Below, thanks to Ethan Kasales, is a transcript of Tuesday’s media availability, with quotes from Head Coach Russ Rose, Grad. Student OH Taylor Leath, and RS Sr. setter Bryanna Weiskircher:

Coach Rose on Taylor Leath:

When Taylor was young, I used to work with her and her sister. Her parents used to bring [them] and kind of drop them off at Rec Hall. We would teach them how to play when they were just entering high school. For sure we knew who she was. She wasn’t really on our recruiting calendar right then because we had some other kids who had committed earlier.

When she graduated and reached out about coming here, we were very interested in that opportunity. It came at a great time for us. We needed somebody with the experience she has and how calm she is as a player. To me, she has such great maturity. That’s really a good thing to have when you’re saddled with a team with eight freshmen who are, at times, going all different directions. It’s great to have somebody you don’t have to worry about being high maintenance.

Bryanna Weiskircher on her favorite thing about Taylor Leath:

She gives really intense eyes. Whenever she gets a kill or something, she’ll look you dead in the eye and her eyes get really wide. It’s super cool cause I have that same kind of intensity where I’m not always jumping around screaming, but it’s more of a ‘Hell yeah, let’s get this thing done’ kind of thing.

 

Taylor Leath on coming to Penn State:

It’s such a surreal experience, honestly. I lived here for seven years of my life – from fourth grade through senior year of high school. It’s been amazing to have the opportunity to have an experience somewhere else and then also be able to have this one here. I grew up with Penn State volleyball. I grew up watching players like Megan Hodge and Deja McClendon.

Taylor Leath on growing up in Rec Hall:

We were gym rats. Sometimes our dad would just leave us here and coach would be in his office and he would just see us down here and give us some knowledge. What makes those experiences so cool is that he can see my growth as a human being.

Taylor Leath on Bryanna Weiskircher and Gabby Blossom:

Bryanna is a vet. She’s a fifth-year senior like me, Nia [Reed], and Bayleigh [Hoffman]. She has a mature sense of the way that she plays. She’s really calm and collected and she makes smart decisions. Gabby, she’s some of that new energy. She’s young, she hasn’t really been in the college gym before. She [offers] a little bit more of a fresh perspective.

Taylor Leath on what she learned at North Carolina:

Here, stepping into a leadership role, a lot of that comes from my experiences at UNC – in terms of understanding different leadership styles, understanding how different girls need different things from you, and understanding how you have to be consistent.

Taylor Leath on Nia Reed’s playing style and personality:

I’ve known Nia forever. I think, as a player, she’s a go-getter. She is so aggressive. It’s amazing to see how we were when we were young and playing and how much better she’s gotten now. As a person, she is one of the people who can always make you smile. You always need that energy. They’ll call Bryanna mom and me grandma. Nia’s like the cool aunt. She just has such a young essence to her spirit. You can’t help but always remember why you love volleyball, why you’re happy to play, and why you’re happy to just live life when you’re with her.