Cape Central volleyball star Ella Hukel commits to University of South Carolina Aiken

Cape Central volleyball senior Ella Hukel signs her national letter of intent to the University of South Carolina Aiken alongside her family on Monday, Dec. 2, at Cape Central High School.

Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

While her final season of high school volleyball personally came to an end in the Class 4 District 1 semifinals this fall, Cape Central senior Ella Hukel’s career is far from over.

Hukel officially signed with the University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team on Monday, Dec. 2, at Cape Central High School.

“This is super exciting,” Hukel said. “I’ve worked probably three years for this goal. Just the constant emailing coaches and the constant traveling all summer to visit these places is really exciting to finally choose a good one.”

Hukel was one of the centerpieces of a Lady Tigers team that finished the year 24-9-3 — just the second 20-plus win season in over two decades — in head coach Sommer McCauley-Perdue’s first year at the helm. Through 36 games, Hukel led the team in service aces (59), aces per set (0.6) and assists (522).

A three-time All-SEMO Conference selection, she was named the 2023 SEMO Conference co-Libero of the Year before transitioning to setter as a senior in 2024.

“I really think Ella will exceed,” Perdue said. “She'll be exceptional. Ella is like a coach's dream as a player. She's very coachable. She's a leader, she knows how to lead her team and she works extremely hard. She's the first to get to practice and the last one there. She's always working on herself to get better.”

Cape Central's Ella Hukel sets the ball for her teammates against Bernie on Monday, Sept. 16. (Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com)

Along with fellow seniors Nalaiya Furlow (Southwestern Illinois College) and Piper Underwood (John A. Logan College), Hukel is one of three Lady Tigers who signed to play college volleyball this offseason.

The future collegiate libero said she is going to miss her teammates and family the most when she moves on next year.

“I’m going to miss my friends and my family,” Hukel said. “I have such a great group of friends here and my family has supported me throughout, so it’s going to be hard to leave them. But I know that I’m going to visit them a lot.”

Hukel joins a USC Aiken volleyball program that has reached the Division II national tournament nine times under 17th-year head coach Glenn Cox. The Pacers will be competing in the opening round of the 2024 Division II Women’s Volleyball Championships this Friday, Dec. 6, against Lander University in Wingate, North Carolina.

“I chose South Carolina Aiken because I love the coach,” Hukel said. “He’s super nice, Coach Cox. The team is super competitive 24/7 and is constantly winning titles, winning tournaments and everything. The area of it — I have a beach, I have the mountains, I have a downtown, I have a city, and it’s far away from home.

“My goal is to just have a fun environment 24/7 and to pursue a pre-vet degree and become a veterinarian.”

Cape Central libero/setter Ella Hukel alongside her family during her national signing day on Monday, Dec. 2. Back row: Lady Tigers head coach Sommer McCauley-Perdue. Front row from left to right: step mother Holley Hukel, father Brian Hukel, Ella Hukel, mother Dana Thomas, and step father Nate Thomas. (Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com)

Looking at joining the program, what Hukel is excited for the most is developing herself as a player and adjusting to tougher competition.

“I’m super thrilled,” she said. “I’m ready to get that higher level speed of play and the more competitive feel of it. It’s just such a fun environment to be in and I’m ready to go to the next level.”