Volleyball player Haley Herndon, a native of Texas, has joined Florida International University (FIU) as part of the class of 2029. Herndon, who played for the Houston Skyline Volleyball Club—one of the top-ranked volleyball clubs in the United States—has achieved several milestones both on and off the court.
During her high school years, Herndon earned Academic All-State honors twice and helped her school team finish third at the state tournament in both her junior and senior years. She was also part of a club team that won six National Qualifiers in the Open division and held a number one national ranking according to various polls.
Herndon reached a significant athletic achievement by recording 1,000 volleyball “kills,” which is when a player scores a point that is not returned by the opposing team. Academically, she completed seven Advanced Placement classes and received an AP Scholar Award for her exam performance. In addition to sports and academics, Herndon participated in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools’ annual state art competition during her senior year, earning fifth place in pencil drawing and sixth overall for her portfolio. She graduated from Concordia Lutheran High School with a GPA of 4.3.
“My goal was always to have a GPA above a four,” Herndon says. “I always played volleyball, but I also pushed really hard on academics. I told myself, ‘Why not stress academics? Why not put in the hard work?’”
Herndon’s interest in FIU began after learning about the university from a teammate who had committed to play there. At a national tournament, she introduced herself to FIU women’s volleyball Associate Head Coach Terrence Robertson. Soon after, Robertson contacted her for recruitment.
“I never once thought he would recruit me,” she recalls.
Herndon ultimately chose FIU over more than two dozen other offers.
“I was over the moon,” Herndon says. “I ran downstairs and told my mom. I think I had 26 offers coming out of high school, but I wanted FIU.”
“FIU is the place to be,” she adds. “There’s no place to live like Miami. And if you’re not at FIU, you’re missing out.”
Since arriving at FIU this past summer as a communication arts major, Herndon has been practicing with the volleyball team and adjusting to campus life.
“Honestly, FIU went above and beyond,” Herndon says. “When I call home, I tell my family, ‘This is the best!’. I see the sunrise every day and the palm trees. It’s a joy. We have a lot of support from our athletic advisors and coaches. The coaches genuinely care about the girls and make us feel like we’re a family.”
Looking ahead, Herndon hopes to use her degree for a career in sports communication with organizations such as ESPN. She comes from an athletic family with many members involved in baseball or as sports fans.
“We have three TVs in our living room, and when its college football season, we watch every game,” she says. “Sports is our life. It would be cool to do communications about sports.”
For now, Herndon’s focus remains on playing volleyball at FIU while pursuing her education as she prepares for upcoming matches including one against the University of Houston at Duke University on August 29.
