Prospect Profile: Haleigh Hadley
Haleigh Hadley emerged last fall as a middle hitter for Gilbert, racking up 267 kills during her junior campaign and leading the Tigers with a hitting percentage of .240. She then turned heads in the spring, placing eighth at the…
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Continue ReadingHaleigh Hadley emerged last fall as a middle hitter for Gilbert, racking up 267 kills during her junior campaign and leading the Tigers with a hitting percentage of .240. She then turned heads in the spring, placing eighth at the Drake Relays in the high jump by clearing 5-feet-4 inches.
Now, the 6-footer is playing a big role for a ranked Gilbert volleyball team and is catching the attention of colleges, too.
Iowa State has contacted Hadley about the prospect of walking on, she said, and she’s heard from several Division-III schools, as well as Division-IIs like Bemidji State and NAIAs like Grand View.
Haleigh Hadley from Gilbert getting above the net on the quick. Middles and setters working together. @IowaVballRegion pic.twitter.com/Ar4T4x5Nq0
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) June 8, 2019
Over the opening week, it was easy to see why colleges are interested. She’s hit .407 to rack up 57 kills on the year as Gilbert, preseason ranked No. 11 in 4A, improved to 7-3. She’s also added 21 blocks this year and has only one service error compared to four aces.
“I’m so excited for this season. I’ve had such a good vibe about it,” she said this week.
Hadley knows that she’s probably not tall enough to play the middle in college, and she’s confident in her attacking ability, so she’s recently focused on her ball skills. She’s honed her passing, as well as her blocking. With the jumping ability that she has, she’s able to elevate well above the net, but has made it a point recently to get her hands in the proper spot for a successful block.
“I’ve worked on pressing over because I have a very high vertical, so most of the time I just go straight up and then it’ll go off my hand. I’ve worked on pressing over so it goes straight down on their side,” she said.
Gilbert coach Stacy Johnson pointed to Hadley as a key reason why she feels the Tigers are set up for success this season.
“She’s got some jumps there that will definitely be beneficial to us,” she said.
Hadley said she was a little nervous before last season, but is entering this season with increased confidence.
“This year I get to train the new middles, so that’s really fun and it’s helping me be a better middle because I get to see what they’re doing wrong and I can also say, ‘Hey, am I doing that as well,’ and fixing that on me and them,” she said.