Name: Taylor Slover
Sport & Position: Volleyball, Middle Blocker
Year & Major: Sophomore, Math
Hometown: Visalia, California
Taylor Slover was chosen as the Top Dog of the week because of her performance against Boise State on Saturday. Slover had 8 kills and contributed 9 points in the ’Dogs 3-0 loss.
DC: How long have you been playing volleyball?
TS: Since freshman year of high school. So like five or six years.
DC: That’s it?
TS: Yeah, I just started when I was a freshman.
DC: What made you want to start?
TS: When I came to high school, I wanted to be a three-sport athlete. So it was either cross country or volleyball. I was tall, so I was like, ‘I might as well play volleyball.’
DC: What other sports did you play?
TS: I played softball and basketball. And my senior year, I did track, but my whole life I did soccer and dance. It was fun.
DC: What sport would you be playing if you weren’t playing volleyball?
TS: Softball for sure. Softball was my No. 1 growing up until I met my high school coach in volleyball. She was amazing. That’s what made me want to stay in volleyball.
DC: What’s one of the funniest things that happened with the team?
TS: One time — you know that big tunnel thing — Lauren Torres likes to do a moshpit; one time she tripped and ate it so hard. It was so funny. She just like dove on the floor. It was right before a game.
DC: What are your plans for after you graduate?
TS: Maybe start my career or continue playing volleyball if I could. That would be flippin’ awesome.
DC: And if you’re not playing volleyball?
TS: Right now probably teaching math or being a professor or something. That would be sick. That’s right now, but that could change.
DC: You’ve been getting more playing time recently. What has that been like?
TS: I just like to help the team win. Even though we went 1-1 this weekend, I just like to win. If I’m off the court and we win, I’m happy. If I’m on the court and we lose, I’m like ‘dang.’ But if I’m off the court and we lose, then I get sad. I just hate losing.
DC: How do you prepare for every game?
TS: Sometimes I listen to worship music. Sometimes I read my book. I don’t really get ‘hyped.’ I like to be with God.
DC: Do you have a favorite artist to listen to?
TS: Lecrae. He’s my favorite artist of all time. Honestly, he is. Lecrae is a legend. He sometimes gets played during our warmup songs. I love Lecrae.
DC: What’s the hardest thing about volleyball?
TS: I think just the time it takes away from school, your studies. It really is a lot of dedication and commitment. You can have a job, but is your job texting you, ‘Don’t forget this, don’t forget that. Make sure you have this’? Even when we’re not [practicing or playing], we still have things we have to do like grade reports and journals. Probably the fact that you have to be so dedicated that it takes a lot of time especially during the season when we travel a lot.
DC: What does it mean to you to be a Bulldog?
TS: I like being a Bulldog because I came from a school where the mascot was the ‘Redskins’ and [the name] got taken away from us. I couldn’t imagine being anything else besides a Redskin because I loved being a Redskin and what it stands for for all those people. But then becoming a Bulldog, I can’t imagine being a Redskin anymore. Being a Bulldog means building a community. It represents toughness and never giving up.
