By: Kate Gruetter

Editor-in-Chief

Junior Mia Halsey is nothing short of extraordinary. Prior to her third year of high school, she already committed to playing Division 1 Volleyball for Long Beach State University, and she continues to give her all on Los Gatos High School’s Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Team as well. A dedicated, talented, and inspiring player, Halsey is a true star on the court. Winning her division for nationals with her club team and dominating the classroom in AP Psychology, Halsey is no stranger to success. 

The junior began playing volleyball when she was ten years old and quickly fell in love with the sport. Six years ago Halsey started playing for Mountain View Volleyball Club, where she feels both supported and inspired. Her club team even had the opportunity of playing at the ESPN World of Sports Center for her division’s volleyball nationals, where they placed first. “That is probably my number one memory,” Halsey commented, “just having that with my team; we’ve worked for that for such a long time. A year before we got third at the same tournament, so it was nice to have that final win in the end.” A big part of Halsey’s love for her club comes from her coaches; she describes, “One of my club coaches has been a really big support system for me. Especially just guiding me through the whole recruiting process.” 

For Halsey, the process of committing was intense, but she assured that when it was finally over “it felt like crossing a finish line.” Adding on, she said that “all those extra hours spent in the gym, those hours working on my hit, it all ended up paying off and working out.” Although Halsey’s choice to further her volleyball career at Long Beach took a lot of consideration, the school ultimately became a clear choice for her. “Long Beach really stuck out to me because their coaches were very knowledgeable about me and interested, which is something that is really attractive,” she explained. 

When she’s not killing it for her club, you can also find Halsey playing for our school’s varsity volleyball team. Currently, the team sits in second place for their league, racking up wins in almost every game. “We had a match against Gunn and we swept them 0-3,” Halsey explained, “so the season is going pretty good.” Gunn is not the only team they have dominated; the team also boasts 3-0 scores against Los Altos High School, Cupertino High School, and Presentation High School. Halsey’s a big part of this success, contributing nine kills in the team’s Los Altos match and 13 against Leigh High School. 

A force to be reckoned with on every court, Halsey is a player to watch both this season and on her journey to Long Beach in two years. If her record is any indication, she will be a powerhouse on her future team. 

(Source: Maxpreps)