Taylor set for nationals

Eden graduate Montanna Taylor couldn’t have picked a better season to start her collegiate volleyball career.

The rookie setter with the Niagara College Knights women’s team will not only get a chance to play in the national championships, but they are taking place in her home gym.

“I know how provincials work because we just had them, but nationals will be a step up and it will be great to see teams from across Canada.”

The former travel player with the Niagara Rapids and the Niagara Fury never got a chance to experience a national championship at the club level.

“It will be nice to see how other teams from across Canada play and how their program works,” the 18-year-old said. “I’m really excited to see the skill that is represented across Canada.”

The starting setter on Niagara’s Ontario Colleges Athletic Association silver-medal winning squad believes the Knights could win the top prize when the championship game is played Saturday at 8 p.m.

“We have to really focus on our system, play our game of volleyball and not get too caught up in the moment,” the 5-foot-8 athlete said. “We can’t panic and let the environment take over.

“As long as we do what we are good at, we have a chance.”

Niagara head coach Natasha Spaling has seen Taylor do a lot of good things this season.

“She came in, worked super hard and has made a really good impact on our team both from a leadership perspective and a volleyball IQ perspective,” she said. “She’s aggressive and she’s left-handed which is really nice for setters. She can do some things with her attacking that other setters can’t or it’s more challenging because they are right handed.”

Spaling also likes that Taylor brings energy and positivity to the court and provides a lot of creativity in her setting choices.

The general arts and science feels she has made a smooth transition to being a student/athlete at Niagara

“It hasn’t been that hard because I went to a high impact volleyball high school and I was used to having practices every day,” she said,

There have been adjustments she has had to make.

“All the travel has been very different and the fitness program and video before games was a lot to get used to,” Taylor said. “But I really love how much we put into this sport, how much we think about everything we do and I definitely have gotten better faster in college that I did in high school.

“The environment really challenges you to get better.”

She is also challenged by Niagara’s opposition.

“I am used to playing teams where there is one player who is really good, but there’s teams where everybody is really good and you have to be able to understand that people are going to score and you have to be OK with it,” she said. “There’s a lot of talented players.”

She feels her biggest improvements have come in serving consistency and being less panicked on the court.

“I’m letting the game come to me and keeping a calm mind so I can be a calm presence on the court,” she said. “I want to be continue to develop my mental calmness throughout the game and use that to be able to bring up the rest of the team.”

Spaling has seen a big improvement in Taylor’s ability to run an offence.

“We have given her more offensive options and it’s making the right choices at the right time,” she said. “Her biggest growth is her ability to think and understand from a match plan perspective who is going to score for me and how am I going to find a way to get my hitters in the best position to score points for us.”

Niagara opens the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championships Thursday at 6 p.m. versus the Vancouver Island University Mariners, the defending national champions.