Hawley Harrer set to play volleyball for UCLA Bruins

Hawley Harrer has volleyball in her blood.

Her mom, Janice, is a Hall of Fame sand volleyball player, and her dad, Tom, played volleyball at the University of Hawaii and was also a sand volleyball player. So, it only seems natural that Hawley follow in their footsteps.

Harrer started playing volleyball at 3 years of age and has been hard at work at the sport ever since. Hawley moved to Sisters when she was 7 years old and played through Sisters Park & Recreation District all the way through middle school. She started on the high school varsity squad her freshman year, has been a stand-out player every year, and has accumulated numerous awards.

Harrer was selected first-team all-league and first team all-state both her sophomore and junior years, and this year she was named the 4A Player of the Year. Hawley's sophomore year the Outlaws placed second at the state tournament, and this year they were crowned state champs.

Harrer started playing on an elite club team, Oregon Volleyball Academy (OVA) when she was in sixth grade. She's a right-side hitter, but primarily a six-foot-one-inch lefty setter, which is an advantage in itself.

"Setters don't normally tend to be tall," said Harrer. "And, being a lefty is an advantage because I can attack when I'm in the front row."

Hawley lives and breathes volleyball.

"I love volleyball, and I have a passion for it because of how competitive it can get," said Harrer. "I feel like I can show who I am through the sport."

Hawley has played club volleyball since she was in fourth grade. She's played on the Rimrock 18s National Team since she was a freshman. The elite club team boasts top players from all over Central Oregon. The team travels extensively and has played in high-caliber tournaments in Denver, Colorado; Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada; and also Seattle, Washington. In addition, they attend two big qualifiers every year. The squad travels at least every other weekend to compete in smaller tournaments held in Salem, Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, and Kelso, Washington.

Harrer played in the Matt Horner Memorial, a big tournament in Eugene, and at a couple of qualifiers her freshman year, and colleges were quick to notice her abilities. At the close of her freshman year top schools across the nation, including UCLA, University of Washington, Utah, Cal Berkley, Colorado, Washington State University, Dartmouth, University of San Diego, Oregon State University, and Pepperdine, to name a few, told Hawley they were interested.

Hawley made some college visits, and checked out UCLA twice. Last year, in the early spring of her sophomore year, Harrer committed to play for UCLA. Her NCAA official signing will be November of her senior year.

"I got to see UCLA play, got shown around the campus, and toured the athletic facilities," said Harrer. "The campus is amazing and gorgeous, and walking into the Pauley Pavilion takes your breath away. It's really big. It has the atmosphere of excitement and makes you want to win. It makes you want to be a part of a national championship seeing all the banners from volleyball and basketball."

Hawley commented on why she committed so early (sophomore) to play for UCLA.

"Colleges are recruiting earlier to get the best players," said Harrer. "It puts pressure on the players to decide sooner because the colleges want to get the best of the best and fill their rosters early for years ahead.

"I just felt like UCLA was a good fit for me. The school has a heritage, and a program with indoor and beach volleyball. I know the coaching staff personalities will jive with me and I agree with their coaching philosophies."

Harrer will continue to play club ball and finish her high school career next fall.

Hawley recently returned from a big qualifier in Las Vegas where the Rimrocks took third out of 150 teams, which is a historic finish for any Oregon team. Her most recent accolade was being named to the prep volleyball top 50 players in the class of 2018 nationwide.