Executive Sports Producer Kristin Parisi sat down with Marquette volleyball junior right-side hitter/setter Ella Foti to discuss the Golden Eagles trip abroad this summer, her organization, Miltoso and a rundown of her season so far for Marquette.

Although the season started off rocky with the non-conference schedule, Foti is excited to be at the center of Big East play.

“We’re excited to be in Big East play. It’s one of the most fun times of the year going for a championship, you know?” Foti said. “So I’m just excited to be here. Everything seems to be starting to click for us, so it’s been a fun time.”

Foti emphasized how important it is to build off the court relationships in order to establish on the court chemistry.

“Not only on the court but off the court we are really close and like to hang out together,” Foti said. “Honestly one of the biggest things off the court is being with each other and enjoying each other’s company, because then you know more what people are like and how they respond to different situations.”

Foti also took some time to discuss her family’s organization Milotso, a program designed to student athletes’ platforms to help support young kinds and promote service opportunities to bring positive change in their communities.

“After that (2020) season, my dad and I were talking about just our world, with Covid and with everything changing, everyone kind of went into their shells. And so then combined with all this inequality, it just makes you sad. And so we wanted to do something to give back to the community,” Foti said. “And so we wanted to make it a priority to try, as we’re on this platform with athletes, we look up to them, so let’s do something about that. We’re only on this quote unquote stage for so long, and so let’s make the most of it.”

Check out the rest of Foti’s interview on Marquette University Television’s YouTube channel.

This story was written by Kristin Parisi. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @kristinparisimu.