Coaches
Megan Taylor
College
Megan is a 4 year member of the Marshall University volleyball team.
2021-22 (Junior) - 2021 Southeast Missouri State Invitational All-Tournament Team
Appeared in 13 matches with two starts … Played in 38 sets … Finished season with 68 kills, 1.79 per set … Had 19 total blocks, 0.50 per set … Recorded 17 digs, one assist and 77.5 total points … Had four matches with double-digit kills … Six matches with two or more blocks … Made season-debut versus Alabama (Aug. 27) had two kills, two digs and one block … Recorded first career double-digit kills match with 10 against Austin Peay (Aug. 28), added three blocks … Put up career-high 17 kills against Arkansas State (Sept. 11) and then 13 kills same day in next match versus Memphis with three blocks in each match and was named to Southeast Missouri State Invitational All-Tournament Team … Recorded 12 kills at Morehead State (Sept. 16) … Had eight kills and three blocks versus Toledo (Sept. 18).
2020-21 (Sophomore)
2021 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll: GPA 3.00 or better
Appeared in nine matches with five starts in shortened 2021 spring season … Played in 33 sets … Finished season with 42 kills, 1.27 per set, 15 digs and 14 total blocks … Averaged 0.42 blocks per set … Had two or more blocks in four-straight matches (March 7-15) … Played four sets in season-opener at Xavier (Jan. 31) and finished with five kills … Came on strong toward the end of the season playing in the last seven-straight matches … Set career-high with five digs and added four kills and five total blocks in first match at Middle Tennessee (March 7) … Totaled five kills and two blocks in second meeting at Middle Tennessee (March 8) … Started both sweeps against Florida Atlantic (March 14-15), had five kills in first match and then six in the second contest while also hitting .364 … Tallied six kills with a .444 hitting percentage in sweep at Old Dominion (March 22) … Recorded career-high seven kills and hit a season-high .500 (7 kills, 1 error in 12 attacks) against UTEP in first round of C-USA Tournament … In Herd career has played in 25 matches and 73 sets.
2019 (Freshman)
2020 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll: GPA 3.00 or better
Appeared in 16 matches, starting six … Played in 40 sets … Contributed to Herd’s monster block season (ranked 12th in NCAA at end of season) with 30 total, 1 solo and 29 assists … Recorded at least one block in nine matches … Finished year with 37 kills and 14 digs … Made collegiate debut in season-opener vs. UT Martin (Aug. 30) with five kills, a .625 hitting percentage, three digs and three blocks … Earned first career start vs. Stony Brook (Sept. 7) and had four kills … Tallied five block assists in two sets against Saint Louis (Sept. 14) … Teamed up with Destiny Leon for career blocking day at Morehead State (Sept. 19) with 10 block assists as Herd tallied 22 total team blocks, team’s first match with 20 or more team blocks since Nov. 1, 2003 vs. Bowling Green … Her 10 blocks vs. Morehead State was one of five double-digit individual block performances for Herd during 2019 … Had three blocks at Charlotte (Oct. 4) … Tallied four more blocks and added six kills at Middle Tennessee (Oct. 11).
High School
Paintsville High School 2018 graduate. Played for coach Dawn Kinner … Recorded 2,965 kills, 824 digs, 671 aces and 568 blocks during career … Holds the Paintsville High career records in kills, blocks and aces … Two-time regional champions and Tournament MVP … All A Kentucky State All-Tournament Team Final Four and named to the all-tournament team … Seven-time district champions … In 2018 was named KVCA 15th Region Player of the Year, Regional Tournament MVP, First Team All-State, 2,500 Career Kills Record MaxPreps Player of the Week in Kentucky, MaxPreps Mid-season National Player of the Year Watch List Top 10, WYMT Player of the Week, Under Armour All-American Watch List, PrepVolleyball All-American, Ashland Daily Player of the Year, Appalachian News Express Player of the Year … In 2017 was honored as KVCA 15th Region Player of the Year, Regional Tournament MVP, Second Team All-State, Ashland Daily Player of the Year, Appalachian News Express Player of the Year, All A Classic State Tournament All-Tournament Team, MaxPreps Junior All-American, MaxPreps Player of the Week in Kentucky … In 2016 was named All-State Honorable Mention, Regional All-Tournament Team, MaxPreps Underclass All-American, MaxPreps Player of the Week in Kentucky … In 2015 was named Second Team All-State and to the Regional All-Tournament Team.
Club
Played for River Cities Thunder. In 2018, her club team won the 2018 18’s American Division National Championship and she was named to the All-Tournament Team.
**Stat info provided by Marshall Athletics
Bella Blackburn
College
Bella is a freshman at the University of Pikeville. She plays various roles as a defensive specialist, libero, and setter. In her first collegiate game, she was named Player of the Game.
High School
Bella was a 4 year varsity letterman for Paintsville High School and a 2023 graduate. During her career as a Tiger she helped lead her team to 1 All-A State Championship, 1 All-A Region Championship, 2 region championships, and 4 district championships. Individually, Bella was named: 15th Region Player of the Year, All-A State Tournament All Tournament Team, 15th Region All-Tournament Team, All-State 3x, AVCA Best and Brightest Award, AVCA Watch List, and amassed over 2,500 career assists.
Club
Bella was a 2022-23 member of the EKJV 18's team.