“We’ve been together our whole lives, and we thought it would be a good idea to start off college together.” – Hannah Willis
“We thought we’ve been doing the same thing ever since we were born, so splitting up wouldn’t be a good idea.” – Haley Willis
Hannah and Haley Willis, two of the defensive anchors for Republic’s volleyball team, will attend Central Methodist University to continue their careers.
“I know the impact these girls have had on hundreds of lives by their personalities and their good attitudes,” says volleyball coach Piper Wright. “They’ve been amazing girls on and off the floor. Good leaders, too.”
Hannah says they first decided to attend the same school, then worked together to decide which school that would be.
“We talked it over together and weighed the pros and cons of each college, and one night we were just both like, ‘Let’s just commit to CMU,’ so we did,” she says. “So we didn’t ever have to argue what college we were going to. We just knew it was right.”
Haley says volleyball wasn’t the only factor in the decision.
“It’s a beautiful campus, it’s not too far from home. And I was also really looking for a Christian college, and CMU offers the spiritual aspect, the academic aspect, and the volleyball.”
Both girls say they’re looking forward to a higher level of competition as they step up to college.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing collegiate volleyball, so it’s really just exciting to me that I’ll get to play more competitively, and all the time,” says Haley.
“I really love volleyball and I’ve always been really competitive,” Hannah says. “I think this will be more competitive than the high school level. And high school has made me a good player, but I think college will develop my skill to a really good extent.”
“We’re very, very excited to have Hannah and Haley come to CMU,” says coach Lauren Noble. “Even professors, administration, staff, coaches. I got a huge email from someone in admissions saying how excited they are to have these two ladies. That’s the first time I’ve ever gotten such an email.”
Both Haley and Hannah plan to major in biology.