JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — At Carson Newman University, a student-athlete is celebrating after scoring a spot on a national volleyball team. Ella Gamble is a sophomore setter for the team. She committed to college in her senior year of high school.
"I love the training because you have to be super disciplined in order to do it," Ella said.
She said she knew from a young age that she wanted to play in college. However, choosing the right school was a tough decision. Ella said she visited Carson Newman three times before committing. She said it was worth it.
"I could tell from the beginning that this team is really here for each other. And so, that's one of the reasons why I love the school," Ella said.
Around the same time Ella accepted an offer to play at Carson Newman, she got an offer from another team.
"One day, I looked at my phone and I got a hit on my recruiting profile from Gallaudet University, which is one of the biggest deaf universities. I wondered, 'Why are they looking at my profile? I'm already committed to Carson Newman. This is really weird,'" Ella said. "Then, I get an email from their head coach, and he's one of the coaches on the USA Deaf volleyball team, asking me to join."
Ella joined the USA Deaf Volleyball team.
She was born deaf in both ears to a family that was not hard of hearing. In her infancy, Ella said he parents decided to go the route of getting her cochlear implants.
"It's similar to hearing aids but it's not. Hearing aids amplify sound. Cochlear implants essentially create sound," Ella said.
She has never known life without her implants.
"Those who get cochlear implants later on in life have to relearn how to hear because it's completely different because it's a lot more robotic. You know, I don't know what that's like, because I was born with it," Ella said.
Throughout her high school years, she dabbled with learning American Sign Language. However, Ella never knew anyone growing up who was deaf. She remained relatively distant from the deaf community.
"They always say the deaf community is very exclusive. Just because it's such a small group," Ella said. " And, I didn't even know if I'd be accepted into it because I have cochlear implants."
Once Ella joined the USA Deaf Volleyball team, she realized just how accepting the community is.
"We're able to kind of really come together and just like, really connect differently, because we do all have something in common, even though we're all so different," Ella said.
The USA Deaf Volleyball team meets for a week every year to train ahead of the Deaf Olympics. Last year, Ella got to compete in the Deaf Olympics in Brazil.
"We don't really get to play together a lot," Ella said. "We really had to go to those training camps to make sure we get the experience with each other. And we have to pick up on communication cues, and everything else really fast."
The team has plans to play in the Deaf Volleyball World Championships in Japan in 2024.