The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2025
- Class:
- 2014
A two-time National Player of the Year, four-time All-American, three-time Big 12 Conference Player of the Year and member of the 2012 National Championship team, Haley Eckerman is one of the most decorated players in Texas Volleyball history. Including the National Championship in 2012, Eckerman led the Longhorns to three-straight NCAA Final Four appearances from 2012-14 and four-straight Big 12 titles from 2011-14. During her four-year career, she led the Horns to a sensational 108-15 overall record (.878) that included an incredible 61-3 mark (.953) in Big 12 play. Eckerman was named Volleyball Magazine’s Co-National Player of the Year in 2012, and then was the sole winner in 2013, while also earning the publication’s National Freshman of the Year recognition in 2011. Additionally, she was the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Freshman of the Year in 2011 and went on to be a two-time finalist for the Honda Sports Award for Volleyball in 2012 and 2013. She was a first-team All-American by both the AVCA and Volleyball Magazine from 2012-14, while she received second-team accolades from the AVCA and third-team honors from Volleyball Magazine in 2011. Eckerman is just the third player ever to be tabbed Big 12 Player of the Year three times, and she also was the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2011. Eckerman finished her career among the top 10 in six different statistical categories at Texas, including fifth all-time in total points and total kills. In four seasons, she registered 1,662 kills, 3.85 kills per set, 144 service aces, 702 digs, 174 total blocks and 1,910 points. As a freshman in 2011, she became the second player in program history to earn National Freshman of the Year honors after playing in every match and leading the team in kills (384), kills per set (3.56), service aces (20) and points (431.5). The Longhorns posted a 28-6 record, a No. 4 final ranking and reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight that year. During her sophomore campaign, Eckerman led Texas to the 2012 NCAA Championship as the team completed the season with a 31-4 overall record. She started in every match that season, leading the Big 12 with 504 kills (4.38 kps) and accumulating 575.0 points and 5.0 points per set. She became the ninth player in program history to record 500 or more kills in a season, and her 1,257 attempts placed her fifth on UT’s single-season list. As a junior in 2013, Eckerman started every match and again led Big 12 with 447 kills (4.14 kps) while tallying 511.0 points. Her 4.73 points per set also led the conference. The Longhorns completed the season with a 28-3 record, a No. 3 final ranking and their second-straight trip to the NCAA Final Four. The Longhorns would then advance to their third-consecutive NCAA Final Four in 2014 during Eckerman’s senior season, which Texas finished with a No. 5 final ranking and 27-3 overall record. During that year, Eckerman led the team with 327 kills, and she posted a career-high 44 service aces with her 0.44 average per set ranking fifth all-time for a season at UT. That year also culminated in her earning Academic All-America honors, as she completed her career as a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree and earned her bachelor’s degree in Applied Learning and Development. Following her dominating collegiate career, Eckerman competed at the professional level for four seasons, including stops in South Korea, Puerto Rico, Azerbaijan, Italy and Russia. She then began a career in coaching in her hometown at Waterloo West High School in Iowa in 2018 before moving to the collegiate level with assistant positions at Lamar (2019), Tarleton State (2020) and TCU (2021). In March of 2022, she was named the head coach at Kent State and continues to serve in that role. In 2018, Eckerman co-founded Team Dream, the first All-African American team to compete and win USA Open Nationals. Then in 2020, she co-founded Think Outside the Box, a volleyball coaching and athlete development company that provides resources and support while also addressing issues related to diversity within the game. Eckerman is the proud mother of her son, Cayden.
