The sounds of volleyballs echoing throughout a gym have been a backdrop to LSE sophomore Haleigh Bauer’s life. For seven years, the court has been a place where she’s forged a passion and built a family. Bauer regularly juggles her role in varsity volleyball with traveling in her club team and maintaining a strong academic life. But for Bauer, volleyball is not just a sport, it is a place where she has grown and developed a voice for her future.
Volleyball has been a key component of Bauer’s life since fourth grade, and it has given her a strong community to connect with. The two teams that she is a part of, her club team and the Lincoln Southeast Varsity team, have both been extremely impactful for her. The latter being her favorite team she has ever been a part of. She describes the team dinners and bus rides as the highlights of her season so far.
“We usually get our food right away and then just hang out as a team, it’s very fun to be with everyone.”
Last year, Bauer was the only freshman on the varsity team, and playing with people who were all older than her was a new and unique experience. During the season, Bauer faced a lot of long practices.
“The hardest practice we’ve ever had was probably the day after our two home games, both games went to five sets and everyone was exhausted.”
And with being the only freshman on varsity, it brought an interesting dynamic for her.
“It’s different, for sure. It’s fun, and you get a lot of different perspectives from older people,” Bauer said. “You don’t get bullied for being a freshman, but everything you do comes back to the fact that you’re a freshman.“
On her club team, Bauer experiences traveling across the country. Bauer also explained that balancing school with volleyball can be difficult to accomplish.
“I try to get my work done during the school day, if I have any free time. It makes school harder, but it doesn’t really affect volleyball,” Bauer said.
Being committed to both an academic life and a volleyball career has been an intense but rewarding experience for Bauer.
Bauer is determined to work her hardest to reach her future goals. She stated her desire to make it to state this year, and to eventually play for a college team. These goals keep her motivated to always try her hardest, aspiring to go division one or two. But these goals come with lots of sacrifices.
“I have to dedicate a lot of my free time to volleyball which means less time for other sports and less time to hang out with friends.” Bauer said. “Winning and my long term goals motivate me to keep working, as well as not letting my team down.”
