Garrett Halsey was interested in several sports when he was younger, but he found his real passion when he played volleyball during his eighth grade year.
“I wanted to play all the sports—football, basketball—and…volleyball,” says Halsey. “I’d never played [volleyball] before, and I wanted to try it out.”
His school team went on to win the league championship that year and from there, Halsey was hooked. He carried his love for the game into Servite High School, where the two-year varsity starter plays opposite hitter for the Friars. It’s the team aspect of the game that fuels Halsey’s dedication to the sport.
“I feel that in order to be successful, you all have to come together and play as one family unit,” says Halsey of playing volleyball. “And I absolutely love that.”
Halsey’s main goal for the upcoming season is to reclaim the Trinity League title, and Servite head varsity coach, Matt Marrujo, will be looking to the senior to lead the charge.
“Garrett has achieved a lot of success on the court but his greatest attribute is his heart,” says Marrujo. “His peers look up to him as a leader because of how hard he works in the weight room, on the court and in the classroom. We are going to be counting on his leadership to help us have another successful season, and I have no doubt in my mind that Garrett is ready for this new challenge and that he will far exceed the expectation.”
Halsey has not only seen success with the Friars, but is a leader on his club team, which recently won the 17s Open Division title in the 2016 USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships held in Dallas, Texas last month. Halsey served as one of the team’s captains, had the winning kill to clinch the championship and was named to the All-Tournament team. His success on the court reinforces Halsey’s belief in the importance of teamwork.
“You can’t do everything by yourself,” says the 16-year old. “You need other people, and that’s what Servite teaches—necessity of the other. That’s a huge life lesson to me, because I can’t do it by myself. I need other people to push me to be the best person that I can be.”
In a nod to his roots, Halsey spends some of his free time coaching volleyball for seventh and eighth graders at the school were he got his start in the sport, St. Catherine’s Academy in Anaheim. After high school, the Yorba Linda resident would love the opportunity to play Division I NCAA volleyball alongside studying chemistry. He feels blessed to have such a strong support system, including his parents, coaches and faith.
“All glory to God,” says Halsey, “because he gave me beautiful gifts—the gifts of family, friends and volleyball, which I love so much.”