University of Georgia Athletics
UGA Volleyball freshman outside hitter Estelle Haugen with brothers Isaac, Luka, and Truman. Truman plays for the UGA Ice Dawgs.
Haugen Continues Family Legacy of Playing Collegiate Athletics
November 14, 2022 | Volleyball
ATHENS, Ga. — Family and sports have always been pillars in the life of freshman Estelle Haugen, an outside hitter on the women's volleyball team from Excelsior, Minnesota. For the Haugen family, family and sports go hand-in-hand with all six members of her immediate family playing some form of collegiate athletics, as well as many members of her extended family.
At the University of Georgia, Haugen is currently competing in her rookie season on the women's volleyball team and her triplet brother, Truman Haugen, is a member of the Ice Dawgs, the men's club ice hockey team at UGA.
Although Estelle committed to UGA toward the end of her junior year of high school, Truman did not make the decision to come to Georgia until the end of their senior year. Now that they are both in Athens, the siblings find comfort in having each other so close despite being so far from home.
"Truman didn't decide [to attend Georgia] until the night that you had to make a college decision," Haugen said. "I was freaking out. Then he decided and I cried. I was so happy and he's my best friend here. I see him three times a day. It's a super fun experience. I love that he's here."
While Estelle and Truman have each other to lean on in college, things feel different for the pair without their other triplet, Issac, who goes to school at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
"It's been very hard for both me and my brother here and [Issac]," Haugen said. "Since it's a four-hour drive, he'll come down every two weeks so it's pretty good. It's been a change just because it's always been us three together so it's a different way of life."
Like his brother Truman, Issac has been playing hockey his entire life. His college of choice, Belmont University, does not have a hockey team. Nonetheless, Issac has found a way to continue playing hockey in college by practicing with the Vanderbilt University men's club hockey team.
Despite all three triplets being across the country from their home state of Minnesota, the Haugen siblings have not had to deal with too much homesickness, at least when it comes to missing their parents. John and Linda Haugen have made it their priority to continue to be at all three siblings' matches and games to support their children at the collegiate level.
"My parents are down here every two weeks," Haugen said. "They do not want to miss anything. That's how they've been with all my siblings. There're a few games they'll watch online, but for the most part, they're down here supporting me. I can't even say that I miss my parents a ton because they're here so much. Having them here has been such a great thing, especially transitioning into college."
One reason why John and Linda Haugen may make so much of an effort to continue to support their children in-person at their sporting events is because both parents played collegiate athletics themselves.
John Haugen played hockey at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, while Linda Haugen ran track at Minnesota State University.
Even with the fact that both parents played their sport at the next level, Estelle explains that she did not feel pressure to continue in the footsteps of her parents since they always encouraged her to play sports because she loved them and not because anyone else wanted her to.
"I would say my parents are probably as chill as they come," Haugen said. "They raised me in a house of, 'Let's play sports, let's be active,' that type of thing, but they never were too intense. It was a great environment because I learned to do what I want because I love it rather than being forced into it. I think that's helped going into college sports because it's all about if you love the sport or not. They had a good culture about it, wanting me to be involved in sports, but not to the point where I'm only in it because of them."
It is remarkable that all four Haugen children have the ability and drive to play collegiate sports in one way or another - Haugen's older brother, Lukas, plays hockey at St. Olaf College. Estelle credits this to her parents' encouragement and a culture of sports and healthy competition in their family and home life.
"I think the first thing that comes to my mind is the support my parents had for us," Haugen said. "They were willing and blessed to be able to send us to good clubs and really good training, which definitely helps us excel. I also think it was just the four of us. We would compete with each other, whether it was a backyard game or anything, and I think we fed off of each other in the sense that we grew more competitive and wanted to strive to be a very competitive athlete in our family."
It is not just Estelle's immediate family. Her extended family also has a passion for and history of playing sports in college. Three of Estelle's cousins play collegiate women's volleyball and serve as an inspiration for Estelle to play at a competitive level as well.
"I think the family culture was competitive, but it was also very supportive," Haugen said. "I think that's what flourished and why we were all able to succeed."
Flourish is a good word to describe Estelle within the UGA women's volleyball program as she continues her family's legacy of playing collegiate athletics. In the first few months of her rookie season, Haugen has already had an impact on the team and has held her own as a true freshman.
"You can always dream of how you're going to start your freshman year, but you don't really know how it's actually going to fold out," Haugen said of her freshman season thus far. "I've learned to trust God and let him take control of what my future here is going to look like, and even my freshman year. I'm learning to have high expectations for myself, but also give myself grace. I think to be able to go out on the court and make an impact in any way I can is such a huge blessing at this level."
At the University of Georgia, Haugen is currently competing in her rookie season on the women's volleyball team and her triplet brother, Truman Haugen, is a member of the Ice Dawgs, the men's club ice hockey team at UGA.
Although Estelle committed to UGA toward the end of her junior year of high school, Truman did not make the decision to come to Georgia until the end of their senior year. Now that they are both in Athens, the siblings find comfort in having each other so close despite being so far from home.
"Truman didn't decide [to attend Georgia] until the night that you had to make a college decision," Haugen said. "I was freaking out. Then he decided and I cried. I was so happy and he's my best friend here. I see him three times a day. It's a super fun experience. I love that he's here."
While Estelle and Truman have each other to lean on in college, things feel different for the pair without their other triplet, Issac, who goes to school at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
"It's been very hard for both me and my brother here and [Issac]," Haugen said. "Since it's a four-hour drive, he'll come down every two weeks so it's pretty good. It's been a change just because it's always been us three together so it's a different way of life."
Like his brother Truman, Issac has been playing hockey his entire life. His college of choice, Belmont University, does not have a hockey team. Nonetheless, Issac has found a way to continue playing hockey in college by practicing with the Vanderbilt University men's club hockey team.
Despite all three triplets being across the country from their home state of Minnesota, the Haugen siblings have not had to deal with too much homesickness, at least when it comes to missing their parents. John and Linda Haugen have made it their priority to continue to be at all three siblings' matches and games to support their children at the collegiate level.
"My parents are down here every two weeks," Haugen said. "They do not want to miss anything. That's how they've been with all my siblings. There're a few games they'll watch online, but for the most part, they're down here supporting me. I can't even say that I miss my parents a ton because they're here so much. Having them here has been such a great thing, especially transitioning into college."
One reason why John and Linda Haugen may make so much of an effort to continue to support their children in-person at their sporting events is because both parents played collegiate athletics themselves.
John Haugen played hockey at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, while Linda Haugen ran track at Minnesota State University.
Even with the fact that both parents played their sport at the next level, Estelle explains that she did not feel pressure to continue in the footsteps of her parents since they always encouraged her to play sports because she loved them and not because anyone else wanted her to.
"I would say my parents are probably as chill as they come," Haugen said. "They raised me in a house of, 'Let's play sports, let's be active,' that type of thing, but they never were too intense. It was a great environment because I learned to do what I want because I love it rather than being forced into it. I think that's helped going into college sports because it's all about if you love the sport or not. They had a good culture about it, wanting me to be involved in sports, but not to the point where I'm only in it because of them."
It is remarkable that all four Haugen children have the ability and drive to play collegiate sports in one way or another - Haugen's older brother, Lukas, plays hockey at St. Olaf College. Estelle credits this to her parents' encouragement and a culture of sports and healthy competition in their family and home life.
"I think the first thing that comes to my mind is the support my parents had for us," Haugen said. "They were willing and blessed to be able to send us to good clubs and really good training, which definitely helps us excel. I also think it was just the four of us. We would compete with each other, whether it was a backyard game or anything, and I think we fed off of each other in the sense that we grew more competitive and wanted to strive to be a very competitive athlete in our family."
It is not just Estelle's immediate family. Her extended family also has a passion for and history of playing sports in college. Three of Estelle's cousins play collegiate women's volleyball and serve as an inspiration for Estelle to play at a competitive level as well.
"I think the family culture was competitive, but it was also very supportive," Haugen said. "I think that's what flourished and why we were all able to succeed."
Flourish is a good word to describe Estelle within the UGA women's volleyball program as she continues her family's legacy of playing collegiate athletics. In the first few months of her rookie season, Haugen has already had an impact on the team and has held her own as a true freshman.
"You can always dream of how you're going to start your freshman year, but you don't really know how it's actually going to fold out," Haugen said of her freshman season thus far. "I've learned to trust God and let him take control of what my future here is going to look like, and even my freshman year. I'm learning to have high expectations for myself, but also give myself grace. I think to be able to go out on the court and make an impact in any way I can is such a huge blessing at this level."
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