Russ Rose Then (2003): “Jess is without question our best server. She has a great energy for the game and would love to be setting all the time, but she recognizes where she fits in the team, and I have great respect for people who appreciate reality. Jess plays good defense, plays hard, and has a fiery personality. Going into her last year, I expect her to make positive contributions for us. It may not be in the role she planned when she came to school here four years ago, but it’s the role she is going to be handed, and I feel confident she will be able to run with it. If we need her to set, she has all the experience necessary to do it, and do it well.”
Russ Rose Now (2025): “Jessica was a great recruit for us –kind of an outlier, because I didn’t recruit a lot of players from California and she came from the San Diego area. She was a prototype left-handed setter, very physically strong, had a good serve — at one point her serve was our best serve — she played good defense, and she contributed right away as a freshman. During her first two seasons she split time at setter with Shannon Bortner. Jess set most of the time and was very good at it. We had some great wins with her setting. Then Sam Tortorello joined the team in 2002 and took over as the starting setter. Jess was a very valuable player for us. She was physical, she played hard, she always had great confidence, and she made significant contributions to the team’s success.”
2003 Season (Senior): Played in 70 sets, totaling 10 service aces and 12 digs for the season … totaled more than 1500 assists in her career.
Before Penn State: At Rancho Bernardo High School, was selected to Volleyball Magazine’s Fab 50 squad; recipient of the Who’s Who in Sports All-Star Award in 1999; named to the All Power Bar Team in 1999; chosen for the All-Stater Sports Magazine Top 75; was a member of the 1999 Youth National Team that placed sixth at World Championships in Madiera Portugal; was profiled during junior year on ESPN’s Scholastic Sports America.
“Hayden solidifies PSU setter position,” The Daily Collegian, Aug. 30, 2001