Hayes Finishing Career On High Note

BOULDER - Life doesn't always go as planned.

That is true in the case of senior opposite Joslyn Hayes. In 2014, she had earned a starting spot for the Buffs and was making some headway before suffering a stress fracture in her left fibula against Utah on Sept. 25, which ultimately ended her season.

To some athletes, this could be devastating, but as Hayes looks back on it, she says i?t was a blessing in disguise.

"Obviously I was incredibly frustrated because I was starting and I was on my way to really start contributing to the team, so that was pretty rough," she said. "But it turned into a blessing because I found another way to contribute to the team, which was being vocal and supportive. It was really frustrating at first, but then I realized I was going to have my shot later."
She went on to add, "I would not be on this team if that had not happened and this is an amazing team. I would not want it any other way."
Hayes is truly the type of athlete that every coach wants of their team. When Colorado head coach Jesse Mahoney arrived on campus in December of 2015 to take over the reins of the program, Hayes was the first athlete he met. After a brief chat with her, it became very evident to Mahoney that she had a lot of love for her program.

"I could tell she had a lot of passion for the program and really wanted to make sure in her time her that she was part of getting the program to where she wanted it to be," Mahoney said.

A natural born leader, Hayes had been an intricately part of the team, both on and off the court. Her teammates know and trust what she has to say. According to Mahoney, her teammates have a lot of trust in her and can take criticism from her and feel good about what she is saying.

Her hard work hasn't gone un-noticed. Over the summer, she spent extra time in the weight room, adding more muscle, which has helped her become more of a force on the court.

"In the two years that I have been here and have had the opportunity to coach her, she is one of the most focused and conscious of working harder to get better in practice," Mahoney said. "If you look at her from her freshman year to this year, she has really remade her body and has become a much more physical player. She is hitting the ball harder and is playing the ball higher. She is the type of kid who holds everyone accountable in practice and in matches."
After five years of hard work, Hayes is definitely seeing the fruits of her labor. She is having her best season yet and was recently named to the All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention team. Hayes had recorded 229 kills and 83 blocks.

"It took me five years, but I'm glad I got to stick around to get that because it was very humbling," she said."
"There are matches where Jos' number has been called and she's been fantastic and there are matches where we maybe don't call on her as much," Mahoney said. "She is the type of kid who figures out what her role is and she wants to help the team however she can. I think that is really what she has done for us this season. She adds in our team culture and that is just as important as kills and blocks."
The 22-9 Buffs advanced to the 2017 NCAA Tournament and will face off against James Madison on Friday at 3:30 p.m. MT. Hayes' previous NCAA Tournament experience will be quite helpful although her role in the 2013 and 2014 marches were very different.

Both of those seasons, she was more of a cheerleader, trying to keep her teammates upbeat, positive and inspired. This year, Hayes will play a much larger role on the court, especially with her previous experience at this level. She knows first-hand that in this win or go home situation, the pressure is high.

That kind of leadership cannot be taught. And it's one of the reasons Hayes is a two-time captain. She's someone that everyone can connect with and when she talks, her teammates listen.

"I think what makes Jos special is that she has such good relationships with everybody," Mahoney said. "Every kid, every class, she is the type of kid that everyone looks to for support because they do have a lot of trust in her. She is certainly a leader for us on and off the court."
As her time winds down at CU, Hayes can look back fondly on every year. But this season definitely holds a special place in her heart.

"I don't want to take away from any of the other teams I've been on, but this team has definitely been so inspiring and so motivating and is a team I'm so proud and happy to be a part of. I'm so blessed to be here with these people. They really make it worth it," she said.
When asked what she is going to miss the most, her answer did not surprise, "My teammates, 100%. Being on a team is such a unique environment. Moving on out of that is probably what scares me the most."
Hayes will graduate in December with a degree in communication and plans to return to California. It's safe to say that after the last five seasons and all of her accomplishments on and off the court, her shoes will not be so easily filled.

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