By Derrick Smith

There are moments in an athlete’s career that have such an impact on them that they will never forget. It could be winning a championship, reaching a personal milestone, or in the case of Ella Lichty, it is growing with her volleyball teammates. “The highlight moment of my career has definitely been this season,” she says. “Besides having grown in skill, I have grown closer to all of the wonderful girls on my team. The way we build each other up, along with the caring and supportive environment, has made playing this season an amazing experience.”

As a senior at Oklahoma Bible Academy, Ella plays outside hitter on the OBA volleyball team. She has played the sport of volleyball for about seven years. She says that a team is only as good as its members and its success depends on the chemistry of the team. “First and foremost, volleyball is a team sport,” she said. “It takes a bond between the team and each and every player built on mutual respect and friendship to be successful. Personally, it has taken a lot of perseverance, everyday effort, and patience. Volleyball requires constant practice to maintain an increase in skills and full dedication to reach achievements.”

While she has put in a lot of work to become the player that she is, Lichty says there have been some important people that have been key in her development into the person and athlete that she is. “My biggest role models and influences are my parents,” she said. “They set an example of working hard, caring for others, and always trying to better themselves and push me to do the same.”

As a student at OBA, Lichty has had a lot of teachers, but out of all of them, she says that her statistics teacher helped her learn more than just what is in the lesson.  “My favorite teacher would have to be Ms. Brown,” she said.
“She taught me that learning does not have to be stressful and it can actually be fun, even when it is a math class.”

Other than sports, Ella is also the president of the school’s chapter ofNational Honor Society.