In Her Own Words: Saylor Halvorsen

In Her Own Words

Saylor Halvorsen

California 2028 OH

Goes Deeper Than a Ranking

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We had recognized Saylor Halvorsen quite a bit recently. Both from her updating her Player Profile on our site and her social media updates. We loved what we were seeing on film and her PPV was climbing in the right direction for sure. She was also one of the Cali kids that had taken the time to hit up some Select Camps away from the Coast last Summer so we wanted to get to know this rising prospect in the Class of 2028 a little bit better. So here is a fast riser you will definitely hear more about between now and July, in her own words, let’s get to know Saylor for more than just a ranking.

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Question 1: You had so much Prep success this season where do you think that came from?

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“I think the key to my prep season success was training hard off the court. Meaning working out and focusing on plyometrics and recovery so I could push hard throughout the season while keeping my body healthy. But not much of that preparation goes far without a great team! I was on a team that had amazing seniors, including my sister, that helped push me everyday in practice.”

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Question 2: What do you think colleges are going to like about your game when they watch you and what do you think is going to make them say “Hey we need to have this athlete in our program”

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 As a “college player” I see myself competing and having fun. I like practice and getting better so I look forward to being in a college gym doing this. When colleges watch my film I think they enjoy seeing me improve. I feel like I’ve proven myself as a Middle (Middle Blocker) and am excited to be working this club season to learn to be a 6 rotation player. I hope they see how my skills are continuing to evolve and that they are able to see my hard work paying off. At the 2025 AAU championships, I heard a coach use the word “Versatile”. Where ever I’m needed, I’m happy to step in and just play!

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Question 3: Did you do anything special to add those 2” to your Approach Touch or did things finally just click growth wise?

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With the 2” increase in my vertical during the fall I started training with a place in Santa Barbara. They used computers and cameras to analyze the way my body moves and where I need to improve. I have a personalized workout I do 3 days a week. That helps with reps and physical development too. Using amazing technology to observe my movements they were able to personalize workouts for me and that is when I gained 2 inches.

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Question 4: What was your biggest lesson learned from College Select Camps this past summer?

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A big takeaway from college selection camps this year was definitely how much energy and support you show to the girls around you - making friends with the girls on the court. You all may be competing for attention from the coaches but it’s still very important to support and cheer on your fellow athletes because coaches definitely notice your attitude and your body language, it makes my own game better and helps the team play better. So it’s important to have high energy and to focus on being a great teammate. Extra bonus - new friends! I learned that college volleyball is exciting all over the country and that there are lots of great coaches and programs and I’m really focusing on sending out personalized emails and getting more and more film out to coaches during this club season of recruiting. Researching different programs is also a big focus. I want to learn as much as I can so I’m ready to make a decision when the time comes.

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Question 5: What was the key to you receiving so many awards during your Prep Season, you were named to just about everything you could be!

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I think the key to receiving so many prep awards this season was continuing to push myself, listening to my coaches and being a good teammate. I enjoy practice…. I enjoy being coached and honestly I am trying to do better every time I’m on the court and in the gym. I played on a great team that provided opportunities to be successful. When everyone is playing hard and working towards the same goal, together we achieve success at high levels.

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Question 6: Who is a college player you look up to or model your game after?

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There isn’t a singular college player that I look up to because there happen to be so many great ones that all stand out to me in different ways. Suli Davis especially stands out to me, being a freshman outside. She gets after the ball and gets so passionate about the game. She’s an ambitious player and she knows what she wants. She’s definitely dominating on the court! I’ve also had the pleasure of playing with Manaia Ogbechie. We can all learn a lot for her, but off the court, I got to see how compassionate and friendly she is with everyone. I got to see how hard she works to be a student of the game but also a student of the world, how to excel is school and balance your time on the court and off of the court. All of these amazing players teach me something about myself and help me recognize what we can achieve as athletes, students, and women.

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Question 7: When college coaches watch you this club season, what skill do you want them to know they “hey I’m really putting serious time into getting better at this”

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 As college coaches watch me this season I am working on being able to read the serve so I am able to execute the pass. Tools I will be adding to my tool belt are reading the pace of the servers arm, determining left or right of my body, if it is high or short, and finally determining short or deep. I’ve leaned that this will be very helpful to hold in my tool belt. Passing is a big focus for me. I’m also learning so much about being a pin blocker, an out of system hitter and working on my defense. Honestly, I’m trying to improve my whole game all the time and I hope coaches will see that.

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That’s an inside look at Saylor Halvorsen. You can tell from that small piece that this is a young lady that is serious about her career on and off the volleyball court and is a thinker! The program that lands her is getting someone who is mature beyond their years and is focused on big time career goals and being successful in life. Make sure and follow her all the way through this summer and beyond, right here at VBAdrenaline.com