In early September, senior Hayden Honchul committed to Central State University for men’s volleyball.  Hayden has been a part of EHS volleyball since his freshman year and he loves the game and the community. 

 “I started playing volleyball because my mom convinced me.  She inspired me to play. I wasn’t doing too good in basketball or football so I figured I might as well try it,” Hayden said.

Hayden really enjoys the sport of volleyball and feels blessed his mom inspired him to play.  While relatively new to volleyball, Hayden is still learning the game and uses his club experience to supplement the EHS team.  

“The community, especially at Cincinnati Attack, everybody knows everybody, I’m still learning stuff.  I was brought in instantly.  Everybody loved me and it was such a fun community to be a part of since we all love the game of volleyball.” Hayden said.  “The same thing at Edgewood with Mr.Blair, he’s outgoing, with a social type personality. His coaching style makes it more fun to enjoy the sport with him,” Honchul said.

Hayden loves his teammates and coaches who helped him get to where he is now.  One of his teammates is Jonah Combs, a senior who’s also a good friend of Haydens.  They have played volleyball together since freshman year. Hayden even introduced Jonah to club volleyball and they now play at the same club.

“I’m really excited about Hayden committing to play volleyball for Central State.  I know he has worked hard to achieve this goal and he definitely deserves it,” Combs said.  

Combs recalls a favorite volleyball memory with Hayden.  

“I remember when we were playing Dayton Carroll my sophomore year and they were ranked 10th in the state but we were keeping up with them but still losing. In the last set on game point Hayden got one of his best kills ever and yelled “GIMMIE THAT”.  Then he went to serve and it went right in the net. It was the funniest thing I’ve seen in volleyball,” Combs said.  

Hayden appreciates the competition and loves playing schools that give him and his team a challenge. 

“When I started researching colleges, Central State stood out to me because they’re D2, they play a lot of big D1 and D2 schools,” Hayden said.

Another great teammate and friend of Haydens is Gage Taggart.  He is a senior and has played with Hayden since freshman year. 

“I feel very proud of him, he has put in a lot of hard work and if anyone deserves it, Haydens the guy. Also I’m honored to play alongside him,” Taggart said.

Hayden is extremely excited for this achievement and is looking forward to a different environment.  

“I was surprised that when I reached out to them they reached out back.  I was reaching out to them for a while and got the opportunity,” Hayden said.

Gage and Jonah enjoy the game of volleyball, but Hayden makes them love it even more.

“If I was to describe Hayden as a volleyball player in a couple words it would be, smart, loud, aggressive, techie and fun.  Overall Hayden is an outstanding player,” Gage said.

“Hayden is the type of volleyball player you want to have on your team. He always brings the energy on and off the court and can always make you smile even if you’re getting blown out. Hayden is also great to have as a middle, he always pulls the blocks so I, or any other hitter can get an open net with no block,” Jonah said.

Hayden is excited for the college academics as well as the volleyball program. He loves what he’s seen so far at Central State and is thrilled to see more.  

“Everything about it was perfect, their location, scholarship, the opportunity, everything was perfect.” Hayden said.

Jonah and Gage have both gone to school with Hayden their entire life and know his habits well.

“Hayden always pushes himself in school.” Jonah said.

“Hayden is a wonderful student. I’ve known him all my life and he’s always challenging himself with AP, CCP and other difficult classes.” Gage said.

Overall this is an outstanding accomplishment for Hayden Honchul.  His family and friends couldn’t be happier for him, and he couldn’t be more relaxed for the rest of his senior year.

“I feel relaxed, for the past year and a half I’ve been making highlight reels, reaching out to colleges trying to get some attention,” Hayden said.

“To be able to finally be committed and just play volleyball feels amazing.  I don’t have to worry about looking good for people or any other coaches.  Being able to just work on my game and communicate with others feels good,” Hayden said.