Burlington senior overcomes tragedy, injury, signs with D1 UWM

Taylor still strong one year after father’s death

 

 

By Mike Ramczyk

Sports Editor

The odds were stacking.

Last spring, Burlington senior Teagan Taylor suffered a back injury during club volleyball season that put her on the shelf for six months.

At the time, it seemed very unlikely the 17-year-old would be able to realize here lifelong dream of playing college volleyball, let alone experience her high school season with the Demons.

But adversity was nothing new to this extremely strong young woman.

A year ago, Teagan’s father Mark lost a sudden bout with cancer. He was 50 years old.

For three straight months from last September to December, Teagan’s daily routine consisted of school, a hospital visit, volleyball practice, back to the hospital, dinner, another hospital visit and then sleep.

A little back pain wasn’t going to stop her. She eventually healed and was ready for the high school season. Early in the campaign, Division 1 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Suzy Johnson sought out the talented libero.

Taylor couldn’t help but think the values and work ethic learned from her father helped out with what she called a “miracle.”

“Oh, God,” Taylor said in recent interview. “He would definitely be extremely proud of me. He will always be a part of us and a part of our lives.”
Teagan recently signed a letter of intent to play for the Panthers next year.

The Standard Press sat down with Teagan at Burlington High School to discuss the way her life has changed in the past year and her future.

 

SP: How does it feel to know you’re playing college volleyball?

TT: I’m very excited. It’s been a childhood dream. I started the season not knowing if I could play my high school season because I sprained my lower back during club season. I was out all summer and couldn’t do anything. I did a lot of rehab and went to numerous chiropractic appointments every week.

I was out of volleyball for six months.

 

SP: Was it your first time missing volleyball?

TT: I started club in eighth grade. It was really hard to not do anything, I couldn’t even work out. Playing is also my stress reliever. I sat out the rest of club season to play high school. I worked for so many years to play high school my senior year.

 

SP: At one point were you back to your normal self?

TT: The week after high school season started. My physical therapist realized it wasn’t just my back, but my ankle and knee. She fixed all that. It was really weird. We thought it was a sprain or tear, but I lucked out.

 

SP: How did UWM come together?

TT: They contacted me this season in September. It’s very unusual. A lot of recruiting is during junior year club season. You can’t sign until your senior year. But I was hurt, so I didn’t think I’d be playing college volleyball or even high school ball.

It was a true miracle that I got this. I worked my butt off all season to be the best player I could be. The coach, Suzy Johnson, lives between Burlington and Rochester and just moved here. She came to a conference game early in the season and contacted Teri.

After a practice, Teri told me, so I emailed that I was interested. My brothers Tell and Ty both go there. It’s close to home. I already know Milwaukee, and I know the campus and people who go there. It was the perfect situation.

SP: Was there other college interest?

TT: Milwaukee was really my only option. My only decision was to play or stop. After the state tournament, I knew I couldn’t stop after the way it ended. I can’t end on that note.

I applied to a few other places and got into all of them. La Crosse had my degree, and I would’ve gone there if I didn’t play volleyball.

 

SP: What’s your goal for your freshman year?

TT: I’m a preferred walk-on. I don’t receive money my first year. I get scholarship my next two years. They rotate their liberos every two years. It’s not easy to recruit liberos, and there aren’t that many. It’s easier to turn a player into a libero.

 

SP: How are you feeling about the high school season three weeks after your tough state loss?

TT: I’m not missing it, I’m just realizing, like wow, I’m never playing high school again. It’s not like we had a break. We had club tryouts last week. I tried out for juniors and Club W at the Rec Plex in Pleasant Prairie. I opted to play for Club W.

With UWM, you have an option to play summer beach leagues. Once I graduate, I will do those with my teammates in the summer. It will give me more practice, so I will miss nationals.

 

SP: Why did you get into volleyball?

TT: My family has always been athletic. Since I was little, I’ve played. I went to St. Mary’s for grade school, after we moved back to Wisconsin from Michigan, and they pushed playing every sport and seeing what you like. I played volleyball, basketball, track and softball.

My mom played college volleyball, and she coached me fifth through eighth grade. In eighth grade, I played Burlington Elite, and I eventually played with Wiscosin Juniors. I’ve always been a libero, but I started as a setter at St. Mary’s.

 

SP: It’s been a year since your father’s passing. What has changed since then?

TT: My junior year, we found out he had cancer at the beginning of volleyball season. It took us by storm, and we kept it low-key. I’d go from school to the hospital, go home, go to volleyball, go back to the hospital, talk to him, dinner, homework, hospital and finally home. I did that every day. I only had time to do everything I needed to do. I’d even visit him before school.

Volleyball was my release. I didn’t really tell my teammates or coaches. By October, people started figuring it out because my dad would come to tournaments.

When the season ended, in mid-November, it got worse. Then, on Dec. 9, he passed away.

He would always say, “Don’t let it be a deterrant, let it be your motivator.” He loved the sport. He loved everything we loved. He wanted us to keep playing what we loved, and it allowed us to connect with him in a way.

 

SP: How different is life now?

TT: It’s not easy, and it will never be easy. It’s still a hard

pill to swallow. It’s easier to cope with it. This is his dream for me. It’s my dream, but his dream was to have me go fulfill my dreams. I know he’s happy right now. It’s a huge relief for me.

Certain things will catch me off guard. At state, I knew he would’ve loved to see me play there. That was hard to not be able to talk to him about it. He was one to push me and to talk game plan. He could help me with certain parts of my game that nobody else could help me with.

 

SP: What do you think Mark would say right now knowing you are going to play college volleyball?

TT: Oh, God. He would definitely be extremely proud of me. He will always be a part of us and a part of our lives. We know what he would say and what he would think. Just because he’s not here doesn’t mean we don’t know his expectations.

My mom has been the key player to us making it through all this. She’s doing alright, I’m not going to say she’s doing well. She’s the strongest person I know. She pushes us. There’s some days we want to dig in a hole and never come out. She always says, “What would dad do or say,” or “Talk to dad.”

My brothers have some personalities directly from my dad. My mom and I will be talking and laugh because we know it was something dad would say.

They spent countless hours and dollars to let us play sports and do what we want. They always wondered what opportunities they could give us. We’re extremely blessed to have our parents.

 

SP: How will UWM work for you academically?

TT: It’s a five-year plan. I want to be a radiological tech based on what I went through last year. I knew it was what I wanted to do.

SP: What’s your dream job in 10 years?

TT: If I enjoy it, I would love to be at one of the big hospitals. I want to be in the area to be close to mom and the family. I’ve learned family is very important in the last year.

 

SP: With two state championships and five state appearances in six years, what is it like to play volleyball in Burlington?

TT: Every player, starter or not, has a key role. Every day, you are expected to do your job, whatever that is. From 15 years ago to now, it’s been a long, hard battle each year, and they don’t settle, ever.

We got third place in state this year, and so many teams would die for that, but we expect a state title now. Even in the offseason, we have expectations of each other like playing club and working hard.

I wasn’t going to injure myself during club junior year because I didn’t want to let down my high school teammates. We count on each other and win and lose as a team. We try to exceed expectations.

We need the coaches, community and players to succeed. We have it all.

 

SP: How do your balance school and volleyball?

TT: I’m just about a 4.0 student (3.98). It’s very stressful, but it’s easy to carry over the values from volleyball to the classroom. I’m expected to do well, and there aren’t excuses.

Balance is extremely key to being successful on and off the court. There’s time where I don’t want to do anything. For younger kids, all I can say that hard work is key. You may not get the spot on the team you want right away, but in the end, it will pay off. If you work hard, you’ll get something out of it.

Discipline on the court teaches discipline off the court. They go together. I don’t know how I did it last year. But I didn’t relax and blow off school or anything.

 

Meet Teagan Taylor

Volleyball is: a game I’ve worked to be successful in.

I’m playing college volleyball because: I love the game.

Favorite movie: “Sleepover”

Favorite song: country music

Pre-game food ritual? No, but Robyn (Robers) and I say a prayer before every match.

If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive, who would it be and why? My dad, I would take any second or minute with him.