Sophomore (2024-25): Went 6-12 in singles matches and 8-8 in doubles this year… Played singles on courts four and five in the first half of the season then moved up to court three for the latter half…Also began her doubles season on court two then moved up to court one for the conclusion of the season… With doubles partner Emily Robertson earned three conference victories and earned All-WCC Second Team honors ... Was a WCC Women’s Tennis All-Academic Honorable Mention.
Freshman (2023-24): Named a Doubles All-WCC Honorable Mention… Had a singles record of 15-18 and doubles record of 16-14 this year for the Zags… Finished the fall tournament season with a team-high eight tournament singles victories… Playing mostly on court three for singles during the dual season, earned the first conference singles win of her collegiate career against San Francisco’s Julia Visaya… Had the second-highest doubles winning percentage on the team, at 53.3%... Pairing primarily with Emily Robertson on court two for doubles, finished with the seventh-highest winning percentage by a pair in program history, at 66.7%... Maintained an impressive dual doubles record of 10-5 with Robertson, which is tied for the twelfth-most dual doubles wins by a pair in program history… With nine court two victories on the year, Nielsen and Robertson are now tied for the fourth-most court two doubles wins in a single season… Was one of two players on Gonzaga with a positive conference doubles record, with 5-4 on the year…
Personal:
Nielsen holds a current Canadian ranking of #57 and has committed to Gonzaga for the Fall of 2023.
Head Coach Natalie Pluskota-Hamberg on Ella's recent commitment, "Ella will be a great fit here at GU. As a multisport athlete, Ella has a leg up in terms of her athletic ability and team comradery. Her work ethic and drive both on and off the court mesh well with our already very close-knit team. We are excited to get her on campus next fall!"
Nielsen has been a player with Tennis Canada's National Junior Tennis Program (B.C.) since 2014. In August 2022, Nielsen was the U18 Provincial (State) Champion in both singles and doubles. She was a two-time U18 BC Fall 4 Star Singles Champion back in August 2021.
Ella is a multisport athlete who grew up playing tennis, basketball, and soccer. She was a youth ambassador for the Canadian charity
WaterAid. She is an honors student as a senior, holding a 3.9 GPA.
"I chose Gonzaga because of the positive environment, the Coaches' passion for the program, and their commitment to their players. I appreciate the family like atmosphere and love the beautiful Gonzaga Campus. I am truly grateful for the opportunity and excited about becoming a Zag!"
