YOUNG GUNS: HALEY ECKERMAN

NUMBERS DONT LIE, but rarely do they tell the whole story. Sports fanatics collect statistical data like memorabilia and arrange them in a way to make sense of their world. All they see is the effect, causing them to miss out on the best part of the story – the cause behind the numbers.

Some athletes obsess over how they look on paper and hunt for these numbers. Others case about how they look on the court and turn their attention to winning as many games as possible.  When Haley Eckerman first came to Texas from her home in Waterloo, Iowa, the Longhorns didn’t give her a freshman grace period.

As a 6’3” outside hitter, Eckerman’s fight to become a  starter began on day one. Her focus quickly turned to winning as many ….

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games as possible, letting the stats and titles happen along the way.

The Texas volleyball program is a consistent contender for the NCAA Final Four. As such, head coach Jerritt Elliott bases his recruiting philosophy on maintaining a roster that can win a national title this year — not four years from now. Each player that comes into the fold at Texas brings with them a résumé stacked with past accomplishments. And each player faces a heavy set of expectations when they put on the Longhorn  jersey. They must cross the bridge that separates high school greatness from an NCAA title. This crossing is where fans see the fight in the player.

Before Eckerman arrived on the 40 Acres, she was the No. 1 name in Iowa volleyball for four years. In the eighth grade, her talent and potential became so apparent that her club coach wanted to move her up to the 18s squad. The move would place a 13-year-old Eckerman in rotation with high school seniors. Even with the best accolades, nothing in life — especially in sports — comes without  conflict and politics.

Eckerman’s mother, Julia, remembers the maternal instincts that kicked in when she received the news about the transition. “I was nervous that the girls would get upset that this little girl was taking a spot,” she said. Julia had valid concerns. Certainly an underclassman taking a senior’s spot would ruffle feathers — but an eighth grader?

When Eckerman played in her first tournament as a member of the older squad, Julia remembers that “there was a lot of commotion in the stands because the  parents heard that an eighth grader joined the team, but they didn’t know which girl she was.” “Of course my mother made sure to tell them that the eighth grader was her granddaughter,” Julia added. And while Eckerman’s age created buzz in the stands, her performance showed that she deserved a spot on the court. “She played like she’d been on that team for years.”

During high school, Eckerman racked up a lengthy list of awards and championships, as wells as 2,494 kills. Not surprisingly, she led Iowa in kills three of her four years at East High School. In 2009 she traveled to Thailand, along with current Longhorn teammates Hannah Allison, Khat Bell, and Madelyn Hutson, to compete on behalf of the United States in the Youth World Championship. But that was high school.

Once a player takes their first step onto the court in Gregory Gym, the present replaces the past. A stacked résumé doesn’t automatically mean a freshman will start. Eckerman was one of the best in Iowa, but in NCAA Division I athletics, everyone is the best back in their hometown. She needed to prove herself amongst an elite team. She still remembers the conversation  between herself and Elliott before starting her career at Texas.

“Coach told me that, ‘I can’t promise you a position. You have to prove to us that you should start. Show us you want to be here.’” Eckerman started her freshman season. By the end of the 2011-12 season, the American Volleyball Coaches Association named her Freshman of the Year.

Eckerman was also named Volleyball Magazine’s National Freshman of the Year and the Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year. She led the Longhorns’ stat column with 384 kills, 20 aces and 431.5 points. But the titles and victories didn’t make Eckerman the remarkable person she is today. The numbers and wins are simply the end result of how she plays. Her willingness to fight after learning that life doesn’t hold any guarantees defines her as a player and as a person. The transition to the next level is rarely seamless, especially when a game suddenly becomes a career.

Despite Eckerman’s talent and past experience, she had to learn to play a new style of volleyball at Texas. “The biggest difference is the height,” she reflected, as she thought back on the initial transition. “Trying to hit over someone like Bailey Webster or Illinois’ Liz McMahon — who’s 6’5” — forced me to learn how to hit new shots.”  The collegiate players are taller and faster, but Eckerman still fought her way to the top. Her work rate continues to overcome each challenge thrown her way.

After earning a starting position, no one seemed surprised that she led the team in several areas. And while the pressure of moving to the next level can break the most talented players, those watching Eckerman since the eighth grade knew playing for a Division I school wouldn’t faze her. “We knew from watching her play that she had the potential to become a major impact player as a freshman,” Elliott said. “Her attacking has always been good. We’re getting more range in her game … her blocking is coming along and she’s becoming a force at serving.”

While the coaches may reduce her kill count, Eckerman’s 20 service aces as a freshman showed her propensity to keep the opposing team from ever touching the ball. Halfway through the 2012 season, she’s recorded three different aces in three games. “She’s scoring a lot of points for us,” Elliott added. “We need her to do that.” Eckerman is happy to oblige. When asked about her role as a performer on the team, she simply stated, “My coaches have faith in me.”  But the coaches aren’t the only ones who have faith in the sophomore. Eckerman is part of a six player rotation that includes a number of nationally ranked players.

Junior Bailey Webster — the 2011 Big 12 Player of the Year — appreciates the value that Eckerman brings to the program. “The team dynamic changed because she’s so dynamic,” she said. “She brings experience. And even though she’s young, she’s mature and knows volleyball.”  Playing up a level through most of her life paid off for Eckerman. She not only earned a starting position, but she played in every match for the Longhorns last season. “Haley’s a great player.” Webster lauded, “Someone who went through everything she went through to get here is special. And she showed that on the first day of practice.”

For Eckerman, this is just the beginning. After being selected as a second team All-American, Eckerman received an invitation to watch the 2011 National Championship match. “The match gave me chills,” she recalled, “but it was bittersweet because I wanted to play in that game. I want a Final Four and National Championship trip.” A national title and accruing more All-American accolades are two of the many goals that fill Eckerman’s list. She thinks about the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. And more importantly, she keeps in mind her life with family beyond volleyball.

Ranked No. 5 in her recruiting class, Eckerman had her pick of universities. She committed to Texas, however, for the best of reasons. “When I came for the recruiting trip, my time on campus didn’t feel like a visit — Texas felt like a home. I felt ready to move in.” For Eckerman to leave her family in Iowa, the school needed to be a home away from home. “I had the warm fuzzy feeling when I was here,” she added. “I had that feeling that even though I was away from home that this was home.”

Despite the family bond Eckerman shares with her teammates, she still experienced bouts of home sickness when she would go a month or more without seeing her family. Fortunately, her family moved to Austin during the summer.

Today she has the two pillars of her life — family and volleyball — in one place, and she’s whole. Having her family closer to campus this season serves as a constant motivation for her to fight harder and succeed. “My mom is the main reason that I stay calm and focused,” Eckerman said.  For Julia, seeing her daughter thrive makes the struggle to get to this point well worth it. “Haley appreciates the sacrifices we made,” Julia said. “She’s working hard to make an impact. She’s amazing to me.”

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