Senior Spotlight: Haley Bilbruck

In her second season as a Redhawk, Haley Bilbruck is making the most of her senior year. The Redhawks have an 8-5 record after two five-set road wins against Western Illinois and Northern Illinois last week. After earning MVP honors in the season-opening Troy invitational, Bilbruck looks to continue her strong start against Austin Peay on Friday, Sept. 21.

Q. Major

A. “Exercise science with a minor in psychology.”

Q. Dream job

A. “Division 1 volleyball coach.”

Q. Where are you from?

A. “I am originally from a small town in South Dakota called Hot Springs.”

Q. Why SEMO?

A. “I decided to leave Las Vegas, and I knew when I left I wanted to go somewhere that was more of a college town. I wanted to go to a community where the town kind of backs up the university.”

Q. Fun fact? Talent?

A. “I can wiggle my nose.”

Q. What made you fall in love with volleyball?

A. “Basketball was my first love. I was like, ‘I'm going to go to the WNBA and be great at basketball,’ and then I really started playing volleyball in sixth grade. Somebody came up to me and said, ‘You're built like a volleyball player.’ I guess the love kind of started from my first kill block and I was like, ‘Alright, this is my sport.”

Q. How many years have you been playing?

A. “13 years.”

Q. Favorite volleyball memory?

A. “My senior year of high school we were playing one of our big rival teams, and I went up and hit the ball and just smoked this girl square in the face. I gave her a concussion, it was pretty bad.”

Q. Pregame ritual?

A. “I always have to listen to music. I have a little playlist I listen to, and then I have a little saying between my family and I. I write it on my hand and look at it before the games starts.”

Q. What is your go-to pre-game pump-up song?

A. “Probably Kendrick Lamar or a little old school Kanye gets me going.”

Q. What is different about this season in comparison to years past?

A. “The team chemistry is significantly different than it was last year. This year, it feels like everyone has bought into the program. We’re buying in and we’re going to do whatever coach says we need to do to win.”

Q. Favorite part about playing volleyball at SEMO?

A. “I would have to go back to the community. There's a club team here called the Pursuit Volleyball Academy and I helped with them, and so the girls know me. So just building a community base behind you so that little kids come to games and know you. So that is always fun, getting the community to back you up.”

Q. Going down in a set, what is your way of resetting and getting back after it? A.“I would say visualizing and taking a deep breath. Visualizing not only what I need to do, but what the team needs to do to succeed in the next set. Something that we always come down to is who wants it more.”

Q. Conference play starts Friday, what are you most excited about? A. “I am honestly most excited to open up with Austin Peay, because they did win the [Ohio Valley Conference] last year. We weren’t picked to finish very high this year, and I think we’re going to shock a lot of people. I really do. I think the OVC underestimated us and I'm excited for that. Everybody loves a good underdog.”