2018 Alabama Volleyball Newcomer Q&A: Hailey Peters
8/16/2018 3:34:00 PM | Volleyball
We will be posting Q&As with each of the six newcomers on this year's Alabama volleyball team heading into the 2018 season. Our first Q&A is with Hailey Peters from Cypress, Texas.
When did you get introduced to volleyball for the first time?
"My mom and dad actually met at a beach volleyball game in college. My dad was always interested in beach volleyball and he got me involved in the sport at a young age. I've been playing as long as I can remember. I played baseball, soccer and basketball too. Volleyball was always the one though. Whenever I played, I always wanted to be better than anyone else."
When did playing in college become a goal for you?
"Probably when I was 14 or 15. I was originally playing as an outside hitter but I knew that I wouldn't be tall enough to play at a Division-I level so I needed to look at changing positions. I really loved playing outside and didn't know if I could make the switch to defense, but I really wanted to play in college so I knew it was a sacrifice I had to make."
What has the challenge of changing positions at this crucial transition point been like?
"It was challenging and it's still a process even now. It's frustrating at times but I'm still learning a lot. I see improvement and when I do things well, it calms me down a bit. It's just a process. I knew that I would have to accept the challenge of learning a new position but I'm enjoying it so far."
What was your college choice process like and when did Alabama come into the picture?
"When I was younger I was a huge Alabama football fan. Even if I didn't play a sport, going to Alabama was always in the back of my mind. I really started getting into beach volleyball and I was having offers for that come in. I still wanted to go to Alabama though, it was my dream school. I was questioning whether I wanted to drop indoor to go with beach all the way or stick with indoor. My dad said I should go to a camp here and I ended up doing well there. Coach Ed [Allen] eventually offered me a spot on the team and I really didn't have to think about any other offers at that point. I accepted on the spot"
Growing up in Texas, what was your Alabama connection?
"I'm not sure honestly! We traveled to Gulf Shores a lot growing up. My brother played baseball and there's a huge tournament down there every year. We just fell in love with the state and the school early on. My first time on campus was my junior year. A family friend who works here said I would love it so we set up a visit and I met Coach Ed and had a really long talk. I've been to a lot of college campuses but none like this."
How has the college acclimation process been?
"Not a lot of time to sleep so far, but the class load over the summer wasn't too intensive. I'm sure it will pick up in the fall once it's a full class schedule and we're competing and traveling every week. I'll have to learn to deal with doing a lot of class stuff from the road. I'm looking forward to taking classes related to my major (geology) though!"
Looking ahead to the fall, what are your goals for the season?
"I want to get better at my position, but my main goal is to be a good teammate. We have a lot of upperclassmen who have been playing for a long time, so my role as a freshman is just to be supportive and try to learn as much as possible and be loud and cheer for everybody."
What advice would you give to aspiring young volleyball players?
"Start the recruiting process early. Don't feel pressured to commit early, but definitely put your name out there and go to the camps, put in the work and visit the campus even if that means driving for nine hours to get there."
