Nation鈥檚 No. 1 setter, Alexis Haury, brings home Gatorade title
SILVERTON, Ore. (BVM) 鈥� Silverton High School sophomore Alexis Haury shined on the volleyball court this past fall and was rewarded with the Gatorade Player of the Year title for the state of Oregon. The No. 1-ranked player in Oregon according to Prepvolleyball.com, she holds the No. 3 spot overall and No. 1 spot as a setter in the nation for the Class of 2024.
Her second year on Silverton鈥檚 varsity team and eighth year playing club, Haury posted monumental numbers. The 5-foot-10 setter and outside hitter combined for 398 assists, 224 digs, 201 kills and owned a .457 kill percentage on the season. She was named to the first-team Mid-Willamette Conference team and is a Class 5A second-team all-state honoree. With an impressive start to her prep career, Haury saw some challenges early on as the pandemic took over her freshman season.
鈥淢y first year in high school, there was basically no state,鈥� Haury said. 鈥淲e had a very short season due to COVID, so I really just focused on learning everyone鈥檚 names and getting to know the girls on the team. So when we finally had a full season this past year, we were able to have a lot of fun and play more as a team. You鈥檙e going to play your best when you鈥檙e having fun so that’s what we did. And it paid off.鈥�
Silverton finished No. 3 in the 5A Mid-Willamette league and fell to Crescent Valley in the quarterfinals. Another year under her belt, Haury believes her Foxes can make a more substantial playoff run come later this fall.
鈥淲e will go as far as possible,鈥� Haury said. 鈥淲e will win as many games as possible. I would love to see us make it deeper in the playoffs next year. We can definitely do it and I鈥檓 excited to see it happen.鈥�
The Gatorade POY award focuses not only on athletics but academics as well. Haury has maintained a 4.0 GPA and has a love for challenging herself in the classroom. She is currently enrolled in multiple college courses and has nothing but praise for what she is learning.
鈥淩ight now I am taking three college credit classes in pre-calculus, college history and anatomy and physiology,鈥� Haury said. 鈥淢y favorite is by far anatomy and physiology. My teacher is wonderful and the content of the class is really interesting to me. It also falls in line with what I may want to do in the future, so it keeps me motivated and focused in class.鈥�
Haury is interested in the medical field and is considering becoming an anesthesiologist. And if that line of work doesn鈥檛 pan out, a pilot is on the top of her list.
鈥淚 have such a deep love for travel,鈥� Haury said. 鈥淚 would get to travel all the time if I became a pilot, so that is definitely something that is on my list. And if not, I still hope to have the opportunity to travel for college. I would love to go somewhere a little bit away from Oregon and with a bit more warmth.鈥�
With college attention mounting and her recruitment process on the horizon, Haury鈥檚 club coach and owner of North Pacific Juniors Volleyball Club, Adam Ellis, has handled most of the communications with college coaches thus far. Grateful for Ellis and her NPJ family, Haury looks forward to a few more years with the club.
鈥淚 have played club volleyball since I was eight years old and joined NPJ when I was nine,鈥� Haury said. 鈥淚 have built a pretty nice family over there through the years and honestly I love it so much. I play for the NPJ 18 Forefront team and am coached by Ellis and Mike Gee. It鈥檚 an incredible team and such an incredible experience.鈥�
Along with her spot on the NPJ roster, Haury also spends time on the coaching staff for the NPJ 14 National team. An assistant coach for these younger athletes, Haury still finds time to add more volunteer hours with her work at her local Lions Club. Here she helps the club with eyeglass donations and organizes the contributions for various clinics.
A notable resume in athletics, academics and charity work in the making, it is safe to say Haury鈥檚 future is bright. And with two more years as a prep athlete, expect to see this volleyball star take her talents and love of the game to the next level.
鈥淚 have so much love for what I do,鈥� Haury said. 鈥淚 feel blessed to be a setter because I get to touch the ball every single play. To have the ability to affect each and every play of a game 鈥� it gives you a sense of control and excitement. I am excited for my future in volleyball and can鈥檛 wait to see what comes next.鈥�