Success On and Off the Court on NGWSD

Throughout her adolescence, college years, and professional career, Haley Bilbruck has been passionate and dedicated to volleyball. Now, she channels that same dedication and love for the sport in her new role as Clemson Volleyball’s assistant coach. Bilbruck’s journey as a player and coach highlights how much of a difference female athletes can make in young women’s lives. 

Since playing club-level volleyball in her teenage years, Bilbruck has held an intense connection to the sport, and ever since, she has found self-fulfillment in it. It wasn’t until her first scholarship offer that Bilbruck realized the full extent of how far her talent in volleyball could take her in life. In her hometown of Hot Springs, South Dakota, leaving the state for a collegiate education was rare, and receiving an athletic scholarship for an out-of-state education was almost unheard of.

Bilbruck’s career in college athletics began at UNLV and eventually expanded to Southeast Missouri State. Her time as a college athlete shaped who Bilbruck is today as a woman and as a coach with the Clemson’s volleyball team. Her experience within collegiate sports forced her to grow and develop, and it taught her numerous valuable life lessons that she still abides by today. For today’s girls looking to pursue athletics in college, Bilbruck offers precious advice: “It is not about [the programs] that can offer you the biggest and brightest things. It’s about finding a home. Who is going to take pride in who you are as a person…Who and what program is going to elevate you into the woman you want to be?”

In her new role as assistant coach at Clemson, Bilbruck is doing just that: helping athletes grow into the women they want to be. Bilbruck, who used to serve as Clemson’s director of operations and oversee volleyball’s logistics and day-to-day operations, will approach her new role with strategies and technique in mind with an emphasis on player development. Both on the court and in the classroom, Bilbruck wants to help the players succeed. 

After finishing her career as a college volleyball player and earning her masters degree, Bilbruck knew she wanted volleyball to remain a central component of her life. She had heard about Clemson Athletics and the department’s success, but it wasn’t until after visiting the town, campus, and training facilities that Bilbruck knew Clemson was the place to take her career in volleyball further. “There is a special feel to Clemson, I knew I was going to be able to grow here and be challenged here.”

When considering her favorite aspects about Clemson, the community stands out to Bilbruck. “It doesn’t matter what event is going on, athletic or non-athletic related, this community backs the university through and through. The surrounding people are supportive of what specifically our program is trying to do moving forward.” Bilbruck adds, “You know, looking  back at this past year, I think about our home opener against South Carolina, and we reached capacity with people still lined up to get into Jervey Gym, which is something that I’ve never seen in my four years here.” She recalls that the event staff had to hold people at the door until someone else left the gym; the event was so crowded. “Just thinking about how the community supports us is something that’s very unique.” 

When reflecting on her favorite aspects of her team, the staff and student-athletes immediately came to mind. Bilbruck “thoroughly enjoys” working with her fellow volleyball staff members, and she firmly believes in head coach Jackie Simpson Kirr’s vision for the program. Bilbruck also enjoys working with student-athletes from all over the world. Whether the athletes are from California, Illinois, or Europe, she finds joy in the fact that she gets to be part of their collegiate journey. “Even if I’m a part of their story for a short amount of time, it’s awesome to be a part of it.”

Women’s athletics at Clemson and around the country have seen significant growth in interest and support over the past few years; Bilbruck finds this empowerment of female athletics incredibly important. She finds that supporting women’s athletics is necessary to continue inspiring young girls and women who have the potential to be a part of the next generation of college athletics. Bilbruck wants to show those girls that “there is no limit” and that women’s athletics will “continue to push the boundary for girls and women in sports to see what more we can do and fulfill in this role.” 

When asked what developments she would like to see specifically in Clemson’s female athletics in the future, Bilbruck answered that she “would love to see continued success. And I don’t just mean in the win-loss column. I mean both as a student and as an athlete.  While winning is fun and great and beautiful, and everybody wants to win, I would love to continue to see our female student-athletes find success, you know, in life as well. Whether that’s pursuing an additional degree after they’re done, or finding a great internship, or landing that dream job.” Bilbruck wants the female athletes at Clemson to know that there is something out there for everybody. With the hard work Bilbruck knows Clemson’s female athletes are not shy to, and the support Clemson provides, Clemson Athletics has the resources to set Clemson’s female athletes “up for success after graduation, not just during their time here. Whatever success looks like for our female athletes, you know, whether it’s on or off the court, or a combination of both, I would love to continue to see that.”