What's it like in a family of five girls?
"Every day is a lot. But it is rewarding. They won't say it but my younger sisters look up to me a lot. They're really excited for me. My dad, he always puts us first no matter what."
Â
Q: How was it like being away from home for the first time?
"The beginning was kind of rough. I'm such a family person and I hadn't been away from mine for a while. But now we've got such a good routine and all the people around me help me out so much. Everything feels normal now."
Â
Q: What's going to be exciting about playing in college?
"There are certain things you don't experience in high school or club. Scouting reports and the little aspects of prepping. We are very prepared by the coaches for the games we're going into. Knowing I'll be able to what they tell me to do is reassuring."
Players Mentioned
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