Led Cougars to first NorCal regional in school history

Taylor Elliott just wanted to return to the Bay Area. She came back and found success at College of Alameda.
Now she is going on to play volleyball at San Jose State.
After graduating from Bishop O’Dowd, the 6-foot-1 volleyball player from Alameda went to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, where she played club ball. 
But she missed the Bay Area, missed her friends and starting looking around.
She was at COA watching a basketball game when she inquired of a coach if the school had a volleyball team.
“I was taking a summer class here and I wasn’t planning on playing volleyball,” she said. “One of the coaches asked me if I played basketball and I said no, I played volleyball.’ And he said, “’You should talk to our coach.’”
 COA Head Volleyball coach Linda Thompson was sitting nearby.
“She’s sitting down on the trainer’s table when I first saw her,” Thompson said of Elliott. “One of the basketball coaches came over and said there was someone inquiring about playing volleyball. 
“She stood up, walked over and my whole expression changed. I knew we had something.
“It was a match made in Alameda from that point on.”
Yes, it was a match made in Cougar heaven. Elliott, playing outside hitter and middle, helped lead COA to its first-ever Sweet Sixteen berth in the Northern California Regional in 2013. 
That sterling season also included a five-set victory over perennial Bay Valley Conference power Solano College — the first time ever a Peralta district team had defeated the Falcons in volleyball.
The Cougars didn’t do as well last season, but Elliott didn’t miss a beat, or many balls. She finished with 246 kills and 52 blocks overall from her middle position.
In the BVC play, she had 166 kills (3.46 ks/per game), 135 digs, 17 service aces, 36 blocks and 16 assisted blocks.
Elliott was used to winning: she played four years at Bishop O’Dowd and won the North Coast Section title in her time there.
Elliott wasn’t planning to do much after finishing her career at COA, but she went to the Sophomore Showcase at Cabrillo College (where the state tournament was held).
She came in contact there with San Jose State Head Women’s Coach Jolene Shepardson.
 “I wasn’t really expecting anything,” Elliott said about participating in the Showcase. Numerous contacts followed and Elliott is now headed to the South Bay, and will major in psychology.
 Thompson has had other elite players, including Eboni Green in 2013, but says of Elliott, “She is one of the top players we’ve had at Alameda.
“She is in the top five and it’s going to be tough to see her leave.”
Great praise indeed.