CHATTANOOGA --- Chattanooga indoor volleyball announced a fourth transfer being added to the team's 2024 roster on Monday, with head coach Julie Torbett Thomas revealing the signing of Louisiana Tech middle blocker Ashley Taylor.
A four-year starter at multiple levels of collegiate volleyball, Taylor adds a wealth of experience to the UTC lineup from day one having spent her previous two seasons at Louisiana Tech playing under head coach Amber McCray. Prior to her time with LA Tech, Taylor was a regular starter at Blinn College at the JUCO level, helping build the Buccaneers into an NJCAA juggernaut.
"We are thrilled to welcome Ashley Taylor to our team," Coach Torbett Thomas said. "What sets Ashley apart is her unwavering drive to succeed, despite facing numerous challenges along the way. Her resilience and determination have propelled her forward, and she is eager to cap off her final year with a close-knit team that works hard and works together."
"We are confident that her presence will strengthen our team and help us achieve our goals."
Taylor also holds some familiarity with a portion of UTC's lineup already, as Taylor has been teammates with current Chattanooga outside hitters Chard'e Vanzandt and Sydney Jackwin over her previous two seasons with the Bulldogs. Taylor and Vanzandt were also teammates back in their junior college days, both serving as pivotal pieces of Blinn College's front row during a 2021 season in which the Bucs finished 39-4 overall as well as a perfect 17-0 in Region XIV.
While at Louisiana Tech, Taylor would appear in a combined 47 total matches in her two seasons with the team. This past season saw Taylor claim multiple All-Tournament Team honors at the 2023 Arkansas State Invitational, LA Tech Invitational and the Battle for the Boot. Taylor ended up logging a total of 248 kills and 145 blocks in her time with the Bulldogs, averaging 1.62 kills/set and 0.95 blocks/set over her LA Tech career.
Prior to joining Louisiana Tech, Taylor spent her first two years of collegiate volleyball at the JUCO level playing at Blinn College. While there, Taylor and the Buccaneers posted a record of 66-7 over her two seasons with the team, while punching their ticket into the NJCAA Tournament in back-to-back years.
As a freshman Taylor led Blinn with 127 total blocks, and she went on to follow that number up by logging 140 blocks in 2021. Taylor also serves as a precise and dangerous threat on the offensive side of the ball, as in her sophomore season at Blinn, Taylor recorded a .413 hitting percentage on 407 total attacks on the year. This came a season after Taylor finished with a .355 attack percentage on 310 total tries in her freshman campaign.
A 2020 graduate of Yoakum High School, Taylor was a four-year letterwinner in volleyball, basketball, track & field as well as tennis during her prep days. On the volleyball court, she was able to rake in numerous honors including a First-Team All-District nod, District Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards. Taylor also received recognition for her efforts off the court, including being named Academic All-District.
Born July 9, 2002, Ashley is the daughter of Tara and Justin Henke. Additionally, Taylor has four siblings: Rhett, Hudson, Latavia and Brentrae.
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