From Oregon to France, the shortcut was quickly found for the young American Haylie Bennett. The 25-year-old volleyball player has been in France for almost four years and in Lorraine since this summer after spending three seasons in Levallois. And suffice to say that she does not regret her choice. By combining travel and her passion for volleyball, Haylie Bennett hit the jackpot. And what a different trajectory for someone who has been immersed in volleyball since her childhood.
A very present mother
“I always grew up around volleyball because my mother played it,” explains Haylie. When I was little I used to follow her to tournaments. And at 10 years old, I started on a team in Oregon and then continued through high school and college. I always wanted to become a professional and when I grew up, I saw that there were quite a few opportunities to make this dream come true. »
A dream mixed with the passion for a sport that she admires. “I like the intensity and that it goes quickly,” she smiles. I love jumping and much less running, so it was the perfect sport for me. However, I played basketball when I was younger but I was more comfortable playing volleyball. »
Especially since the young woman had the opportunity to be trained by her mother. A situation that is not always easy to live with. “She trained me when I was in high school, which was a bit problematic in our relationship,” admits the volleyball player. When I came home with my coach who was also my mother, my teammates didn’t see it very favorably. In addition, she was much less lenient with me than with the others. Because she wanted to push me as far as possible. Today things are very different. I like having her by my side or having her advise me on my career choices. We can talk together about lots of details after a match. »
And her career, in fact, very quickly took on a European dimension since Haylie joined the ranks of Levallois in 2020. “I left the United States in the year of Covid so it was a little complicated,” grimaces the young woman. . I’ve always been pretty independent, so leaving my family and friends wasn’t that hard. I was more nervous knowing that with Covid my loved ones wouldn’t be able to come see me too much. We don’t really know what to expect in these moments. But generally speaking, I was excited by this new challenge that presented itself to me. I left a small town to find myself very close to Paris. I was totally into the discovery. »
Exploit your potential
Especially since the pointy grew up there as a woman and experienced her first joys as a professional. “The first year was cut short by Covid but the second year we won the championship in the second division and the energy was great,” she remembers. And André Sa’s call changed the trajectory and Haylie landed at VNVB this summer. “I was open to going anywhere but when André called me during the summer, I loved our conversation and his philosophy. And when I see the energy here, the supporters, the communion of everyone, I feel a bit like at home…”
So much so that she has some knowledge of French under her belt. And as a player, her daily life has changed too. “I’ve only been here for 3 months and when I arrived I felt like I didn’t know anything about volleyball anymore because André is a coach who pushes us to exceed our limits. And I needed it. I needed to think about all these details about my game.”
“She is a quality player who has not yet exploited her full potential,” adds the Vandoperian technician.
But Haylie is not just a volleyball player, sometimes she misses her native Oregon too. Seafood and his salmon fisherman father in particular. But she comforts herself here with the French bakeries and the bread she loves. It just goes to show that happiness means very little to some people…
#Volleyball #League #VandoeuvreNancy #American #Haylie #Bennett #enjoying #European #dream
