1. Overview
Haleigh Meridian Washington is a distinguished American professional volleyball player who primarily plays as a middle blocker. She stands 6.2 ft (1.9 m) tall and weighs 181 lb (82 kg). Her spiking reach is 121 in (307 cm) and her blocking reach is 116 in (295 cm). Born on September 22, 1995, in Denver, Colorado, Washington has achieved significant success at collegiate, professional, and international levels. She is renowned for her powerful blocking and hitting abilities, contributing to multiple championship titles and individual accolades throughout her career. As a prominent member of the United States women's national volleyball team, she has earned Olympic gold and silver medals, as well as multiple medals in prestigious international competitions such as the FIVB World Cup and Nations League. Her professional career has seen her play for several top clubs in the Italian Serie A1 League and she is currently affiliated with LOVB Salt Lake. Beyond her athletic achievements, Washington has also garnered attention for openly identifying as bisexual, contributing to LGBTQ+ visibility in sports.
2. Early Life and Background
Haleigh Washington's formative years were marked by a strong athletic inclination and a burgeoning passion for volleyball, which she developed through her academic and early competitive experiences.
2.1. Childhood and Education
Haleigh Washington was born on September 22, 1995, in Denver, Colorado, to her parents Danielle and Alecs. Her early athletic talents extended beyond volleyball, initially showing promise in basketball. However, by the seventh grade, her passion for volleyball solidified, leading her to focus on the sport. She attended Clear Creek High School (Colorado), where her talent quickly became apparent, attracting recruitment interest from college volleyball coaches as early as her freshman year. Before her junior year, her family relocated to Colorado Springs, where she completed her high school career at Doherty High School. During her time at Doherty, Washington set a state record by achieving 48 kills in a single match. Her exceptional performance earned her consecutive Colorado Volleyball Player of the Year honors in both 2012 and 2013. She also played a pivotal role in leading her high school team to a state championship title in 2012. In 2013, she was recognized nationally as the Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year. Regarded as the top high school recruit in her class, Washington ultimately committed to play collegiate volleyball at Pennsylvania State University.
2.2. Personal Life
Beyond her accomplished athletic career, Haleigh Washington's personal life includes her close family ties and her significant public identification as bisexual. She has a younger brother named Kayden and a sister named Leilani. In 2020, Washington publicly came out as bisexual. This public declaration holds social significance, contributing to increased visibility and representation for the LGBTQ+ community in professional sports and beyond.
3. College Career
Haleigh Washington played collegiate volleyball for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 2014 to 2017, where she developed into a dominant force and achieved remarkable success.
As a freshman, she was instrumental in leading her team to the 2014 NCAA National Title, marking a triumphant start to her college career. Throughout her time at Penn State, she was recognized as a three-time first-team AVCA All-American (2015, 2016, and 2017). In her senior season (2017), she helped her team reach the NCAA Final Four.
Washington earned numerous individual accolades during her college years. In 2014, she was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, achieving an impressive .463 hitting percentage for the season. She was also selected for the 2014 Unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team, the 2014 NCAA Louisville Regional All-Tournament team, and the 2014 All-Big Ten team. She continued to be a unanimous All-Big Ten selection in 2015, 2016, and 2017. In 2015, she was honored as the B1G/Pac-12 Challenge Most Valuable Player. Academically, she was recognized as a 2016 CoSIDA Third-Team Academic All-America. In her senior year, she was named the 2017 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was selected as a Honda Sports Award nominee. She concluded her final college season leading the nation with an exceptional .503 hitting percentage, while also recording 3.03 kills per set.
Washington has openly credited her Penn State head coach, Russ Rose, for preparing her for the rigorous demands and elevated expectations of competing on the international stage, highlighting his significant influence on her development. She is also featured on the List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians.
4. Professional Career
Haleigh Washington embarked on her professional volleyball career in 2017, predominantly playing in the highly competitive Italian Serie A1 League for several prominent clubs before returning to the United States.
Her professional journey began in 2017 with Olimpia Ravenna in Italy, where she played until the end of the 2017-2018 season. Following this, she moved to Volley Millenium Brescia for the 2018-2019 season. From 2019 to 2020, Washington played for UYBA Volley (FV Busto Arsizio). Her career continued with AGIL Volley from 2020 to 2022. For the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons, she was a key player for Savino Del Bene Scandicci. In 2024, it was announced that Washington would join LOVB Salt Lake, where she plays with jersey number 15, marking her return to professional club volleyball in the United States. She also wears number 22 for the national team.
5. National Team Career
Haleigh Washington has been a pivotal member of the United States women's national volleyball team since her debut in 2019, contributing significantly to the team's successes in major international competitions.
She made her mark early on, starting all three matches of the 2019 Tokyo Qualification Tournament, which secured the U.S. team's berth in the 2020 Olympic Games. In the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League, she was named to the 18-player roster. In her first match as a starting middle blocker, she recorded nine kills and one block against the Brazilian national team. The team went on to win the gold medal in this competition, and Washington was individually recognized as the "Best Middle Blocker."
Under the guidance of head coach Karch Kiraly, Washington was selected as part of the 12-player Olympic roster for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. At these games, she played a crucial role in leading her team to the USA's first-ever Olympic gold medal in women's volleyball. Her outstanding performance also earned her the "Best Middle Blocker" award for the tournament.
Washington continued to represent the United States at various other international events, winning a silver medal at the 2019 FIVB World Cup in Japan. She also contributed to a gold medal victory at the 2018 Women's Pan-American Volleyball Cup in Santo Domingo and a silver medal at the 2019 Women's NORCECA Volleyball Championship in San Juan. In 2022, she participated in the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, where the team finished in fourth place. Most recently, at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Washington helped the U.S. team secure a silver medal.
6. Awards and Honors
Haleigh Washington has received numerous individual and team awards throughout her career, spanning international, professional club, and collegiate volleyball.
6.1. International Awards
- 2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League - Gold medal (team)
- 2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League - "Best Middle Blocker"
- 2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup - Silver medal (team)
- 2018 Women's Pan-American Volleyball Cup - Gold medal (team)
- 2019 Women's NORCECA Volleyball Championship - Silver medal (team)
- 2020 Summer Olympics - Gold medal (team)
- 2020 Summer Olympics - "Best Middle Blocker"
- 2024 Summer Olympics - Silver medal (team)
6.2. Club Awards
- 2022-23 Women's CEV Cup - Champion (with Savino Del Bene Scandicci)
- 2021-22 Italian Serie A1 League - Bronze medal (with Igor Gorgonzola Novara)
- 2021-22 Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) - Silver medal (with Igor Gorgonzola Novara)
- 2021-22 Italian Super Cup - Silver medal (with Igor Gorgonzola Novara)
- 2020-21 CEV Women's Champions League - Bronze medal (with Igor Gorgonzola Novara)
- 2020-21 Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) - Silver medal (with Igor Gorgonzola Novara)
- 2020-21 Italian Serie A1 League - Silver medal (with Igor Gorgonzola Novara)
- 2020-21 Italian Super Cup - Bronze medal (with Igor Gorgonzola Novara)
- 2019-20 Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) - Silver medal (with Busto Arsizio Volley)
- 2021-22 Italian Serie A1 - "Best Middle Blocker"
6.3. College Awards
- 2014 NCAA Division I National Champions
- 2014 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
- 2014 Unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team
- 2014 NCAA Louisville Regional All-Tournament
- 2014 All-Big Ten
- AVCA First Team All-American (2015, 2016, 2017)
- Unanimous All-Big Ten selection (2015, 2016, 2017)
- 2015 B1G/Pac-12 Challenge Most Valuable Player
- 2016 CoSIDA Third-Team Academic All-America
- 2017 Senior CLASS Award winner in NCAA Division I volleyball
- 2017 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year