For many athletes it is a dream to become a member of a prestigious team and to play major tournaments. For the 6-foot-8 freshman Joshua Taylor, who has been a part of the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team, those dreams have become a reality.
After he graduated from Punahou school, where he was a vital part of the men’s volleyball team, he moved from his native Hawaii to California, recruited by Pepperdine Athletics.
As a part of the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team since 2010, he competed on internationally recognized arenas in Argentina, Italy and Spain. He competed in Brazil for the FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship. In addition, Taylor was one of the team players of Boys’ Youth National Team, which finished tenth at the FIVB Boys’ Youth World Championship in 2009. “I have known Josh for a few years now and every day he does something that impresses me,” Assistant coach David Hunt said “Josh is a great guy to have on the team. He is a competitor. He wants to be one of the best. “
Taylor’s parents made the decision for him to pursue a competitive volleyball long before he realized that for himself.
“My mom forced me to play, even though I was not really interested in the sport,” Taylor confessed, “She really liked the game and was convincing me that it can open many opportunities for me in future.”
Taylor was playing on his school team since he was 14, and that was the time when volleyball started to play a major role in his life.
“It is a really big team sport and that is what I like about it,” Taylor said. “There is no way you can play volleyball on your own, it is simply impossible. While in basketball you can have a guy who scores most points in a game, in volleyball, without your teammates, there is no one passing for you.”
Taylor said the biggest reason he chose Pepperdine was Marv Dunphy. The legendary coach, who is known for his ability to select premiere players, made a great impression on Taylor and his family. Furthermore, Taylor has also impressed Waves coaching staff.
“Since my first conversation with Joshua, it was clear that he has a concise goal in mind. He knows what he wants,” assistant coach Hunt said. “It is no surprise to me that he has started off the year strong. He would expect nothing less.”
“I think Josh sets the bar pretty high for himself. That is why he chose Pepperdine, to play for Marv and to go on and play for the National Team,” he added.
For Taylor, great advantages of being a Pepperdine student are proximity to the ocean, the small campus and friendly community. His major is still undecided, however, he said that studying psychology will be a right choice for him. After graduation, Taylor hopes to make volleyball his first priority.
“As for a freshman we are asking him a big load,” Dunphy said, “he is taking this load very well. Even though he is a great player, Joshua is not perfect. There are definitely many things that we still need to work on.”
“We are determined to go far,” Taylor said about team’s plans for the season. “We have very good potential with many great players on out team. Personally, I really hope that we win the National Championship.”
Even though Taylor spent the summer playing opposite on the Junior National Team, his position in the Waves team is outside hitter.
“Joshua is playing a new position in the toughest conference in the country and he has handled that challenge extremely well,” Hunt said. “He soaks up everything you tell him. He has the unique ability to change something and change it quickly.”
“That is something we decided before Josh started practicing with the team. It definitely was a challenge because his new position requires him to receive serves,” Head Coach Marv Dunphy said.
As a Wave, Taylor enjoys playing with older and more experienced players, since he believes that “it is a way to learn something new.” Taylor mentioned his father to be his role model and the one who inspires him the most.
“I have never seen him giving anything less then his best, and he is definitely the one who encourages me to become a better person,” Taylor said.
Hunt also sees the intangible characteristics that Taylor has learned from his father.
“Josh is a pleasure to be around on and off the court,” Hunt said, “He is a classy guy with a good head on his shoulders. He is very respectful and considerate, his parents raised him well.”
The major goal that Taylor has set for himself is to win National Championship as a Wave. Nevertheless, to fulfill his ultimate goal to play in Europe professionally and represent USA in the Olympics, all he has to do is keep moving forward.
