High school: AVCA Under Armour All-America first team ... guided Cardinal Gibbons High School to four-straight 3A state championships ... named state tournament most valuable player honors as a senior ... named the 2012 Carolina 6 Conference Player of the Year ... three-time all-conference selection ... also plays with Triangle Volleyball Club ... named the 2011 winner of the Triangle Award for leadership ... named a top-10 star at the 2012 Lone Star Classic ... earned all-tournament honors at the Carolina Region championship ... an excellent student with a 4.25 grade point average ... member of the National Honor Society
Personal: Parents are Harold and Suzette Nelson, and Vanessa Nelson ... has one sister, Hannah (16) ... born April 6 ... nickname is Nelly ... advertising chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and member of the Coordinated Leadership Initiative (CLI) ... also volunteers with Badgers Give Back ... major is business: marketing/risk management and insurance
Why Wisconsin?
"Because it's the world's best university"
Career Highs
Kills: 18 (2x; MR at Illinois, 11-18-15)
Attempts: 36 at Illinois, 11-18-15
Hitting Percentage: .800 (8-0-10) vs. Texas A&M Corpus Cristi, 9-4-16
Assists: 2 (4x; MR vs. Rutgers, 10-30-16)
Service Aces: 4 (3x; MR at Iowa, 10-21-16)
Digs: 8 at North Carolina, 9-9-16
Blocks: 10 at Nebraska, 10-5-13
Points: 23.5 vs. Arkansas, 9-19-15
Off the Court with Haleigh
Favorites - Spot on campus: Terrace; Cartoon Character: Kevin from UP; Movie: 21 Jump Street; Celebrity: Jim Halpert; Food: Chicken pot pie; TV Show: The Office; Car: Mine! 2008 Honda Accord; Athlete: Apollo Ohno; Ice Cream Flavor: Coffee with chocolate chips; Volleyball Player: Kerri Walsh-Jennings; Sports team: any and all Badgers
First started volleyball: Seventh grade
Most memorable volleyball match: 2013 National Semifinal vs Texas
My favorite thing about Wisconsin volleyball is: my teammates
Before each match, I: eat a PB&J sandwich
What do you do during the national anthem? Sing it
Best UW road trip: Seattle for the final four
Favorite place to play (besides the Field House): Nebraska
One word that describes the team: family
One word that describes me: punny
My teammates say I: have selective hearing
Favorite thing to do off the court with my teammates is: go to the lake
Most memorable volleyball achievement: winning the 2014 Big Ten title outright
Is there something significant about your uniform number? It’s the luckiest
The best thing about the Field House is: the fans
If I could change one volleyball rule, it would be: no instant replay
If I was Coach Sheffield for the day, I would: play Haleigh Nelson all six rotations
Dream as a collegiate player: win a national championship
Post-college plans/goals: Find a career, not a job
The best thing about Madison is: the people
Fantasy job/career: ESPN Broadcaster
Persons most admired/role models: My grandmother and my parents
I can’t live without: Lululemon
My secret addiction is: thin mint Girl Scout cookies
Weird thing about me that almost no one knows: there are many weird things and everyone knows them
Nobody knows how much I love to: shop
Greatest Invention of the last 100 years: online shopping
If I could live any place in the world it would be: Charleston, South Carolina
A non-athletic talent I have: word searches
I wish I could: play the piano
If you could trade places for a day with a person, who would it be and why? Bethany Hamilton so I could shred wakes and walk around knowing I survived a shark attack
If I had a million dollars, I would: spend it
How would you like to change the world? I want to be someone who makes others around me better
My bucket list includes: go skydiving (totally original), learn how to ski, go rafting down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, go watch the Olympics
What are you most thankful for? my friends and family
What are you passionate about? chasing happiness
The best advice I have ever gotten is: “All you have to do is get one percent better every day.”
If you could perform in a circus, what would you do? Trapeze
Biggest pet peeve: people that bite their forks when they eat
What would be your theme song? “Good To Be Alive” by Andy Grammar
If you had a magic lamp and a genie who granted you three wishes, what would the three wishes be? Lifetime supply of chocolate-covered strawberries, free nail care and the perfect dog
What does it mean to be a Badger?
"Being a Badger means working harder than anyone else for your dreams."
