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11/21/2023 02:22 PMIn such a short stint, Hallie Moore has not only had a meteoric rise up the varsity ladder for the Valley Regional volleyball team, but she has additionally earned the respect, admiration, and friendship of the close-knit community that is the Warriors.
The sophomore and defensive setter started volleyball in 7th grade and moved up to travel volleyball the following year. After earning a spot on the JV club last fall as a freshman, Hallie has emerged as a defensive force for the Warriors, who reached the Shoreline Conference Tournament finals and the semifinals of the Class S State Tournament. She tallied 41 aces with a 93% serve rating, and was 10th in the conference for digs with 215.
“It is such an entertaining sport to me, because you are always doing something on every play and point,” says Hallie, who also plays softball for Valley. “I think I have fallen more in love with the community of it and this team. I really feel part of the team this year. Our coach was in her first season with us, and she has done a good job of pinpointing what each of us needs to work on, and then giving us the flexibility and time to practice it.”
Hallie used to harbor some mental resentment within herself after a miscue as a young rookie last season, yet she quickly learned to get out of her head and get right back in the game when a misfire occurs, thanks in large part to an encouraging coaching staff.
“In the beginning, I was very down on myself when I would mess up,” Hallie says. “Yet our coaches make it known to me that it is not all my fault. They have also emphasized how volleyball is such a mental game, and you have to be mentally strong to play the game.”
Being part of a balancing act in the back on the floor, Hallie is very thankful for her cohort on the court. She explains that in a game with fast-moving offense, she has to be prepared to defend and put out any fires from all angles and avenues.
“The back row can be hard, but having my libero back there makes it easier, because she is an assertive player and is always there for me,” says Hallie. “It is hard when you are receiving all the hits, and you have to cover all the tips and hits, and you really have to read the opposing players’ body language and shoulders.”
Hallie expresses her gratitude to show her stuff on the varsity stage as a sophomore, though she says what has inspired her play this year has not been perfecting a certain skill set or maneuver, but rather the full-on embrace of her as a teammate by all tiers and classes of the program.
“I am incredibly lucky to play for this team. We had a team that I think was bigger than the football team last year in terms of numbers,” Hallie says. “And so because of that, I was one of four freshmen on JV. But our team has become more inclusive this season, and everyone feels part of the team. All of the seniors on the team help make me feel included, along with the coaches, and that has helped me.”
While the campaign ended with a monumental run deep in the states bracket, it was not smooth sailing from the onset, per Hallie. The Warriors had to assess everyone’s comfort zones on the court, and had to figure out the total equation and where all the pieces fit before they fell into place.
“We had a mix of young and older players this year,” says Hallie. “In order to work all together, we had to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and then started moving people around from learning those things. It was rocky at the start of the season because we had to figure that all out, but then we learned how each person plays.”
New Valley girls’ volleyball Head Coach Jaimie Bickelhaupt notes that Hallie has been a defensive stalwart, en route to earning All-Shoreline Conference Team Honorable Mention in 2023. She has an infectious passion and enthusiasm that is evident even by spectators in the bleachers.
“Hallie has been one of our secret weapons this year defensively. As a sophomore, she has played in every game as one of our main defensive specialists,” says Bickelhaupt. “She has a great attitude and brings such an uplifting energy to the floor. She loves cheering on her teammates. If you've been to a game, you can see that in the way she celebrates for everyone. I see such a bright future for her in this sport.”
Hallie has learned a great deal about mutual motivation from being on a successful squad that completed a long and arduous journey late into the conference and state postseason brackets. Yet in the whole scope of things, she also learned how to fully function as both a competitor and scholar.
“Being a student-athlete is very hard with balancing school and a sport,” says Hallie. “But it helps you with learning time management, in addition with the skills needed to gain friendships by being on a team. I also learned how a team can keep pushing each other to keep going, even when it is mid-November and people are tired. Gaining those friendships through volleyball helped me show up every day for school and for the team.”