Merced High star is headed to this Pac-12 school to play volleyball
One of the first photos of Merced High senior Ellie Hamm is as a newborn in the arms of her father, Eric, who was wearing a Cal T-shirt.
Eric played water polo at Cal and three of Ellie’s aunts played water polo for the Golden Bears.
Now, Ellie will play volleyball at Cal. The Merced High star made her college choice official during a ceremony Friday in the Merced High gym in front of a small gathering of family and friends.
“I’m so happy,” Hamm said. “I’ve wanted to go to Cal ever since I’ve known what college was. The fact that it’s happening is awesome.”
The 6-foot-4 middle blocker passed up scholarships from other schools to attend Cal as a preferred walk-on. Hamm will try to earn a scholarship after arriving on campus.
“I’m going there without a scholarship,” she said. “I think that will make me work even harder, it will be that thing that pushes me a little further.”
Hamm started emailing the volleyball coaches at Cal when she was in eighth grade. By the time she was a freshman, Cal coaches started coming to her club games to watch her play.
Hamm also drew recruiting interest from the University of Tennessee and Campbell University in North Carolina. Hamm was a first-team All-Central California Conference selection the past two years for the Bears.
“Everyone in here knows how amazing Ellie the athlete is and Ellie the person is just leaps and bounds even greater,” Merced High volleyball coach Patricia Flanagan said. “That’s what Cal is going to be lucky to have and we are going to miss so much this year.”
Hamm says she’s excited for the opportunity.
“I can’t wait,” she said. “If I could leave right now I would.”
