By Diane Evans
Argonaut Staff
Photo / Emet Ward / Argonaut / Brook Haeberle serves the ball during practice Tuesday afternoon at Memorial Gym.
Imagine having a new position, sustaining a shoulder injury, missing a spring season and enduring various other changes.
Brooke Haeberle has gone through all of these herself. Despite all the obstacles, however, her raw athleticism and hard work has turned her into one of the leaders for the UI women’s volleyball team.
Debbie Buchanan, UI women’s head volleyball coach, said that even though she has already become a great player, Haeberle’s potential is one of the greatest things about her, because “it’s untapped still.”
The 5-foot-10-inch, high-flying outside hitter hails from Omak, a small town in Washington. There, she participated in volleyball, basketball and rodeo. Unlike most of her Vandal teammates, however, she did not participate in club volleyball since there was no team in her area.
When she came to UI, she was really athletic and had lots to learn, Buchanan said.
During her red-shirt year—a choice she called beneficial in the long run—Haeberle went from playing middle blocker to outside hitter.
Playing a new spot was a huge transition, Haeberle said. “I was really, really raw when I came here.”
Red-shirting also gave her time to develop into a more court-smart, polished player, Haeberle said.
Her year of training and resulted in her being a freshman starter in 2001. Last year she recorded some promising numbers, such as 316 kills and 240 digs. Along with teammate Laura McCaffrey, Haeberle was named to the All-Big West Conference freshman team.
While the award surprised Haeberle, it did not surprise Buchanan. Despite her rather small stature, she jumps high, has a great swing and is a lot of fun to watch, Buchanan said.
Haeberle credits her improvements to the coaches and her family. “My family is really supportive; they come to the home games,” she said. In addition to the support she receives from her family, “the support of the team is huge,” Haeberle said.
This spring she dislocated her shoulder, causing her to play some catch-up later. During the rough times, Haeberle said the hardest part was to sit out and be away from the team. That experience made her realize she shouldn’t take things for granted.
Also, the impact of this is seen when she talks about the season. She’s going to take one game at a time, as opposed to only looking forward to a certain game. Her favorite aspect of the game is to, “definitely get up and rip a ball.”
This year, she will help lead a younger, faster-paced team. And Haeberle said this year’s squad is more athletic than any of the previous ones she has been on at UI.
While the Vandals prepare for this season, Haeberle has higher expectations for herself. She wants to become a smarter player, and would also like to play more of an even, balanced game.
Buchanan said Haeberle is the type of player the Vandals need; she is someone they can go to for a play.
“It’s going to be more exciting to see what she’s going to do,” Buchanan said.
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