Elle Hatlevig, Norwalk, jr.
It’s been a busy and successful summer for Norwalk junior volleyball player Elle Hatlevig. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter recently completed her club season with Iowa Premier on a team that also included Norwalk teammate Reese Heim. Iowa Premier finished 11th in the 16 Open division at USAV Nationals.
In June, Hatlevig made a big decision regarding her academic and volleyball future, giving a verbal commitment to Michigan State University of the powerful Big Ten Conference. Hatlevig has attended the Spartans’ off-season camps the last two springs, and she believes the East Lansing campus will be a great fit as her future home. Michigan State finished 18-12 overall in head coach Kristen Kelsay’s first season last fall.
“I really enjoy the coaches,” Hatlevig said. “They’re really great, and I’ve talked to the incoming players a lot – (the) ‘27 commits – and they’ve all been so nice, and that’s something super important to me. I don’t want to transfer out of a school. I want to be there for all five years. That was super important to me, getting to know the coaches and being like, ‘Okay, I could see myself playing for you guys and being super happy at that program.’”
Hatlevig was named second team All-State by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association last fall after helping Norwalk win a school-record 29 matches and reach the Class 4A State Tournament for the second time in three years. Showcasing a powerful swing from the left side, Hatlevig led Class 4A with a school-record 465 kills last season and had an efficiency of nearly 29 percent. She added 35 blocks, 167 digs and 38 ace serves.
Hatlevig hopes to improve her back-row passing skills and kill efficiency this year, and she is excited for the upcoming season. The Warriors return a fourth-year setter in Hadley Michael, along with senior libero Reese Heim and senior hitters Delaynee Steele and Myla Brown. Hatlevig tells KNIA Sports that the team’s expectations are high.
“Obviously we have our setter, libero, right side and a lot of our key pieces back, so it will be really fun,” she said. “I’m really excited to work hard and hopefully make it back to State and even win State is probably what our goal will be this year.”
Hatlevig adds that the Norwalk team connects really well both on and off the court and has very good chemistry. The Warriors will open the regular season on August 25 at Ames.
