Eastern Washington University Athletics

Eastern Washington Athletics Hall of Famer Hayley Hills returned to Cheney and the Eastern Washington volleyball program in 2026, joining head coach Jon Haruguchi’s staff. Hills brings more than a decade of coaching experience to Reese Court along with one of the most decorated playing careers in program history.

Hills most recently served as the first assistant coach at Cal Poly Humboldt from 2022-25. Prior to joining the Lumberjacks, she began her first stint on the Eastern coaching staff as a graduate assistant in 2021 before moving into an interim assistant coaching role in 2022.

Before returning to the collegiate ranks, Hills spent six seasons with the East Kootenay Volleyball Club in Cranbrook, British Columbia, coaching the U15, U16, U17 and U18 programs from 2015-20. Her U18 team captured the Canadian Division 2 national championship in 2017.

Hills also worked with Volleyball Canada as a head coach at its Centre of Excellence in Kamloops, British Columbia, from 2012-14, training and developing athletes across multiple ages and skill levels. She began her collegiate coaching career at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, serving as an assistant coach from 2011-13 and helping the program earn its first-ever playoff berth in 2012.

A native of Quesnel, British Columbia, Hills graduated from Correlieu Secondary in 2006 before beginning a standout four-year career at Eastern Washington.

From 2006-09, Hills helped the Eagles win 71 matches while posting a 46-18 record in Big Sky Conference play. She earned First Team All-Big Sky honors three consecutive seasons and was named the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player as a junior in 2008.

Hills was one of just nine players in Big Sky history at the time to earn first-team all-conference honors at least three times. She was also named to the Big Sky All-Tournament Team in 2008 after helping Eastern advance to the conference championship match.

Her 2008 season stands among the best offensive campaigns in program history. Hills averaged 4.58 kills per set, leading the Big Sky and ranking eighth among NCAA Division I players. She totaled 490 kills that season as Eastern finished 18-11 overall and 12-4 in conference play to capture the Big Sky regular-season championship.

Hills finished her Eastern career with 1,428 kills, ranking second in program history at the conclusion of her career. Her career average of 3.85 kills per set also ranks among the best marks in the EWU record book.

She recorded at least 20 kills in a match 23 times during her career, including a program-record stretch of seven consecutive 20-kill performances in 2007. Hills twice recorded 30 kills in a match and produced 491 kills as a sophomore before adding 490 during her Big Sky MVP campaign as a junior.

As a senior in 2009, Hills led Eastern with 375 kills, averaging 3.50 per set to rank fourth in the Big Sky. She also finished second on the team with 292 digs and averaged 2.73 digs per set.

Hills earned Big Sky Player of the Week honors six times during her Eastern career, including four selections during her MVP season in 2008. She was also recognized as EWU's Scholar-Athlete of the Month and earned CVU.com Honorable Mention Stellar Spiker recognition in 2008.

Her impact extended beyond individual accolades. During Hills’ final three seasons, Eastern posted a 26-6 record at Reese Court, including a 19-3 home record over her final two campaigns.

In recognition of her accomplishments and lasting impact on the program, Hills was inducted into the Eastern Washington Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025.

Hills earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies from Eastern Washington in 2010. Her return to Cheney brings her career full circle, combining extensive coaching experience with a deep connection to the Eastern Washington volleyball program.