St. Peter, Minn. – Despite an up-and-down October for the Gustavus volleyball team, a constant throughout the month was the play of its standout middle hitter Alyssa Taylor (Jr., Trimont, Minn.). For her efforts, Taylor has been named the Gustavus Female Student-Athlete-of-the-Month for October.
“Alyssa was our strongest attacker on offense and often led our team with the most kills and highest hitting percentage,” said Head Coach Rochelle Sherden. “She is consistent, dependable, and our go-to attacker. Her slides (back sets off of one foot) are among the best in the conference, and more impressive than her offense, she is a stellar defender!”
Playing in all 51 of Gutavus’s sets over the course of 13 matches in the month, Taylor hit the floor with a team-best 162 kills for an average of 12.46 kills per match and 3.17 kills per set.
She was the squad’s most used attacker, being given a total of 397 attack opportunities and finishing October with a hitting percentage of .282. She reached double-figure kills in nine matches and posted an attack percentage over the .300 mark six times. Her top performances of the month came at the Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament held Oct. 11 and 12 in Eau Claire, Wis. She registered double-digit kills in all four matches for a total of 63 over the weekend. Alyssa hit over .250 every match including a 15-kill, .560 outing against UW-Stevens Point.
To go along with her impressive offensive numbers, Taylor was also the team’s leader in blocks. She finished October with a total of 53 blocks for an average of 3.5 blocks per match.
At the conclusion of the regular season, Taylor ranked fifth in the MIAC with a total of 350 kills. She averaged 3.02 kills per set (11th/MIAC) and finished the year with an attack percentage of .249 (19th/MIAC). The Trimont, Minn. native’s 119 total blocks led the conference while her 432.5 points ranked third.
The 2013 Golden Gusties finished the year with an overall record of 11-20 and an MIAC mark of 4-7.