By Josh Sadlock
Photo Courtesy of Alana Taylor
The Lafayette Women’s Volleyball Team took a step forward this season, doubling its win total from five to ten.
Two-sport athlete Alana Taylor ‘12 played no small role in the turnaround.
One of the tallest players on the team, Taylor used her 6’1″ height to full advantage on the court.
“Alana has a strong net presence. She has the ability to see the other side of the court and make smart offensive decisions,” Head Coach Terri Dadio-Campbell said. “She is also a strong blocker for us.”
Taylor’s last volleyball season was a memorable one. The Leopards proved they could be competitive with the league’s best teams, American, Army and Lehigh.
“We played our best at the end of the year, both the team and myself,” Taylor said, “It all came together the last couple weekends of the season.”
Although the volleyball season has come to an end, Taylor and the seniors will continue to be a part of the program. During the spring, they plan to join the team in playing pick-up games, continuing to help the underclassmen improve.
“This team is so funny,” Taylor said, “I am really going to miss the laughter and camaraderie.”
Unlike the rest of the seniors on the volleyball team, however, Alana Taylor’s athletic career at Lafayette is not over. She has already begun the transition to track and field where she is a standout javelin thrower.
As Taylor returns from shoulder surgery, she hopes to return to the level she reached during her sophomore season. Her 2010 spring season was one of the most successful in school history, as she won the Patriot League title and advanced to the first round of the NCAA national championships.
Being a year-round student-athlete has not held Taylor back in the classroom. She has balanced her athletic career with a major in psychology and a minor in anthropology and sociology.
She is extremely interested in the biologic aspects of psychology. Her interest in neuroscience has led her to pursue a research opportunity studying the effects of ADHD on motor skills.
An avid traveler, Taylor has also ventured abroad to further her education. She spent the spring semester last year studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Taylor spent several months living on Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the biggest avenues in the world, while spending her weekends traveling across South America.
She was able to visit Patagonia, Iguazu Falls — one of the largest waterfalls in the world — and Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan city and the Argentine wine country. While abroad, Taylor worked at an after-school program and developed her Spanish speaking skills.
With graduation approaching, Taylor hopes to continue her education in her home state of Oregon. A life-long Ducks fan, she hopes to take advantage of the excellent research opportunities provided by such a large school.
