With her quiet nature, Hayley Benson lets her play do the talking.
A redshirt junior, Benson is a middle blocker and outside attacker for the Ball State women’s volleyball team. Lately, Benson has been proving that she doesn’t have to fit the cliché intense, in-your-face volleyball style to be successful.
“We wish she was a vocal leader,” head coach Steve Shondell said with a laugh. “She leads by example for sure. She’s really quiet by nature and we’ve really encouraged her to try and play with more emotion and to be a bit more vocal.”
Benson is leading the Cardinals with 63 kills this season, 16 more than anyone else on the team.
She is averaging 2.86 per set with a .374 attack percentage, both good enough for best on the team. Benson also has 26 total blocks this season, averaging 1.18 per set.
Shondell is confident that Benson’s confidence to play more vocally will improve based on her play this season.
“I’m not sure what we would’ve done without her last weekend,” Shondell said. "She was very dominating in all three matches and was that one player we could rely on to come up with a big kill when we needed it.”
Ball State played in the UniWyo Cowgirl Classic last weekend, going 1-2. Benson was named to the All-Tournament team after keeping the Cardinals in two of the three matches.
Benson had 39 kills over the weekend, posting a .492 attack percentage.
Her latest performance also earned her the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week Award.
“It means a ton,” Benson said. "It’s always really exciting when something like that happens, being recognized for good play because when you’re playing you’re just focusing the best you can for your team.”
While Benson feels the need for improvement, especially on the defensive side, Shondell feels she has come close to meeting expectations this season.
Benson is very tough on herself, a quality that helps her improve every time she steps on the court. Her quiet nature is representative of this attitude.
“She has worked really hard on her own in the late spring and summer to make herself the most physical player she can be,” Shondell said. “Her hard work is already paying off this season.”
