Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Warner makes right pick with volleyball
The Prep Rally: Best in the West series will highlight the all-time best players in western Arkansas as selected by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Haley Warner grew up playing basketball, dreaming of playing in college and possibly the WNBA.
But after she moved to Arkansas around third grade and then to Fayetteville four years later, the lanky youngster was introduced to a new sport that would soon become her passion.
Warner would grow to be
6-foot-2 and she would learn to crush a volleyball rather than dunk a basketball.
She dabbled with volleyball at first, practicing three days a week with the Ozark Juniors volleyball club. But she would still come in early to play basketball, too.
“But when I tried out and made the one’s (top) team, I decided this is what I want to do,” Warner said. “I quit club basketball. This was my new passion that I absolutely fell in love with.”
The decision was the right one for Warner, who went on to become arguably the top hitter in Arkansas high school volleyball history. The four-time all-state selection racked up more than 2,000 kills in her career and helped lead Fayetteville to three consecutive state titles in the largest classification. She was also a two-time state tournament MVP and Arkansas Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year.
The powerful outside hitter drew the attention of colleges across the country following her freshman year as she helped the Ozark Juniors 15-1s team make history for Arkansas. That team became the first from the state to win a national title in the sport at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships.
She and Ella May Powell, teammates at both Fayetteville and Ozark Juniors, also became the second and third players from Arkansas to be named to the 12-person USA Volleyball Youth National Team. The duo helped Team USA to a silver medal at the U18 Noreca Continental Championships held in Puerto Rico.
Warner was rated as the No. 25 player in the country as a senior by prepvolleyball.com, ultimately signing with a Florida Gators program which is rated among the top teams in the nation year in and year out.
Warner credits the sport of volleyball for so many opportunities and the impact it’s had on her as a person, too.
“It’s offered me so much,” Warner said. “Even if I’d pursued basketball I’m not sure I’d gotten to do some of the things I’ve done with volleyball. It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am.
“I could never imagine playing for Team USA. It’s such a surreal moment representing your country. It brought tears to my eyes hearing the National Anthem and knowing this is because of a sport I love. Looking back it’s just crazy how I’ve been able to experience so many things. I’m getting college tuition paid for. I’m not a huge leader, but I found my voice.”
Fayetteville coach Jessica Phelan watched Warner grow into a go-to player who shined in big moments.
“She was someone who could be calm in big moments,” Phelan said. “She was so positive with her teammates. Haley had moments where she could just take over a match. She could get in a groove and put down five balls in a row.”
Warner put an exclamation point on her high school career by coming up with a monster state tournament performance to help the Lady Purple’Dogs claim their third consecutive title, after finishing third in the conference. She hammered 92 kills in four state tournament matches to help Fayetteville avenge regular-season losses to Bentonville and then Springdale Har-Ber in the postseason on their way to the championship.
She acknowledged feeling pressure to go out with another state tournament win as a senior, but the team came together at the right time. Warner credited Phelan and the coaching staff for helping make that happen.
“We were just all playing for each other,” Warner said. “It was just different in the state tournament. Everyone was doing their job the best that they could. That hadn’t happened the whole season like that. It was one of the most fun times and stressful times in my life.”