There is some swagger about how Lily Hayes goes about her business on the volleyball court that tells you she is cut from a different cloth.

Whether cushioning a pass, defending a spike or diving to save a tip, Hayes has been one of the stand-out players for USA at this World Championship. The 175cm libero is a master of floor defence and statistics back it up!

Of the 8 teams that have made it to the quarterfinals, Hayes is among the leading liberos in passing (34) and digging (73), underlining her importance to this USA team. In fact, it’s safe to say that she is the rock on which Coach Robert Keegan Cook is building USA’s title defence.

“I always play with a lot of passion because I’m not the big hitter that scores but I want to be the big defender that can stop a play. Defence wins championships and I’m happy to play this role behind the scenes. It’s so powerful and fulfilling just being there for my teammates and cheering them on,” began Hayes.

“I love making a good pass but getting a dig, especially when there is no block, is such a great feeling…It’s unbelievable!” Hayes reveals what she enjoys doing on court.

Yet, growing up in Tampa, Florida, volleyball wasn’t Lily’s first love. Her mother, Nel Fettig, was a professional football player and inevitably Lily started out as a footballer before making the switch to volleyball when she was around 9.

“It was admirable to see what my mum achieved in football and I hope I can follow a similar path in a different sport. I am glad that I got to play two sports when I was young because it has made me the athlete that I am today.

“I chose volleyball because I fell in love with it and everything about it. Volleyball is much more intense and connected than 90 minutes of football. The points are so much more intense and every single touch that you take matters a little bit more,” explains Lily.

Initially an outside hitter, Lily only started playing as a libero four years ago. Even in her wildest dreams, she didn’t imagine she would be featuring for USA as a regular in a World Championship this fast!

“This is my first time and I absolutely love it…It’s a dream come true! Everything is more intense and at a higher standard which pushes me to be better, revealed Hayes.

“It’s definitely a challenge, because everything is different from club volleyball in the US. It’s a learning curve and I’ve learned so much from this national team that I can take with me forever not just in volleyball but also in life,” she added.

Lily has literally been thrown in the deep end at this World Championship. Competition rules allow teams to have 12 players in their roster which means Lily has had to shoulder both passing and digging responsibilities as the sole libero for USA.

“It’s certainly been a mental challenge. Realizing that I don’t have anybody else to help me has made me trust my abilities and be confident in what I do. It’s an honour to do both passing and digging for the team and it can only get better from here,” said a beaming Lily.

Despite this being her first national team appearance, the 18-year-old has defied all odds to lead USA to the quarterfinals where the European bronze medalists Italy await them. Their path to the quarterfinals has been as challenging and draining in equal measure.

Of all the quarterfinalists, it’s only USA who have faced three five-set thrillers—against Poland, Bulgaria and Germany. While they lost twice to their Pool C opponents, Bulgaria and Poland, their latest five-set contest ended in victory for the Americans who edged out Germany 3-2 in the Round of 16 on Tuesday night.

“As defending champions, we really know that everyone wants to beat us. We have to play at a higher level despite not having trained as a team for long. These tough matches have shown us what we need to do to win this World Championship,” observed Lily, the first born in a family of three.

“We have only played together for like two weeks now and that’s what makes our team special. We are able to come together because we all have this great ability to play volleyball and make the best out of it. It’s all about building on that and try bring back another title home,” she underlined.

Looking forward into the future, Lily sees herself playing professional volleyball in Italy and donning the USA jersey at major competitions such as the FIVB World Championships and Olympic Games.

But first things first. She recently joined University of Florida on scholarship and is fired up for her National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) league debut next season.

“Playing against the best in the world (here in Osijek) has been awesome preparation for what I will face in the NCAA because I will be playing against even older girls,” said Lily.

What a ‘swaggerific’ debut it will be, if she first dons the Gators jersey as world champion!