Hayley Payne '20 Recruiting Profile

My primary focus when looking for what college or university I will commit to is considering the educational possibilities for an undergraduate degree. I have always been fascinated with law and the justice system, along with Medicine and psychology. I am interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree with a legal, pyschology, or pre-medicine focused bachelor's degree. My goal is to work hard and be open to my journey and what might come after I graduate from college and pursue a law degree, masters or doctorate. Although education is important to me, my passion is playing volleyball, and it would be amazing if I could continue my volleyball career in college. I love the team aspect volleyball has, and each team I've played on is like my other family. So, when looking at schools I really want to make sure that I can see that team bond that resembles a family.  

I have been the captain for each of my club teams for the past four years and the captain for my high school team this past schoolseason (18-19) and along with being a setter and the offensive leader, I am the team leader as well. As a captain, I want to make sure my teammates trust me and know that they can always count on me. Thus, I love being a setter because I can slow down the game if it is becoming frantic, or I can go up to my hitter and tell them that I am going to set them and that I need them to keep the ball in play. But in order to be this “demanding” of my teammates I need to know how to effectively communicate with each of them. That is why my goal on and off the court is to make sure I have a connection with each player on the team. I put a deliberate effort into building a positive culture and climate on and of the court. This helps with talking to my teammates, so that when they get down on themselves for making a mistake, I can help them come out of it fast. However, being a setter is not only about being a leader, but I also have to be able to read the court and know which of the hitters is going to be the most effective. This is determined by the blockers on the other team and how they match up with the hitters, but also seeing what is open on the other team's side, and who has the best chance of getting a kill. But, in order for my hitters to do well, I have to put up a good, consistent set, so that they will have options when they go up to hit. So, as a setter, my goal is to better the ball, if it is a rough pass I need to make sure I can still give my hitters a hittable set, and if it's a great pass, my team and I need to know that I will put up a great set. Additionally, I take my responsibility to play defense and offense very seriously. I want to be reliable in the back row and a threat in the front row. Thus, by being both a leader and a consistent setter, this allows my teammates to know that I will always be there to pick them up and that I will give them the chance to put the ball down every time.

The key to a good team is fundamentals and skill, but the key to a great team is based on a positive winning attitude, a dedication to work hard on and off the court, and the bond the players have with each other and their coach. A positive bond between teammates is essential for a team to be effective. This means not getting mad at your teammates and shutting them out, but by building them back up and encouraging them to focus on the next play. As for the player-coach relationship, I think communication is critical to success. Knowing that as a player I can feel confident about talking to my coach and asking for advice and criticism, and knowing that I can value and apply their response. Overall, my ultimate dream is to be able to pursue my educational goals while being able to commit to playing a sport that I love: volleyball.