Volleyball adds transfers Elena Radeff and Allyson Eckel

MILWAUKEE – Marquette University head women’s volleyball coach Ryan Theis has announced the additions of Santa Clara transfer Elena Radeff and Middle Tennessee transfer Allyson Eckel for the fall of 2025.

Radeff arrives on campus this summer with one season of NCAA eligibility remaining, while Eckel has two years to play and will join the MU roster for the 2025 spring semester.

“Ally and Elena add experience to our young group,” Theis said. “I am very pleased with what we were able to add in this off-season to supplement our returning roster and six incoming freshmen.”

Radeff, a native of Menlo Park, California spent five seasons at Santa Clara University as a right-side hitter and will use her free season of eligibility from the 2020 campaign this fall in Milwaukee. She was a key member of the rotation during each of the past two seasons with the Broncos.

“Elena is a great fit for us,” Theis said. “She has a lot of collegiate experience on the right side and I actually think her collegiate beach experience has made her a very well-rounded player. Elena has an extremely fun personality and is looking to help us make another run in the NCAA tournament.”

Radeff played in 66 career matches at SCU indoors and tallied 451 kills (2.45 per set) with a hitting percentage of .227 (451-71-1,236) and 82 total blocks (0.46 per frame).

She hit a career-best .266 as a redshirt senior in 2024 with 2.69 kills and 0.54 blocks per set, and ended her tenure at Santa Clara with the best six-match stretch of her career. Over her final six contests, which included wins over San Francisco, Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga to end the year, Radeff led the squad with 4.90 kills per set (98 total), 1.15 digs and 0.85 blocks per frame for a 5.43 point-per set average and a hitting efficiency of .368. She recorded a career-best 20 kills and five blocks in a sweep of the Gaels in the penultimate match of the year and hit .630 with 18 kills to sweep Gonzaga in the season finale.

Radeff earned All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention accolades as a redshirt junior in 2023 after averaging 2.76 kills per set.

She played four seasons of beach volleyball at Santa Clara (2021-24) and compiled a 17-15 record at the No. 1 spot with teammate Katie Kishton in 2024, while earning All-WCC First Team honors. The duo competed against numerous ranked opponents during her final season and had a stretch from April 2-20 during which they won seven-of-eight contests.

The 2020 graduate of Sacred Heart Prep was a four-time WCC academic honoree and was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® selection this fall.

Eckel is a native of Kenosha, Wisconsin and attended Bradford High School, where she recorded over 1,200 digs and 220 service aces as a two-time conference defensive player of the year.

“We are excited to add Ally’s skills and experience to the program,” Theis said. “I watched hundreds of her touches from this fall and was very impressed with her steady platform and ball control. We think she can help us from a serve receive and defensive standpoint.”

During her two seasons at Middle Tennessee State, Eckel played in 46 matches (155 sets) and recorded 247 digs (1.59 per frame) with 46 assists and 15 service aces. She notched a career-best 2.15 digs per set (157 total) as a sophomore in 2024 with 11 service aces.

Eckel recorded career highs this season of 19 digs in a four-set win over Robert Morris on Sept. 13 and landed three service aces the following day at College of Charleston. She reached double-digit digs seven times as a sophomore, including 14 alongside five assists and an ace in a win over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 25.

The exercise science major earned a spot on the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll during the 2023-24 academic year and begins her career as a Marquette student-athlete on Monday, Jan. 13.

Radeff and Eckel join a MU roster that advanced to its third NCAA regional semifinal in 2024 with a 25-9 overall record and must offset the departure of an accomplished seven-player senior class. The Golden Eagles ended the year ranked 21st in the final AVCA Top-25 Poll.

Keep up with the Marquette University women’s volleyball program through social media by following on X (@MarquetteVB) and Instagram (@MarquetteVB) and ‘liking’ on Facebook (/MarquetteVolleyball).

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.