MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's Volleyball is adding in advance of the 2023 season, and they are getting quite the player from the JUCO level. Hannah Taylor has completed her NLI, and will be joining the Gaels in the spring of 2023. Taylor adds a big arm to the Gaels attack, one that has been successful at the high school and JUCO level.
 
"We are proud and excited to welcome Hannah to the SMCVB family," said head coach Rob Browning. "She is an outstanding addition to our team. Hannah is currently dominating at the net with Feather River College as the #1 seed in the CCCAA state finals this week. She is a potent attacker and puts up a solid block. Hannah fits perfectly with our high standards for volleyball, academics, and character."
 
Taylor is in the middle of a historic season at Feather River College, helping lead the Golden Eagles to a 33-1 record and a spot in the state championships in early December after winning the Northern California Regionals. Taylor has been an integral part of their success this season, and was named First Team All-Conference in 2022, in addition to All-NorCal and All-State. She ranks second on the team with an impressive 351 kills, and is also second with a hitting percentage of .391. She's also one of the most prolific blockers on the team, with 12 solo blocks and 90 total blocks, a mark that also ranks second on Feather River.
 
The numbers are nothing new for Taylor, who was a standout at Colusa High School, where she graduated in 2020. During her final two seasons of volleyball, she amassed 236 blocks and had 680 kills during that stretch, while hitting just below .300. She held guide Colusa High School to an NCIF Division V championship in 2020, the first-ever in program history. Winning is nothing new for Taylor, and the Gaels are hoping she can be a missing piece to get SMC back to the NCAA Tournament.
 
"I chose Saint Mary's because it has every single thing I was looking for in my next college," explained Taylor. "It has a really nice location that's not in the middle of a big city, but also not in the middle of nowhere, and it's close to home. It has my major, and the team plays at a very competitive level in a difficult conference. My visit definitely showed me what a great fit it would be because of how much I liked the coaches, players, campus, and area."
 
The Gaels are set to return a large chunk of their roster next season, with just one player (Hawley Harrer) graduating the program.