Belpre netter Halee Williams signs with Marietta College
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BELPRE -- The Marietta College volleyball team just got another piece to next year's puzzle, and Halee Williams gets the chance to prove herself at the next level. The multi-sport Belpre standout's biggest contributing factor is her leadership, as her time playing volleyball, basketball and softball prepared her for every big moment. In her own words, Williams' leadership capabilities shine through, as she focuses her energy in and out of the classroom.
"It's about the positivity and how much work you have to put it. Even though it's high school, you still have to work hard. You still have to be there for your teammates," she said. "Being a good teammate was really important for me. Having a positive mindset was also something I pushed on my teammates."
A team captain in all three sports, Williams chose MC not just for the athletic prestige, but the academic excellence.
She'll major in psychology with a minor in the McDonough Leadership Program. The program is a three-pronged approach (with focuses on knowledge, action and growth) that deals with leadership. It is described on Marietta College's website as "a powerful leadership development experience for undergraduate students at Marietta College."
It's fitting for the volleyball middle hitter. She enters into a program that finished the season on a five-match losing streak, as the Pioneers slipped to 5-19 by the end of the 2021 campaign. As for her expectations, Williams looks to make her mark.
"My expectations for myself are the same. I want to play the hardest, and be impactful whether it's with my voice or my physical attributes," she said.
The journey hasn't been entirely smooth for Williams, as a labrum tear in her right shoulder sidelined her during basketball season. Still, Williams proved she could overcome that setback.
"The injury started in volleyball, so I had to work through it. I didn't realize it was a tear until basketball season," she recalled. "It was hard to stay confident during volleyball season, as I wasn't hitting as well as I was in previous years. Knowing I was still producing for my team and doing the things I needed to do kept me going. Having to sit out for the last couple (basketball) games was very hard, but I had to make sure I was still the voice on the court. I hope I fulfilled that role."
Williams added that the various teammates and coaches around her helped shape her. She credits her dad for coaching her up at a younger age and credits her entire family for instilling the core values that mattered most to her. Her high school coaches provided the discipline at the higher levels, as it's all led to this moment.
Head volleyball coach Brooke Cieslewski gave an especially positive outlook of Williams' time as a Golden Eagle.
"She's definitely an easy one to talk about because of her leadership skills and her skills as an athlete. I think overall, her mentality is able to rally the troops in whatever sport she's in," Cieslewski said. "She's able to motivate anyone she's around. Those skills make her an incredible athlete. There are definitely big shoes to fill. You have verbal leaders and leaders by example, and she was both. She was able to talk the team through things and show them what it looks like."
Head girls' basketball coach Chris Fennell echoed similar sentiments.
"She's one of those kids you don't see very often," he said. "She's got all those rare character skills you're looking for. She's a leader through and through. I'm excited to see what she can do from here. She knew everything she did was involved with the team, and she embraced what was out there for her. Each year, her role got bigger (on the basketball team). We got to feature her in a big way this year, and it was fantastic."
While the labrum tear kept her largely out of softball, Williams looks forward to seeing how far the squad can go. Fresh off a sectional championship, Williams is enjoying this ride with her teammates.
"I haven't been able to play softball, but I've been able to sit back, cheer and watch," she said. "The team has been amazing. Through little errors, they still push through. That's huge in any sport, and that's more mental than anything. Being able to come back from that is a huge thing to do. We have been able to that well, this year. That's why we are where we are. It's our hard work and our passion."
Contact Josh Hughes at jhughes@newsandsentinel.com