Taylor signs on at Indian Hills

With a successful high school career beginning to wind down, Fairfield?s Chelsey Taylor is ready to start moving on.

Wednesday morning, she took the first step in that direction as she signed a letter of intent to play volleyball for Indian Hills Community College and head coach Terry Carlson.

?I?ve heard it is a good school education-wise and I would like to stay close to home,? Taylor said. ?I feel like I?ll be a part of a close team, just like we were here at Fairfield ? it should be a good experience.?

?I like to recruit good kids, and that?s what Chelsey is, so I know I won?t have to worry about other things,? Carlson said. ?She has come over to work out with us a couple times already, and she surprised me with how easy she fit in and how supportive she was of everybody.?

This past fall, Taylor started for a Trojan team that ended its season with a school-record 34 wins with just six losses and a berth in the Class 3A state tournament. A team captain her senior season, Taylor was a part of three straight SEC championship teams that went 24-0 in conference games during that stretch.

?She?s coming from a successful program, and I like kids like that because they know what it takes to win,? said Carlson. ?With what coach [Nancy] Diers has done with the program over the years, she knows what it takes to be successful, and she knows the fundamentals so we?re not going to have to correct things. I expect her to bring that winning attitude onto the floor right away.?

In 2008, Taylor was a one size fits all type of player for the Trojans as she led the team with 54 ace serves, was second on the team in digs with 298 and third on the team in blocks with 38. She doesn?t expect to put up those kinds of numbers at the next level, but is willing to fill any role Carlson and Indian Hills might need.

?I?ll probably be looked at to play in the back row, which is a little different because I was all over the place in high school,? she said. ?I?m looking forward to trying to be a defensive specialist this year and the years to come.?

For complete story, read the Wednesday, March 18, 2009 Fairfield Ledger.