Ella Saada might be a freshman, but she is one of Syracuse’s most experienced players

In game-deciding points, few would expect a freshman to get the call to step to the service line, get set up for a crucial kill or save a point with a critical dig.

At 21-years-old, Ella Saada is not a regular freshman. In some pressure moments this season, the Orange has turned to her to produce, and she has not disappointed.

Against Georgia Tech on Oct. 8, she saved a set point with a deft tip over a double-block that landed just out of reach of the diving backline. Against Pittsburgh just five days later, Saada took a Trotter set and placed it into the back corner, hitting the corner of both lines to save another set point.

As Syracuse (17-8, 9-3 Atlantic Coast) heads down the home stretch of its season, it has relied on Saada to produce offensively. Her prior experience has made a difference for her mentally and physically as she transitions to college volleyball and student life in the United States. But on the court, it’s her versatility that’s made her an invaluable all-around player for the Orange. Offensively, her 25 aces leda the team and Saada’s 166 kills rank third. Defensively, only libero Belle Sand has more digs than Saada’s 167.

“She is not a typical freshman,” SU head coach Leonid Yelin said. “She’s 21, and she’s played all over the world.”

As an Israeli citizen raised in Kfar Masaryk, Israel, the government mandated Saada to complete two years of military service starting at age 18. She participated in boot camp and lived with fellow enlistees. She never saw battle, but Saada learned time-management skills and accountability that still informs what she does now on a court.

After the Israeli military, Saada played volleyball for the Israeli national team under Arie Selinger, a two-time silver-medalist winning coach, and competed in international tournaments. Then, Saada pursued her dream of living in the United States and spent a year at St. John’s studying and practicing English while living in New York City.

“I got a lot from the program, we had a really good coach,” Saada said. “I learned a lot from him.”

When Yelin saw his opportunity to add Saada to the team, he wasted no time. Despite never intensely recruiting her, Yelin had done enough research to know that she would be a good fit at Syracuse.

“I googled the national team, and I watched a lot of matches that she played,” Yelin said. “You could see skills, you could see experience. We did not know much about her personality. Usually when you’re recruiting kids, you have at least a year to get to know them.”

Prior to her commitment, Yelin had never seen Saada play in person. While Saada had not balanced both schoolwork and volleyball in multiple years, she had a goal in mind. After a Skype video call, Yelin felt that Saada was the right fit both on and off the court.

“I wanted to get an education, and play volleyball at a good level,” Saada said. “I didn’t just want to get an education and not play volleyball a lot.”

Since arriving at SU, Saada has made an immediate impact. Though a right shoulder injury kept her from playing outside hitter for a stretch of games early in the season, she contributed defensively by playing exclusively on the back line. Since Saada’s shoulder has healed and teammate Kendra Lukacs injured her ankle, Saada has returned to outside hitter and embraced a more active role in the SU offense.

In the last 10 games, Saada has tallied nine kills per match and has developed into a mainstay in the starting lineup. Whether it’s serving, attacking, or defending, Saada’s all-around performance has paced SU this season.

“When we have nervous moments, I feel the younger players are more stressed,” Saada said. “But I’m more calm.”

Once playing on the world’s biggest stages, ACC volleyball is not quite as intimidating, even for a freshman.