Daley McClellan knew what the letter said.
After the Oregon Duck handed her an envelope, she opened it up, peaked at the bottom and started to blush.
The letter read: “You represent everything that makes Oregon mighty. You are now on scholarship as a student-athlete at the University of Oregon.”
Tears ran down her cheeks as she read it out loud. Her teammates started cheering and ran into a group hug.
“It’s funny, actually. When I started to read the letter, I peeked at the end and saw what the letter was about so I immediately knew,” McClellan said. “I tried to hold in my excitement and composure.”
Coming off one of the deepest postseason runs in program history in the Elite Eight, smiles flooded the preseason practice with the news regarding McClellan.
McClellan made significant contributions to one of the best seasons in program history last year, one that included a 16-game winning streak in addition to its Elite Eight appearance. During the season, she knew the moment in which she’d earn a full-time scholarship wasn’t all that far off in the future. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone that has played with her at any point in her career. Not only is she one of the best all-around players, she’s also a great teammate.
But in that moment, when she peeked at the bottom of the letter, it meant all her hard work this past season and to get to Oregon had been truly validated.
“Daley is the best teammate I have ever had coached,” TJ Schlatter, McClellan’s high school coach, said. “She makes the people around her better, and she’s the best high school player I ever coached. I was privileged to have her in my gym for four years.”
Growing up in Florence, Oregon, McClellan started out in Boys and Girls Club volleyball with all of her friends in elementary school. During that time, people had a hard time looking away while she was playing. She always looked like she belonged on a volleyball court, especially at that age. Even though she was definitely one of the best players that has ever worn Siuslaw across their chest, she was supportive and excited to cheer on her teammates.
“The memories of those practices and games will always stay with me,” McClellan said.
Her family moved shortly thereafter to Wilsonville, Oregon, and even though she was heartbroken that she was moving away from her friends and family and the town she grew up in, it ended up benefiting her volleyball career.
As many athletes know, there’s always ups and downs when it comes to team sports. When McClellan got involved with Canby’s volleyball community, she played with her best friend and faced some of the best players.
She started to see the outcome of everything she went through during her volleyball career. She was a two-time all-state and all-league performer in high school in addition to being named the Three Rivers League Player of the Year in 2019 and 2021. McClellan was also named the Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year during her final year at Canby High School.
When she arrived at Matthew Knight Arena, she expected to make some positional changes, but there wasn’t anything that she had problems with because she was just excited to be there and knew that’s what she needed to do in order for the team to succeed. Before college volleyball, McClellan was a dominant hitter and a strong serve-receive passer.
During her first year in Eugene, she learned new roles and grew as an all-around player. Once it came time to decide what would be the most beneficial to the team, she found herself as a defensive specialist.
Even though McClellan has been on many postseason runs in her career, the 2022 season was an unforgettable one, and she contributed a lot to it. During Oregon’s Sweet 16 game against Nebraska, she set a season high in assists and finished in the top five in team leaders for digs this season.
McClellan remembers being little and watching the NCAA tournament on TV with her family, and after being on that big stage herself, it was a full circle moment for her –– and she couldn’t imagine doing it with a different group of girls.
“The way that our team progressed throughout the season was inspiring,” McClellan said. “I’m so thankful to be a part of that. Those girls are my family, and that is a large part of why we worked together so well and why we won so many games.”
Looking forward to next season, McClellan knows there is so much room for growth as a defensive specialist, and just as a volleyball player in general, but that’s what makes her excited.
During every bit of her career, McClellan has made an impact on her team on and off the court, and at one of the highest levels of the sport, and that hasn’t changed. She’s come a long way from watching the NCAA tournament with her family on TV when she was little. She contributed to one of the longest postseason runs in school history, and her genuine passion and love for the sport and the many teammates she has played with is one of the numerous reasons why a player like her is rare and deserving of a scholarship.
“The Oregon Ducks are so lucky to have her in their gym,” Schlatter said. “I know she will step up to any role they ask of her.”
