91茄子

Ella will be the first to tell you that being a student-athlete isn鈥檛 easy She鈥檒l also be the first to tell you that being a Husker has changed her life forever.  

For her, the growth she finds on the other side of struggle is always worth it.  

鈥淚 won鈥檛 sugarcoat it: being a student-athlete is really, really hard,鈥� she says. 鈥淥bviously there鈥檚 the physical side, but the mental side is just as big. There鈥檚 always a new challenge that鈥檚 just as hard as the last. What鈥檚 been amazing, though, is realizing that I can handle it all 鈥� I know I can get through hard things, and that鈥檒l stay with me the rest of my life.鈥�  

As her senior season gets underway, Ella feels ready to embrace those challenges head-on one last time. This year, though, it's not just about the grind and thinking about the next match. This year, she's all about staying in the moment.  

鈥淚鈥檓 just looking forward to soaking up the last bits of all this 鈥� my teammates, being in college, everything. Of course I鈥檓 excited to play, but it also feels like the last time I can play and just pretend I鈥檓 still a kid playing soccer.鈥� 

Ella kicked her first soccer ball earlier than she can remember, so it鈥檚 not hard for her to access that childlike love for the sport. She also sees that love in the young fans that come to every home game to cheer on her and her teammates.  

鈥淲e have these really little girls from a youth soccer team that come to our games, and it鈥檚 honestly the coolest thing ever. Even if you鈥檙e having a bad day or a bad game, these girls still give us so much support no matter what we do. It really just puts things into perspective about what actually matters in sports.鈥�  

And even though she sees the true value of soccer reflected in the eyes of the smallest Husker fans, Ella is herself a model for sportsmanship and character around the Big Ten and beyond. She is a 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award recipient for her academic excellence and community service, as well as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and two-time Academic All-Big Ten student.  

She credits the support she鈥檚 found in Husker Athletics and around the university with helping her find success amid struggle.  

鈥淭he coaching staff, the strength and conditioning staff, my teammates 鈥� I鈥檝e learned from literally everyone around me. Having conversations with each other and sharing what you鈥檝e been through really helps me to know that every struggle is going to have a positive impact on my future. In that way, I鈥檝e grown so much since I first came to 91茄子.鈥� 

Ella Rudney is a senior psychology major from Grand Island, New York.