Haleigh Washington

Last updated

Haleigh Washington
Haleigh Washington.jpg
Personal information
Full nameHaleigh Meridian Washington
NationalityAmerican
Born (1995-09-22) September 22, 1995 (age 29)
Denver, Colorado
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight82 kg (181 lb)
Spike307 cm (121 in)
Block295 cm (116 in)
College / University Pennsylvania State University
Volleyball information
PositionMiddle Blocker
Current club Flag of Italy.svg Savino Del Bene Scandicci
Number22 (national team)
Career
YearsTeams
2014–2017 Flag of the United States.svg Penn State
2017–2018 Flag of Italy.svg Olimpia Ravenna (it)
2018–2019 Flag of Italy.svg Volley Millenium Brescia
2019–2020 Flag of Italy.svg Busto Arsizio Volley
2020–2022 Flag of Italy.svg Igor Gorgonzola Novara
2022– Flag of Italy.svg Savino Del Bene Scandicci
National team
2018– Flag of the United States.svg United States
Honours
Women's Volleyball
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Olympic rings.svg
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2020 Tokyo Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2024 Paris Team
FIVB World Cup
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2019 Japan Team
FIVB Nations League
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2019 Nanjing Team
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2021 Rimini Team
Pan-American Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Santo Domingo
NORCECA
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2019 San Juan

Haleigh Meridian Washington (born September 22, 1995) is an American volleyball player of the United States women's national volleyball team. Washington was an All-American middle blocker for the Penn State women's volleyball team, where she helped lead the team to the 2014 NCAA national championship. Washington won gold with the national team at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. [1]

Contents

Personal life

Washington was born in Denver, Colorado to parents Danielle and Alecs. In her early athletic days, she showed talent in basketball, but ended up being more passionate about volleyball while on the seventh-grade team. She would attend Clear Creek High School, where she began being recruited by college volleyball coaches in her freshman year. [2] Her family relocated to Colorado Springs before her junior year, and she finished her high school career at Doherty High School, where she holds a state record after putting down 48 kills in a match with her high school team.

She earned consecutive Colorado Volleyball Player of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013 and led her team to a state championship title in 2012, and was the 2013 Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year. She was considered to be the nation's top high school recruit in her class, and ultimately decided to play collegiate volleyball at Penn State. [3]

Washington has one brother, Kayden, and one sister, Leilani. In 2020, Washington came out as bisexual. [4]

Penn State

Washington was a three-time first-team All-American and helped lead the team to the 2014 NCAA National Title as a freshman, as well as an appearance in the 2017 Final Four in her senior season. She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after hitting .463 for the season. [5] [6] In her senior season, she earned the 2017 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and led the nation with a .503 hitting percentage, while putting down 3.03 kills per set on the season. [7] She earned AVCA All-American honors three times and was selected as a Honda Sports Award nominee after her senior season. [8]

Washington credited Penn State's head coach Russ Rose for acclimating her to the grueling demands and expectations of competing on the international stage. [9]

Professional clubs

Washington has played in multiple Italian Series A1 professional volleyball teams, including Igor Gorgonzola Novara from 2020 to 2022. [10] In the 2022–2023 season, plays with Savino Del Bene Scandicci. [11]

United States national team

With Team USA, she started all three matches of the 2019 Tokyo Qualification Tournament in which Team USA earned its bid into the 2020 Olympic Games.

She was named to the 18-player roster of the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League. In her first match as the starting middle, had nine kills and a block against Brazil. [12]

On June 7, 2021, US National Team head coach Karch Kiraly announced she would be part of the 12-player Olympic roster for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. [13] Washington helped lead her team to the USA's first ever gold medal and was named Best Middle Blocker of the tournament. [14]

Awards and honors

International

Professional clubs

College

See also

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References

  1. "Volleyball WASHINGTON Haleigh". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  2. "AVCA Diversity Awards" (PDF).
  3. "Tawa's great memories: Re-visiting the USA Olympians when they played in club and HS". August 3, 2021.
  4. "Bi Pride Day salute to Olympic volleyball champ Haleigh Washington". September 23, 2021.
  5. Smith, Lindsey (November 28, 2017). "Former Doherty standout Haleigh Washington named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  6. "Haleigh Washington - Women's Volleyball". Penn State Athletics. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  7. "Women's volleyball lands six on AVCA All-America teams | Penn State University". Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  8. "Lee, Washington named 2018 Honda Sport Award Nominees for Volleyball". Penn State Athletics. December 20, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  9. "Penn State paved way to international volleyball success". July 17, 2019.
  10. "Haleigh Washington » clubs".
  11. "Volleyball – Yvon Belien and Haleigh Washington are the new power plants of Savino Del Bene Scandicci". news.italy-24.com. June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  12. "Recaps and highlights as USA women start VNL with wins over DR, Canada, Brazil". May 28, 2021.
  13. "USAV Announces U.S. Olympic Women's Volleyball Team". USA Volleyball. June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  14. "Haleigh Washington". Forbes. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
Awards
Preceded by Best Middle Blockers of
Olympic Games

2020
(with Flag of Brazil.svg Carol Gattaz)
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by Best Middle Blockers of
FIVB Nations League

2019
(with Flag of Brazil.svg Ana Beatriz Corrêa)
Succeeded by
Flag of Turkey.svg Eda Erdem Dündar
Flag of Brazil.svg Carol Gattaz