Ella McVey

Ella McVey ’21 was a three-sport athlete at Dowling Catholic, earning varsity letters in basketball, softball and track and field. A four-year varsity letterwinner in basketball and two-time team captain, McVey earned two Honorable Mention All-CIML selections and was recognized with the IBCA Team First Award. Her academic achievements included IBCA Academic All-District, IGCA Academic All-State and two Academic All-Conference honors.

 

McVey was also an accomplished softball player, earning national recognition as the No. 44-ranked softball prospect in the country by Extra Inning Softball in 2021. She helped lead her travel team to a PGF National Championship in 2020, where she was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and earned additional national all-star recognition throughout her career.

 

A four-year member of the Presidential Honor Roll and National Honor Society, McVey was also the recipient of the Jack Wahling Award.

 

McVey continued her softball career at the University of Michigan, where she was a four-year letterwinner and starter in the middle infield. As a team captain in 2025, she helped lead the Wolverines to back-to-back Big Ten Tournament Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances. She earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors in 2024 and was recognized for her academic achievements as a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and three-time CSC Academic All-District honoree. Ella was also honored with the Edna and Leo Drewett Award for Academic Excellence, presented to the Michigan softball player with the highest cumulative GPA during the academic year—an outstanding reflection of her commitment to excellence both in the classroom and on the field. She graduated with honors from Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts with a degree in Communication and Media and a minor in Entrepreneurship.

 

Today, McVey serves as Assistant Director of Development for Iowa Athletics, working with alumni, letterwinners and Hawkeye fans to support student-athletes and programs through philanthropy. She also serves as an assistant softball coach at Iowa City West High School.

 

McVey looks back on her time at Dowling Catholic with gratitude for the community, friendships and mentors who helped shape her both on and off the field. Among her favorite memories are team dinners, the annual basketball bus trip to Minnesota and the team’s beloved fish, Joel Jr. She is especially grateful for the lifelong friendships and the coaches whose guidance taught her the importance of respecting those who came before her, competing for those beside her and setting the standard for those who would follow.