Nationally ranked libero commits to Texas: 'No way I would go anywhere else'

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Cala Haffner wasn't necessarily looking to commit as soon as the volleyball recruiting window opened for the Class of 2028, but the Fort Wayne Carroll junior also knew after she finished all her calls, she would have a clear idea of where she wanted to go.

Once coaches were free to start contacting her Monday, the nationally ranked 5-9 libero scheduled calls with Texas, Texas A&M and Louisville — all of whom had camps in recent weeks — and her other finalist, Nebraska, which did not have a camp before June 15.

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It made for a marathon day. Haffner took hour-long calls with each of her four finalists then debriefed with her family before moving onto the next one. 

It was "definitely stressful," she told IndyStar on Tuesday, "but it was fun."

Haffner's third phone call, with the University of Texas, brought her future into focus.

"After theirs," she said, "I was like, 'OK, yeah, this is it. There's no way I would go anywhere but here.'"

Haffner reconnected with the UT coaches and verbally committed later that night. She is the program's first 2028 prospect and currently one of three high school commits, joining 2027 outside hitters Ella Olson and Ireland Real.

"I could tell they genuinely cared about me as a person and not just a volleyball player; and that I would be taken such good care of," she said. "Being at the camp and talking to all the girls, I could tell they felt that way, too."

Haffner was sensational for the nationally ranked, undefeated Class 4A state champion Chargers last fall. She was charged with only eight reception errors on 331 attempts, and racked up 432 digs (11.7 per match), 133 assists and 60 aces.

Haffner, who has 885 digs and 120 aces across her two varsity seasons, was at her best in the final rounds of the tournament. She set, then matched her season-high for digs (23) vs. Westfield and Crown Point at semistate, then clocked an ace, 13 digs and a couple assists vs. Plainfield in the state final.

Ranked fifth nationally by PrepDig, Haffner brings international experience, as well, having played for Team USA's U19 roster in the Pan American Cup as a 15-year-old.

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Haffner is the third Indiana native to commit to the Longhorns in recent years, following fellow liberos Emma Halter, a 2022 Roncalli grad, and 2023 Pendleton Heights product Ramsey Gary, who transferred from IU prior to last season.

"Ramsey said (Texas) was a perfect fit for her," said Haffner, who communicated with both Gary and Halter during her recruitment. "She feels super valued there. … It was a super good decision for her."

Haffner also received recruiting advice from her sister, former college setter Taya Haffner, who was a four-time sectional champion and all-time assists leader at Carroll before continuing her career at Purdue Fort Wayne.

"She told me to be authentically myself, to have fun with it and don't be too stressed," Cala said. "It's a lot different from when she was getting recruited, so she told me to go into it with an open mindset."

NIL is perhaps the biggest difference between Cala's recruitment and that of her older sister. To that end, Haffner said both she and her parents had conversations about the money side with the Texas coaches.

"They talked with me about how they would help me through it once I got there and once I'm getting all these brand (deals)," Haffner said. "They will filter through them and help me through that process."

As for the high school season ahead, the Chargers graduated a couple heavy hitters from their attack, plus setter Sophia Gisslen, but should still have plenty of experience — and talent — as they look to defend their state title.

"Being committed is just making me want to work even harder and continue to grow in my game overall" Haffner said. "I want to make sure I'm ready to play at the next level and be as comfortable as I can be in such a high-level gym."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA volleyball: Libero Cala Haffner commits to Texas Longhorns

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