Cal Poly volleyball freshman Taylor Nelson was recently named PrepVolleyball.com’s National (Senior) Player of the Year
Kassi Luja
[follow id = “KassiLuja”]
The Cal Poly volleyball team welcomed a new addition to its squad this past January — and she isn’t your average player.
Freshman setter Taylor Nelson was recently named PrepVolleyball.com’s National (Senior) Player of the Year, along with other accolades, such as the 2013-14 Gatorade California Volleyball Player of the Year and 2013 USA Today High School Sports All-American.
“It’s a huge honor and (it) feels good to see hard work (paying off), but I know I still have a lot of work left to do,” she said.
Head coach Sam Crosson attributed these awards to her hard work and sacrifice.
“I think Cal Poly is her dream school, and we’re fortunate enough to have her,” he said.
The 6-foot setter hails from Granite Bay High School, where she graduated a semester early and garnered 996 assists, 192 kills, 135 digs, 90 service aces and 61 blocks this past season alone.
Now, the redshirt freshman has found a new family on the court.
Nelson committed to Cal Poly her sophomore year of high school. She only looked at a few schools, including UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara, because she knew Cal Poly was where she wanted to call home, she said.
“We have an amazing coaching staff,” Nelson said. “I got to know some of the players before we got here. I just fell in love with the campus and the community.”
Crosson said Nelson was proactive during the recruitment process.
“We like recruiting players who like to be at Cal Poly besides just volleyball,” he said. “We thought she was a very skilled player that we’d like to have on our program.”
Nelson’s love for Cal Poly stems from her parents. Both her mother and father played sports at Cal Poly: her mother, volleyball; her father, baseball.
Though the season doesn’t begin until August, Nelson has been training with the team every day. She will also be a member of the sand volleyball team in spring.
The Mustangs wrapped up the 2013 season with a 6-10 conference record and tied for fifth place in Big West Conference play. The team lost six senior players this past season, including then-outside hitter Megan McConnell, who led the team with 3.11 kills per set.
Nelson now has the opportunity to make a name for herself on the court. The awards she received were a good way to wrap up her high school career, she said, but she’s ready to move forward and set new goals.