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11/01/2017 12:00 AMHaley Maercklein has played lacrosse since she was in 4th grade, but when she stepped foot in Branford High School, Haley wanted to pick up a sport to play in the fall season, as well. Some of Haley’s friends went out for the volleyball squad and, as a tall girl who could jump high, Haley decided to join them on the court. A few years later, Haley is still patrolling the Hornets’ court, and she’s having a great campaign as a senior captain on a team that recently completed a stellar regular season and is red hot entering the playoffs.
At 5-foot-10, Haley plays middle hitter for Branford and uses her ups to throw down the kills, having amassed 77 of them to complement her 88 blocks thus far this year. Haley loves the thrill that comes with landing a kill and says they provide her team with an additional spike of energy.
“It’s a very rewarding feeling,” says Haley. “If I slam the ball in the middle of the floor, and nobody gets to it, it gets us up and excited, and the whole team gets rowdy. You know you did something right and got your team up.”
Haley has been a member of Branford’s varsity volleyball team since her freshman year, and this season marks her third one as a starter. In her sophomore year, Haley exclusively played middle hitter and was substituted out of matches when her position rotated to the back row. However, last year, Haley worked hard to learn how to play the back row, and now she’s an all-around threat who’s constantly on the court and contributes even more for the Hornets. Haley has punched up 84 digs so far during the 2017 season.
“It’s nice knowing that I have a possibility to get a point for all the rotations. Not just hitting, but also digging a ball,” Haley says. “It’s exciting to know that I have the opportunity to save a point and get a point for the whole game. I’m out there the whole time. I never come out.”
Haley’s contributions to the Hornets don’t stop there, though, as she also captains the team alongside fellow seniors Erin O’Brien and Marisa Minore. First-year Head Coach Cody Michaels selected the trio as captains before the start of the season, and Haley says it means everything to her to be one of the leaders for the team. Haley isn’t the loudest captain, but she leads by her example of always staying composed when the going gets tough on the floor. Haley thinks that’s an important thing for the Hornets’ underclass athletes to see.
“If I make a mistake, I don’t freak out and get angry with myself. I stay composed, don’t really show any emotion, but on the next play, I work twice as hard to get the next point, and fix my mistake,” says Haley. “It’s a good thing to show the younger kids, especially JV, because when they get to varsity, they should be able to know how to compose themselves on every play. If you get mad with yourself and check yourself out of the game, if affects everybody, so if they learn how to compose themselves and stay relaxed, they will be able to play better.”
Branford has played much better as a team throughout the second half of the year. Despite dropping their first three matches, the Hornets finished the regular season with flourish to the tune of an 11-6 record, plus a share of the Quinnipiac Division title. Including last week’s SCC Tournament win versus Hand, Branford has won its last six matches and nine of the past 10.
Haley says her team’s 3-2 win at Sheehan marked a turning point for the Hornets, who went on to notch two more pivotal victories by that same score. Branford avenged a prior loss to East Haven by defeating the rival Yellowjackets and then rallied for a five-set triumph against a previously undefeated Guilford squad.
Haley feels the fact that Branford overcame a little early season adversity will serve the team well throughout its playoff journey.
“At the beginning of the season, we struggled, but we were able to push through it, and that can translate to our playoff games,” she says. “If we’re down like we were in the beginning of the year, we know how to get out of it.”
Haley is no stranger to postseason success as she played midfielder last spring for the Branford girls’ lacrosse team, which claimed its first state championship in program history. Haley, who’s been on the varsity squad since her freshman year, says she will never forget that Saturday afternoon in Milford when the Hornets beat Pomperaug 15-8 to take the Class M title.
“On that day, I couldn’t believe it. I was happy, of course, but I still couldn’t believe that it happened. Everyone was rushing the field and hugging us and screaming, and I still couldn’t believe it happened,” Haley says. “It’s really exciting to know that we have that huge trophy and the banner in our gym that says, ‘Branford Girls’ Lacrosse State Champions 2018.’ It’s really exciting. It’s hard to believe, but really exciting.”