Haley Hop signs with UAH

Haley Hop, flanked by parents John and Carol, sings her athletic scholarship on April 15 to play volleyball for the UAH Chargers. (Contributed)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MADISON – Bob Jones senior volleyball player Haley Hop, who by al accounts was one of the top volleyball players in the state during her high school career, is officially keeping her talent in the area after signing papers to play for the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) on April 15.

Hop, who often attended volleyball camps at the university, said she wouldn’t have previously thought she would end up at college just minutes from her home.

“During the recruiting process, [head] coach Giboney and [assistant] coach Smith at UAH watched me play during high school season and invited me for a visit to campus to see how I enjoyed the school and the program. When I left that campus visit, I had already realized that it was my future home.”

The Bob Jones varsity team owed Hop much credit for its deep run in the state playoffs. Though falling in the semifinals to Mountain Brook, Hop led the team with 19 kills in the match against the Spartans. In her high school career, Hop amassed 523 kills, 239 digs and 54 aces.

Hop said she will contribute mainly as a defensive player her freshman year but that the coaches see her transitioning to her natural outside hitter position.

“Ever since coach Giboney and coach Smith came to UAH, their seasonal records have been improving and they have all the potential to be a top competitor in Division II,” Hop said.

After earning a 4.1 overall GPA at Bob Jones, Hop said she is considering engineering as a major but is first going to “conquer her prerequisites and go from there.”