Haley Solan, volleyball
Geibel Catholic senior Haley Solan isn’t sure where she is going to college and hasn’t determined yet what she will study.
The volleyball team captain has bigger fish to fry first.
“We expect to make the playoffs and want to finish first in our section,” Solan said.
That process begins tonight, when the Gators host Carmichaels in a Section 5-A match.
“I think we’ll do really well,” she added. “We did pretty good last year. We’ve all been playing together for a few years now, so we should be better.”
Her volleyball prowess as a setter/outside hitter, coupled with her 4.2 grade-point average, made Solan her school’s female honoree in the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight program for the fall sports season.
“She’s part of a pretty good class of kids,” Gators volleyball coach Rick Watkins said. “We have eight seniors this year, but it doesn’t surprise me that Haley was the one picked. She is the third of three sisters to play volleyball for us here. It comes to her pretty easy, just from being around it so much and from such a young age. It’s going to be tough saying good-bye to my last Solan.”
Solan, is the youngest daughter of Gerald and Ceal Solan of Acme. She has followed in the volleyball footsteps of older sisters Caitlyn and Emily and also has an older brother, Neal. Ceal Solan is principal at Conn-Area Catholic School, which is housed in the Geibel Catholic building in Connellsville.
So, what’s it like being a student when your mom is a principal? “It has always helped because she has always been there,” Haley said.
In fact, the young Solan might follow her mother back to the classroom. Then again, she might not. Her favorite subject is art, something she would like to pursue in college.
“I’d like to do something with art, but I have to look into different fields to see what’s available,” she said. “I’m undecided about where to go and what to study. I would like to play volleyball, but it depends on where I go.”
Again, Haley Solan has bigger fish to fry first.
“We have five co-captains, but I’m the floor captain,” she said. When asked about her favorite aspect of volleyball, she added, “Just being with my team because they are all such great people.”
She watched as her older sisters fell in love with the sport and admits they had a tremendous impact on her. “It had a big influence on me. I liked watching them play and I’ve been around it more because of them,” she said. “I’ve been playing since fourth grade, so it definitely helped me become better.”
Watkins admits that he has been excited about this senior class for quite some time. He watched them grow as a team and expects big things this season.
“Haley is very comfortable here,” he said. “In fact, I was just telling her that I’d like her to step out of her comfort zone and be more aggressive and more forceful on the court. She reminds me a lot of (three-time All-State setter) Chelsey Kreinbrook, which is pretty high praise and may put some pressure on her. But she has a chance to be pretty special.
“Haley is very coachable. She works hard. You never have to tell her something twice and you never have to tell her to work harder.”
All of which makes Solan feel “a little nervous. There’s pressure. But it’s exciting, too.”
She is involved in many extra-curricular activities at Geibel Catholic, including the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, SADD and the Challenge Program.
“We’re not just relying on her this year. We relied on her the last couple of years and she has come through very well for us. She’s not only big, but she’s tall. She’s a good blocker and an excellent setter,” Watkins said. “She is very respectful of others. If you are going to have a good friend in high school, it would be Haley Solan.”