Orange Lutheran junior Ella Preus lived in Arizona when she began playing indoor volleyball in middle school. A friend from church introduced her to beach volleyball, and it didn't take long for Preus to discover a passion for the beach game.

"It's only you and your partner, so you get so many more touches," says Preus. "With beach, I get to pass, I get to set, I get to hit, I get to do all of it, so that's what I like about it."

Preus transferred into OLu as a sophomore when her family moved to California. This season, she is partnered with senior Lancer and fellow indoor volleyball teammate Kenzie Houston. Under new girls beach volleyball head coach Allie Cook, the team has a goal to earn a postseason berth.

"Our team goal is to make CIF," says Preus. "Also, we're a really young team this year, and I feel like we're all really close, so it's just about building those friendships. That's been really important."

As captain for the Lancers this season, Preus leads by example with energy and communication, while also encouraging her teammates and supporting them during their matches.

"Ella was chosen a captain by her teammates for a reason," says Cook. "She is extremely dedicated to the growth and success of our program. She leads by example on and off the sand. She has this grace and maturity to her that has a huge impact on our team. Her positivity and volleyball IQ shine on the court and are very fun to watch. OLu is just a stepping stone for her beach volleyball career, and I'm very excited to see how far she takes it, all while staying true to her Christian values and radiating her positivity and light."

Life lessons that Preus has been able to draw from playing beach volleyball include learning to quickly move on from mistakes, a mindset she applies to life by focusing on the future rather than dwelling on setbacks.

"I definitely think that beach is such a fast game, so you have to bounce back and adjust really quickly," says Preus. "I feel like that connects to life in a way because we're going to have so many obstacles. Not dwelling on bad things that have happened in the past but focusing more on what I can do in the future is related to that."

Off the court, Preus serves the OLu community as an Ignite Mentor where she helps incoming freshmen adjust to life as a Lancer. As a transfer student who had a positive experience with her Engage program mentor, she was inspired to give back and be a friendly face on campus.

"I wanted to be that (mentor) for the freshmen because I can not only share my experiences at OLu, but I can also help strengthen them in their faith," says Preus. "I think it's really cool for me to see how they've grown since the beginning of the year."

As someone who comes from a family of Lutheran educators, Preus keeps her faith at the center of everything she does. As a student athlete, it shapes the way she trains, competes and approaches the sport.

"Faith definitely playing into that as an athlete has been so helpful," says Preus. "It's about trusting God has a plan for my life. Even if it's not exactly how I want it to go, I know that he has a plan and everything's always going to play out." 

Preus recently made a verbal commitment to continue her beach volleyball career at Concordia University Irvine. She is considering career paths in business, sports medicine or education. Her parents, both inductees into the OLu Athletics Hall of Fame (Anna Klitzing Preus 2015, Dr. Jack Preus 2019), have been a strong source of support and inspiration throughout her athletic and academic journey.

"They're my biggest role models for sure," says Preus of her parents. "They can obviously relate to me because they were both athletes, and they understand balancing the faith and athlete part. That's been really helpful. They've just always been there supporting me in everything that I do."