Haleigh Washington Makes Second U.S. Olympic Volleyball Team

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

Penn State women’s volleyball alumna Haleigh Washington made the 12-player U.S. roster for this summer’s Paris Olympics when the team was announced by head coach Karch Kiraly last week.

Washington, who was named the Best Middle Blocker at the Tokyo Games, where she helped lead the U.S. women to their first gold medal in indoor volleyball, will again be a key component of the American squad when they begin competition in France in late July.

Fellow Penn State alumnae Micha Hancock and Ali Frantti are among five players selected as alternates for the Paris Games, as teams are now allowed to designate one official alternate to travel with them in case of injury. Kiraly and his staff will name the U.S. roster’s official alternate at a later date.

Washington was a three-time first-team AVCA All-American at Penn State and helped the Nittany Lions win their most recent NCAA national championship, the program’s seventh, as a freshman in 2014. Washington received the 2017-18 Big Ten Medal of Honor, the conference’s most prestigious individual accolade, as well as that year’s Senior CLASS Award to wrap up her collegiate career. She was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

Washington played for five different Italian clubs since beginning her pro career during the 2017-18 season. She was teammates with Hancock at Igor Gorgonzola Novara before signing with Savino Del Bene Scandicci, where she spent the last two seasons. Washington, a Colorado Springs, Colorado, native, will continue her playing career in the United States after signing with League One Volleyball’s Salt Lake franchise. The league will begin play in November 2024 and has signed a media rights agreement with ESPN.

Washington and former Illinois setter Jordyn Poulter, who also made the U.S. Olympic roster for a second time, are among the most notable players to have already joined the Salt Lake team ahead of the league’s inaugural season. Poulter and Wisconsin alumna Lauren Carlini are the two setters named to this year’s U.S. Olympic roster, but Hancock, who won a gold medal in Tokyo, is still in the running for the alternate spot.

Washington is one of three middle blockers on the U.S. team, joining Texas alum Chiaka Ogbogu and Wisconsin alum Dana Rettke. After wearing No. 22 at the Tokyo Olympics, Washington will don No. 15 in Paris, the same number she wore at Penn State.

Washington’s energy is infectious on the court and her continued improvement as a pro has her in the mix as one of the world’s best players at her position. Washington is an excellent ambassador for Penn State and is sure to be one of the most exciting figures on Team USA at this year’s Olympics.

“I know that we have what it takes to ride the path to the podium and do what we need to do,” Washington told Volleyball World in February in an exclusive interview. “And I think it’s just about playing consistent, good volleyball. USA doesn’t really have to play perfect volleyball. We don’t have to be shining stars, but if we can play good team volleyball consistently throughout that tournament, I think we can do really good things.”