United Community Bank Athlete of the Week: Velva’s Haley Heisler

VELVA, N.D. (KMOT) - When someone loves something, they usually don’t want it to change.

“I fell in love right away with volleyball,” said Haley Heisler, a senior at Velva.

But for Haley, change was the only option.

“I decided I wanted to play college and the only way to do that was to make the transition from being a middle hitter to a libero in club that year,” said Haley.

Moving positions means a new style of play.

“She ends up doing more coverage than her spot, typically has because she reads it well and goes on the floor,” said Coach Cassidy Peterson.

Haley dove right into it.

“She’s not afraid to dive, that’s for sure, we knew that from the get-go,” said Peterson.

The swap brought her closer to others.

“We just really got close this year. I was always her friend, but I feel like volleyball got us a lot closer. I always play next to her in the back row,” said Briley Marsh, a senior at Velva.

It also brought her closer to the ball.

“She’s always ready to dive,” said Peterson.

“You can just see the younger girls in awe of how she flies around the court and how aggressive she is with the ball,” said Peterson.

Her dedication is admired.

“I’ve never missed a practice. I’ve only been late one time and that was this year for preseason… I didn’t wake up to my alarm,” said Haley.

Her energy on the team is obvious.

“I’m a lot different on the bench than I am on the court. On the court I’m a little more quiet and focused, but on the bench I’m really loud and energetic, cheering people on,” said Haley.

But her love for the sport always comes first.

The Aggies are the fifth seed in the District 11 Tournament. They play Newburg-Westhope on Thursday in the first round.

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United Community Bank Athlete of the Week featured athletes

2022 District 11 Volleyball Tournament Bracket

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