1978 Media Guide: “Ellen Crandall is the freshman sister of Barbara … played with the Eastern Junior National Team this summer at the National Sports Festival in Colorado Springs … described by Coach Tom Tait as potentially a national-caliber player.”
Russ Rose Now (2026): “When I came to Penn State in 1979, Ellen Crandall was here and was one of the top players in the country. Back in the day, the AIAW [Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women] selected six All-Americans, and Ellen was one of them in 1979, 1980, and 1981. She was a farm girl and incredibly strong and could take a big swing at the ball. Not many people hit the ball as hard as Ellen Crandall. She was one of those people who, when she hit the ball, it made a different sound. When she hit the ball, I was like ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’ The last player I thought was like that was Stanford’s Kathryn Plummer. After Penn State, Ellen spent time with the national team trying out for the Olympic team and then went on to a really good career as the volleyball coach at Connecticut. Ellen was a great, great player.”
1978 Season (Freshman): Letterwinner.
Before Penn State: Lettered in volleyball, basketball, track and cheerleading at General McLane High School in Girard, PA. Spent her senior year in Australia with the Queensland club team, playing in the national title match. Played with All-State in volleyball.
“Lady Spikers Win Delaware Invite,” The Daily Collegian, Oct. 19, 1981
“Spiker Crandall is Eastern Star,” The Daily Collegian, Nov. 6, 1979
