What makes an athlete, or a celebrity in general, popular? Memorable performances, of course! But there’s one thing that makes them even more beloved among their fans. Seeing the stars away from their usual platform and letting their hair loose among the fans is something that makes them relatable characters. But seeing Haleigh Washington off the volleyball court is truly a sight to behold.

A two-time Olympic medalist, Washington is easily one of the most renowned faces in the country’s volleyball community and beyond. Her popularity only grows as the 29-year-old middle blocker lends her special skills to LOVB Salt Lake in the League One Volleyball. However, as she recently made her way to The Basement Yard Podcast show, her towering presence, literally, left a deeper mark among her fans.

Joe Santagato, host of the Basement Yard Podcast, went on Instagram on July 14 to gush over the Olympian’s appearance at the show. “Nothing could’ve prepared us for how tall @hales__storm was,” read the caption of the social media update, as the accompanying video shared glimpses of the volleyball star wooing the fans with her candor. As the hosts of the show, Santagato and Frank Alvarez, beckoned Washington to the stage, the athlete showed up with loud cheers from the audience.

Haleigh wasted no time in entertaining the crowd, in line with the show’s lucid nature, and greeted the hosts with two kisses on their heads. Yes, you read that right. The volleyball star stood towering over both Santagato and Alvarez, and her cheeky kisses made them look even smaller in front of the ex-Penn State athlete. Her presence was so overwhelming that Joe Santagato couldn’t help but ask, “How tall are you?” with genuine astonishment. “In these hells, I’m 6’10”,” replied Haleigh, who stands tall at 6’3″ barefoot.

After the introduction formalities, the show went on with its usual stuff, where the guests are given challenges or funny tasks to test their spirit. For Haleigh, her job was to flip cups upside-down. After a few failed attempts hunched over the low table, the volleyball sensation couldn’t help but note why she wasn’t being able to pull off the task. “It’s too low! I’m not built for this!” she said with squinted eyes. Alvarez had a solution off the top of his head.

“Take your fu***** stilts off,” the host suggested, but the volleyball star wasn’t one to pay heed. Instead, it seemed like to had taken offense at the suggestion. However, being the athlete she is, Haleigh quickly composed herself and went back to her challenge, and almost immediately found success. But the second cup was a tougher customer than the first. But she persevered.

All in all, it was what you’d expect the podcast to be: Fun, entertaining, and full of laughter. But don’t let her lucidity fool you. After all, Washington’s resume is enough to prove to anyone that her volleyball prowess is no laughing matter.

A storied career with a fun attitude

The Colorado native, apart from being a national team member, was also a prolific star in the NCAA volleyball circuit. A  3x All-American, Washington led er alma mater, Penn State, to the national championship in 2014 as a freshman. With a .463 hitting clip, 2.63 kills per set, and 96 blocks in 25 appearances in her rookie season, the middle blocker bagged the Big 10 Freshman of the Year award. In the national tournament that year, Washington consistently dished out phenomenal stats against some of the country’s top colleges, including UCLA, Wisconsin, and BYU.

After her collegiate career ended, it didn’t take long for Haleigh to get her name into the USA Volleyball roster. A member of the national team since 2018, her first big breakthrough came in 2018 when she won the Pan-American Cup in Santo Domingo. The next year, Washington won gold at the Volleyball Nations League with her national teammates and even bagged the best blocker award at the international tournament.

But her biggest achievement easily remains the coveted Olympic gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In the next edition of the event, Haleigh and Team USA failed to Italy and had to settle for silver. She currently plays for LOVB Salt Lake after years of playing in Italy as a pro. And despite her publicly known jibes at how pro volleyball leagues are growing in the States, it seems like Haleigh is quite enjoying herself in her new shoes!