Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Taylor Pippen, Saluki Volleyball's silent leader
10/23/2014 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
By Chelsea Cunningham
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - It's 7 p.m. at Davies Gym and head coach Justin Ingram is giving the volleyball team his last few words of encouragement. The team huddles together and prepares to make an explosive start in the first set.
Junior Taylor Pippen, the starting middle blocker for the Saluki volleyball team, readies herself for her first attack of the match. Alex Rivera, senior libero, passes an accurate dig to sophomore setter Hannah Kaminsky. Kaminsky sets Pippen on the quick set. Pippen nails it to the right back corner. The crowd cheers and the Salukis huddle in excitement.
However, many people may be surprised to see that Pippen - one of SIU's most dominant and dependable players - barely utters a word when she's in the zone.
"I'd say I've always been the quiet type during any sport or activity that I've done," she said. "I've never really been that loud leader, I just try to lead through my actions."
While the team focuses heavily on strong communication, Pippen doesn't think that a leader needs to be obnoxiously loud or in everyone's faces.
"I think that we have certain people on our team that will be that person. They'll get really fired up and be that loud individual. But personally, I'm one that kind of leads through example. I'm quieter, but I think that it can also be helpful through people watching me," said Pippen.
Before settling her feet on the volleyball court, Pippen danced as a ballerina for 11 years. She made the difficult decision to pursue volleyball instead of dance during her freshman year of high school. Although she hasn't danced in six years, Pippen has transferred her calm, cool and collected dancer attitude to volleyball.
"A lot of the moves that you perform in ballet are all about balance. It's a very strict and specific way to move," said Pippen. "Learning balance definitely helps me on the court with blocking. With our blocking system, we have to be ready to move at each moment."
Pippen's application of balance is not only physical, though. Although it can be difficult being a Division I student athlete, Pippen makes sure to balance her schoolwork with athletics. She likes to stay focused so that all of her obligations work together in harmony.
"I like to keep a schedule and write everything down so I know everything that I need to get done," she said. "With having a schedule, I'm able to not be as flustered and not be as stressed."
As she balances the stressors and chaos of being a student-athlete, Pippen is grateful to have a role model like her mother, Sonya Martin, who helped shape the person she has become today. Martin raised Pippen and her two younger siblings, Briana and Brian, by herself.
"She always pushed me to do well in school, and with my athletics. Through her, I've just been really hard on myself, and I push myself," said Pippen.
Pippen has racked up a few accolades in the three years she's played for the Salukis. Some of her accomplishments include making the MVC All Freshmen Team in 2012 and First Team All-MVC and First Team MVC Scholar-Athlete in 2013. Pippen is hitting a .420 hitting percentage for the season and .327 for all of her seasons combined.
At 9-12, the Salukis' season has not started off the way the team had hoped, but Pippen and the Salukis are pushing through every game so that they can reach the team goal.
"We are still working out the kinks to be more consistent with our playing," Pippen said. "We still want to go to the conference tournament and win it." Although she may not be as loud as others on the team, Pippen doesn't think that hinders the team's success.
She believes with a good practice and effort from everyone on the team, the Salukis will be able to balance out the rest of the season.
