élan McCall does it all as UCLA women’s volleyball’s steadfast leader

This post was updated Nov. 15 at 10:13 p.m.

No Bruin has been a bigger dual threat than élan McCall.

The UCLA women’s volleyball graduate student outside hitter/opposite hit her 1,000th career kill and 30th career double-double against Arizona on Oct. 9. Just a week earlier, McCall notched her 1,000th career dig in UCLA’s matchup against Colorado.

In overall play this season, McCall has had more success getting double digits in both kills and digs than any other player on her team, and is the only current Bruin to hit both the 1,000-kill milestone and the 1,000-dig milestone in her career, alongside the 10th Bruin in program history.

“I’m just leaving it all out there every time I step on the court,” McCall said. “I’m just grateful for every opportunity I have right now.”

McCall’s five-year road began at Texas Christian University, where she collected seven end-of-season accolades, including first-team All-Big-12 and AVCA Southwest Region Freshman of the Year honors in 2018.

McCall collected 370 kills – a personal best for a season – and 254 digs in her freshman campaign at TCU, managing to snag 14 double-doubles in 21 matches and averaging 4.74 kills per set, a number that led the conference. Her performance on the court netted her the 2018-2019 TCU Female Newcomer of the Year award, another first for program history.

Despite an injury-riddled sophomore season in which McCall didn’t hit a kill until seven games in, the outside hitter still managed to eclipse triple digits in both categories by notching 127 kills and 188 digs to round out her time down south.

And after breaking several TCU records, the 2018 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American decided to toss in the purple and white for the blue and gold and hop on a plane to play for UCLA.

Redshirt junior middle blocker Anna Dodson – who has played with McCall in Westwood for the past three seasons – said McCall brings a lot to the team both on and off the court.

“She’s always there to help me,” Dodson said. “She’s always a listening ear on the court and off the court. If anyone needs anything, I can always go to her. … I know the whole entire team can go to her, and that’s just really impactful to have.”

The spring 2021 season brought McCall eight double-figure kill matches and 12 double-figure dig matches, and she led the Bruins in double-doubles with seven. McCall finished the season with 235 kills, 194 digs and first-team All-Pac-12 honors, ranking second on the squad in both statistical categories.

Dodson said McCall helped the team in both play and demeanor.

“She has made a huge impact as both a person and a player,” Dodson said. “She brings great morals and great leadership and great sportsmanship, competitiveness. Anything you can think of that defines the ideal athlete – that’s what I think élan is.”

The fall 2021 season, the most prolific defensive season of McCall’s career, added 286 digs and 151 kills to her name, earning her Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors and an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention at the end of the season.

In UCLA’s game against Oregon on Oct. 22, 2021, McCall tied a program record for most digs in a three-set match with 28.

“She’s just so steady in multiple facets of the game,” said coach Michael Sealy. “She can steady out your passing, and she can steady out your blocking, and she can be steady attacking. She’s almost like an anchor. She gets so much stability for whatever part of the game we need.”

Thus far in 2022, McCall has had 14 double-figure kill matches and 14 double-figure dig matches, leading to eight double-doubles, 256 kills and 223 digs for the season. McCall currently leads the team in kills and comes in second in digs behind graduate student defensive specialist/libero Mackenzie Cole.

McCall said her versatility on the court has helped her grow as a player.

“Me being OK with any role – last year I was more of a defensive player, this year I’m more of an offensive player – it’s helped my game,” McCall said. “(It) helped me see the game more and just grow my IQ.”

Alongside her success in kills and digs, McCall has been a threat on serve and block, leading the team in service aces with 27 and totaling 32 blocks this season.

Dodson said McCall’s ability to read the court is second to none.

“She has just become such a smart player with her shots,” Dodson said. “She’s definitely the best blocker on our team in terms of getting over and pressing, and she’s grown a lot.”

With four games left in the regular season, McCall might leave Westwood with even more accolades to decorate her name.

Nevertheless, it’s not the awards and the statistics that drive her.

“I play for a lot of people, but at the end of the day, I play for the people who are around me and on the court with me that push me to be better every day,” McCall said.