Taylor Jones '20 Recruiting Profile

I am in the middle of my Senior year, class of 2020 at Pine Bush High School, located in Pine Bush, New York.  I plan to major in secondary education teaching History.

I have been involved with sports since I was 5 years old.  I mostly played softball and basketball growing up, it was not until 7^th grade that I was introduced to volleyball.  My scholastic coach actually sought me out, she said that I had “pretty hands” and that I could “jump through the roof”, she suggested I try out for the JV volleyball team.  That is when and how I developed an absolute love for the game.  I love the sport, I love the competition and I would love an opportunity to play volleyball in college. 

From the day I started middle school I have always been a 3 season athlete.  In addition to volleyball, I also participated in softball, basketball and track.  I have always enjoyed playing three sports but realized this past year that it was time to stop splitting my focus between multiple sports and start focusing solely on volleyball, as it is my favorite.  This change has actually allowed me more time to also implement some new strategies on raising and maintaining my GPA. While it is my goal to maintain a GPA of at least a 3.8 or above I am currently sitting at around a 3.5.  I realize that focusing on maintaining a positive GPA can increase my chances of getting into a good college and so that is what I am working towards this year. 

This past scholastic season was a very exciting year for my school team, we were fortunate enough to make it to the final four in the NYS Tournament. It was one of my greatest experiences yet.  I was able to see some really great volleyball and some really amazing players.  Proudly, I was nominated as NYS Class Double A 3^rd Team All State and Section IX Class Double A 1^st Team All Star.  This was a nice surprise!

As  we all know, volleyball is a height driven positional sport, that is where I think my biggest challenge comes into play.  Because I am only 5’5” I have a big disadvantage as a setter.  In a sport that values height, I realized this past year that switching to a defensive specialist would probably give a player like me a better chance to play in college.   I was lucky enough that my coach agreed and she played me as both a setter and DS.  I do love both positions so this really worked out well.  I will keep working hard this club season and next year to improve on both.  As a Junior, I still have much to learn.  My plan is to continue working hard this club season, play my best in games and enjoy my last few years of high school. 

Additionally, I have contributed over 200 hours of community service.  I have volunteered at Little Red Nursery School, Pine Bush Volley Kids program and the Town of Wallkill Little League.  Last year was probably one of my favorite experiences with volunteering.  I was a member of Pine Bush High Schools Youth Activation Committee.  I helped strategize and plan activities to help support our unified basketball team.  I very much enjoyed bonding and building relationships with the players that had intellectual disabilities.  Seeing their personal and social development evolve over the course of the season was extremely rewarding.  The hope is this year that I will actually be part of the team, I would love the opportunity to partner up with the players on the court and take the experience a step further.

I have enclosed a brief attachment which outlines my personal, academic and volleyball information.

I would appreciate receiving any information that you have to share.  I thank you for your time and hope to hear from you.