‘Calming the chaos’: Graduate Transfer Josie Halbleib Leads Loyola

Graduate right side hitter and setter Josie Halbleib is using her last year of eligibility at Loyola after playing at Kansas State University for a year and Missouri State University for three. Halbleib said she never expected to end up at three different schools, but always kept close watch of Loyola’s volleyball team. 

“It’s somewhere I always wanted to be,” Halbleib said. “When I was at Missouri State or Kansas State, I always followed the team very closely.” 

Halbleib committed to Kansas State early in high school before the current rule was put in place where coaches can’t contact potential recruits until their junior year. The first-year class she entered with mostly entered the transfer portal because Kansas State’s head coach — and main recruiter for the athletes — was fired, according to Halbleib.

Halbleib said it was a weird experience to be committed to Kansas State since high school, but only be there for a semester, not even seeing playing time as a redshirt.

The switch from Kansas State to Missouri State was different, according to Halbleib because the transfer happened in 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic was still extremely prevalent. Halbleib said the friendships she made at Missouri State are bonds for life, but she wanted to use her final year of eligibility to gain a new experience. 

After her senior season, Halbleib had to grow from her lack of playing time which ultimately led her to Loyola. 

“My past season, I had just had really weird years,” Halbleib said. “I came in feeling very confident and a team captain and felt like I was in a good place just to get beat down and not play at all.” 

The first time head coach Amanda Berkley heard of Halbleib was when she first entered the transfer portal when Loyola was looking for a setter. She was also friends with previous players Karlie McNabb and Olivia Lovett. Berkley heard from McNabb and Lovett about the positive qualities Halbleib had, which piqued the coaching staff’s interest. 

The recruitment process was quick. Halbleib texted Berkley to let her know she was back in the portal and interested in playing at Loyola. They had a phone call, she came over winter break for an in-person visit and committed on her car ride back home. 

“On the way back, I was trying to think of a con,” Halbleib said. “I am always a very indecisive person, where I want to see everything first. My dad and I were talking, and he told me every other school I was looking at was farther away from home and was not the right program. So I literally committed on the way home.” 

Berkley said the recruiting process was easy for them because Halbleib knew what she wanted, and they were ready to give her an offer after her first visit. The coaching staff wasn’t sure what role she would play, but they knew they had a versatile player who was left-handed with good hands and a strong arm. 

Halbleib has an impact on the court due to the versatility for which she was recruited. Any given day she could be asked to block, swing, set or even play defense at some points. She’s having to do a lot for the team and fill in the gaps where it’s needed. 

The experience Halbleib brings to the young team is what allows some younger players to look up to her and see her as a leader, Berkley said. Having experience from two other programs brings a different perspective to the team. Berkley said it’s nice to have someone who has preexisting experience and understands the game of volleyball at a high level. 

Halbleib described herself as a steady presence who focuses less on strict rules and more on making the game fun. Berkely reasserted her ability to decrease the disarray on the court.

“She’s definitely a steady person,” Berkley said. “We are still learning and growing how to play together, but she is definitely someone who is a calm player and can calm the chaos.”  

Halbleib said she always figured she would play volleyball in college because she was tall and both her parents played at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Halbleib said her parents made her left-handed growing up, so she could be a left-handed setter. 

Throughout her volleyball career, she has become a more confident player and person. 

“I feel like I have complete faith in myself,” Halbleib said. “Beyond that, I am playing with coaches and players who have complete faith in me. My emotions don’t determine how a coach makes me feel or how another team makes me feel.” 

Before committing to volleyball full-time, Halbleib was a competitive dancer. There was a brief stint where Halbleib considered pursuing dance instead of volleyball, but once she got into high school, she went all in with volleyball. 

She wanted to be a Rockette growing up but didn’t meet the height requirement, needing to be between 5 ‘9 and 5’ 11. Halbleib — standing at 6 ‘1 — was heartbroken when her dream couldn’t come true. 

Berkley describes Halbleib as goofy at times, but always a team player and unproblematic. 

“I think she’s a team player and a good person,” Berkley said. “When I talked to [McNabb] she was very excited about Josie [Halbleib] joining the program. Another thing about her is she’s maybe the most unproblematic person, which is a great quality to have.”

Halbleib and the Ramblers take on Davidson University Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.. Streaming has yet to be announced.