BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The game of volleyball has taken Hailey Heytvelt across the country and – for the last two summers – around the world.
 
Campbell's successful Division I program, location, and its small, private, Christian-based atmosphere and academic programs attracted the interest of the 6-foot-2 middle blocker when she was choosing schools.  For someone who was open to seeing more of the country than her native Pacific Northwest, a small campus across the country was a perfect fit.
 
"I was looking for a religious-based school, preferably D1, with a good record, private, and I wanted to get out of the West Coast," said Heytvelt, a native of Vancouver, Wash., which is located across the Columbia River from Portland, Ore.  "I took a visit here and really liked the area.  This felt like home, a welcoming, safe spot."
 
Hailey was halfway across the nation, playing in a tournament in Kansas City with her Oregon Juniors Volleyball Club, when she first met Campbell head coach Greg Goral in person.  Following her freshman season, she traveled with Campbell on a summer trip to Croatia and Italy. 
 
This year, she again took the opportunity to see a new part of the world with the same Bring it USA program that helped organize Campbell's 2025 excursion.  In June, Hailey journeyed with a team comprised primarily of players from historically black colleges and universities to Botswana.  While there, she impressed her coach, Bonita Wise, so much that she was invited to compete the following month in tournament play in Greece, Croatia and Italy.
 
Now she is back in Buies Creek, one of the more experienced players returning from the 2025 squad that won the Coastal Athletic Association championship and advanced to the NCAA championship.
 
All of those opportunities – academically, athletically and socially – came as a result of Heytvelt's volleyball scholarship.
 
"It honestly means a lot," said Hailey of her scholarship.  "I had a goal from wanting to play in college. I never thought I'd get a full ride but was just hoping to get at least half a scholarship. Once the coaches offered me a full scholarship, I was honestly shocked. Basically, it's like we're (attending school) for free, and not a whole lot of people get to do that."


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Academic pursuits
Hailey's chosen academic path surely is influenced by six close relatives – including her mom and stepdad – who work in the medical field.
 
"My whole family basically is in the medical field," said Hailey.  "My uncle's (Mike Peterson) a PA, my mom (Katie) is a nurse. My stepdad (Taylor) is a manager for CT scans. My aunt's a labor and delivery nurse, and her husband is a nurse."
 
Originally on a pre-med path, Hailey changed her major to kinesiology/pre-physician assistant after spending time with her uncle and other health care professionals.
 
"I did a lot of shadowing back at home with doctors and my uncle and the more I realized that I like the P.A. route," she said.  "I like the flexibility he has with (P.A.). Instead of a specialty, you see something different every time."
 
How it started
It's no surprise that Hailey chose volleyball.  She likely inherited her size (she stands 6-foot-2) from her father, Josh, a 6-foot-11 former Gonzaga University forward.  Coincidentally, her last name is pronounced "HEIGHT-velt."
 
However, her first love was a different kind of performing – ballet.
 
Hailey began dance classes at the age of three and pursued that passion for a decade.
 
It was in middle school, however, that her size attracted the attention of the volleyball staff.
 
"My friends were playing volleyball, and the coach was dying for me to play because I was tall," said Hailey, who admittedly had a slow start in the game.  However, after enrolling in private lessons, she grew to love the competition and sought more opportunities.
 
After she joined the Oregon Juniors Volleyball Academy club program, Hailey's game improved.  She played four seasons on the varsity at LaSalle Catholic College Prep high school and was the 2023 conference player of the year.
 
"At the beginning of high school, I saw the court a lot and was given the opportunity to play as a freshman at a high level," said Hailey.  "A lot of schools we played had girls that were committed to colleges, so I realized then that I was playing against college players."
 
Hailey credits the academic rigor at LaSalle for preparing her for her freshman season at Campbell.  She also notes the encouragement her mother and stepdad provided from the start of her volleyball career.
 
"I still have a sticky note in my room my mom made back in my freshman year (of high school)," said Hailey.  "It says 'You'll make it D1 one day, no doubt.' It's always inspired me to keep working, even through hard times."
 
The Campbell way
Campbell was coming off its first season in the Coastal Athletic Association – a solid third-place finish in the 2023 standings – when Hailey enrolled in the summer of 2024.  Previously, the Camels won the Big South tournament (2021) and regular season (2022) titles.
 
However, injuries and graduation losses hit hard, and the team won just six matches, 4 in league play, during Hailey's freshman campaign.
 
Last fall, the team rode an 11-match win streak in league play to a regular season title.  Campbell then rallied from 2-1 deficits in the CAA semis and final to claim the tournament title and a berth in the NCAA regional at College Station, Texas.
 
Campbell improved by 17 wins overall and nine in league play (23-7, 13-3) thanks in part to a veteran core as well as younger players like Hailey, who made 26 starts and was fourth in the league in attack percentage (.341). She had 10 kills and four blocks in the CAA title game, a 5-set win over Hofstra.
 
In the 2025 CAA final, the Camels not only faced a second-straight 2-1 deficit, but trailed Hofstra 24-21 in the fourth set.  However, Campbell overcame three match points and closed the game on a 5-0 run to force a fifth, and deciding set.
 
Picked 10th in last year's preseason CAA poll, the Camels won the decisive game 15-12 and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament, where CU met eventual national champion Texas A&M.
 
"Having that semifinal (experience), really boosted us and built our confidence," Hailey recalled.  "We just thought, 'we're not going to lose.'"
 
The reward was the program's second NCAA tournament appearance in five seasons and the chance to compete in front of nearly 6,000 spectators.
 
"The more people watching, the more confident I feel," said Heytvelt.  "Obviously (Texas A&M) were a really good team, but everyone fought as hard as they could.  We found out that we could hold it with them."
 
A standard set by the staff and upheld by the veterans has proven to yield results for the Camels.
 
"Everyone wants to get better; that's huge," said Hailey of the culture of the program.  "We have expectations every day and the coaches hold you to that.  Our captains will keep you accountable."
 
She also notes that open communication, plus an emphasis on taking care of your mental well-being, are other team points of emphasis.
 
Despite the loss of four seniors to graduation the team's confidence is high heading into the 2026 campaign.
 
"Especially after this past season, winning the CAA Championship, the more we play together, the closer we get," said Hailey.  "We've built a lot of trust in each other and believe in ourselves."
 
Summer travels
Before Campbell's team trip in 2025, Heytvelt had never traveled outside the United States.  This summer, she doubled her international exposure and was able to experience Africa as well as a return to Europe.
 
"It was definitely an eventful summer, and I'm super glad I was able to go," said Hailey.
 
She competed for Team HBCU in the Distala International Cup Botswana against the host country and Zambia as well as a team from Morgan State University. While the chance to test herself against international competition was an important part of the trip, Hailey even more enjoyed experiencing a different culture.
 
"We went on safaris, and played volleyball, but my favorite thing about the Africa trip was the clinics we did, coaching younger kids," said Hailey of her two weeks on the African continent that included tourism, competitive and service elements.  "These kids really enjoyed our presence, really want to learn and be involved with you.  Their culture and how they live is super different from what we know."
 
Even the location of their games was a departure from what Hailey was familiar with previously.
 
"In Africa we were playing games outside in a mall," she said.  "It was a whole different perspective, kind of surreal, playing volleyball while people walking around the mall were watching."
 
From a volleyball standpoint, her journey to Europe was a more traditional tournament format, but with her grandparents along for the trip, she was able to experience more than the program's itinerary.
 
"We went a few days before the team arrived and went to Hydra, an island in Greece," said Hailey.  "The culture there is no different.  It's very small, no cars are on the island, and the mode of transportation is donkeys.  You saw packages taken off the boats and strapped on donkeys.  There were cats everywhere.  During dinner one time a cat jumped up and sat on my lap while I was eating.  The water was super nice."
 
Whereas the teams she faced in Africa included players ranging in age from 14 to the mid-30s, Hailey competed in the 20-and-under age group in Europe.  With Team World Wise, she squared off against teams from Austria, Croatia and Italy.
 
An organized approach
Not only is Hailey one of the better middle blockers in the CAA, she also is an honors student in a demanding academic major.  She says that organization is the key to making time for studies, training, competition, nutrition, rest and recovery.
 
"I'm big on time management," Hailey admits.  "Once I got my routine down in my freshman year, I made times to block off for library, eat, and my goal is always to be in bed by 10:30.  Being a very organized person, I'll plan out things even two weeks before it happens."
 
A faculty willing to work with the demands placed on student-athletes who travel up and down the east coast on a weekly basis is a tremendous help for Hailey, who routinely turns in assignments early just to relieve the stress of an approaching deadline.
 
A long way from home
Hailey quickly responds that her family is what she misses about home, but she also points out the recreational opportunities that are readily available in the Pacific Northwest.
 
"I'm a very outdoorsy person," she said.  "I like to hike in the mountains, I like to go snowboarding, and the waterfalls are super pretty.  I don't think there's another place like it.  The only downfall is that it rains a lot, but it makes it very green, and healthy.  There's so much you can do, kayak, paddleboard."
 
Hailey does admit that the ocean water temperature in the Atlantic is much preferable to the chilly Pacific.
 
The next step
With two more years of competition and classes before graduation in spring of 2028, Heytvelt has plenty of time to plan for the future.  Because of the demands placed on a Division I student-athlete, she is planning on taking a year to amass the clinical hours required to apply for P.A. school, then to apply for admission, maybe even at her undergraduate institution.
 
Her advice to those just starting their college journey"
 
"Don't be afraid to make mistakes," said Heytvelt. "You learn the most from making mistakes, rather than being perfect 24-7. Have a good mentality about how you go about things, a positive mindset overall, from school to volleyball."
 
Finally, she encourages everyone to take advantage of opportunities.
 
"If you're given the opportunity to do anything, whether it's sports, or going abroad, just do it. It's amazing," said Hailey.  "I've been new to a lot of places, but that builds a lot of cool connections and memories. If you go and take advantage of opportunities, you'll be glad you did."