LSU Gold

#7 Taylor Bannister Season 2017

Position
Middle Blocker/Outside Hitter
Height
6'5
Class
Freshman
Hometown
Missouri City, Texas
High School
Fort Bend Christian Academy

LSU Record Holder with 1,902 Career Kills
Two-Time AVCA All-American Honorable Mention (2017, 2019)
2018 VolleyballMag.com All-American Honorable Mention
Five-Time AVCA South All-Region Selection (2017-2021)
2017 AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year
Five-time All- SEC Selection (2017-2021)
Three-Time LSWA Player of the Year (2018, 2020-21)
2017 LSWA MVP
2017 SEC All-Freshman
2017 LSWA Freshman of the Year
Five-Time LSWA All-Louisiana First Team Selection (2017-2021)
2021 SEC Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 29)
2020-21 SEC Offensive Player of the Week (3/15, 3/22)
2020-21 SEC Player of the Week (3/22)
2019 Lumberjack Classic All-Tournament Team
2019 Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup All-Tournament Team
2018 SMU DoubleTree Classic MVP
2018 SEC Player of the Week (Sept. 17)
2018 Michigan Challenge All-Tournament Team
2018 Tiger Classic Highest Scorer
2017 SEC Freshman of the Week (9/11, 10/9, 10/16)
2017 USF Invitational All-Tournament

COVID SENIOR SEASON (2021)
Became LSU’s all-time kill leader on Oct. 14 against No. 5 Kentucky with 1,746 kills despite playing in just 84 of the team’s 109 sets due to injury…earned three postseason awards including AVCA South All-Region selection, All-SEC selection, and was the 2021 LSWA Player of the Year…ended her collegiate career with 1,902 kills which also ranks No. 7 all-time in the SEC…Finished second on the team with 262 total kills, 3.12 kills per set, and 25 aces…also contributed 116 digs and 63 total blocks this season…was tabbed SEC Offensive Player of the week after totaling 51 kills, 5.67 kills per set behind a .494 hitting percentage, and averaged 6.39 points per set thanks to six blocks and three aces in nine sets at Georgia (Nov. 26-27)…ended the season with a bang, recording a season-high 29 kills, hit .511, and total 10 digs for her 17th career double-double at Georgia (Nov. 27)…logged three 20 or more kill performances over a four-match span to end the season…matched a career-high five aces at Auburn (Oct. 29) and set a career-high eight blocks at Ole Miss (Nov. 12)…also recorded a season-high 12 digs versus No. 20 Tennessee (Oct. 23).

SENIOR SEASON (2020-21)
Moved into the No. 2 spot on LSU’s list of career kills, finishing the season with 385 total kills… Finished No. 2 in the SEC in kills, kills per set (4.38), points (450) and points per set (5.11), earning All-SEC and AVCA South All-Region honors and being named the LSWA Player of the Year… Began the season with three consecutive double-doubles ( 15 kills and 14 digs at TAMU, 27 kills and 11 digs at TAMU, 18 kills and 14 digs vs. MSU)… Finished the season with five total double-doubles… Led the Tigers with 57 total blocks… Also led LSU in service aces, compiling 30 during the season… Compiled at least 10 kills in all 22 of LSU’s matches, including six in which she eclipsed 20 kills… Had three of the top four matches in terms of total kills in the SEC during the season with 30 kills vs. Georgia (No. 1, 3/19), 28 vs. Ole Miss (T-No. 2, 2/28) and 27 at TAMU (No. 4, 10/18)… A menace at the net defensively, Bannister led the Tigers with 57 total blocks… Was named the SEC offensive player of the week in consecutive weeks… In LSU’s two matches against South Carolina in mid-March, Bannister had 25 kills in the first match while hitting .345 and then added 15 kills the following day as the Tigers won two matches over the Gamecocks and she earned her first SEC Offensive Player of the Week award on the season… The next week against Georgia she exploded in the first match for 30 kills and hit .481 before compiling 18 kills the following day, helping to extend LSU’s win streak to four and picking up her second consecutive SEC Offensive Player of the Week award while also being named the overall SEC Player of the Week… Granted an extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19, which she plans to use.

JUNIOR SEASON (2019)
Led the team with a total of 438 kills averaging 4.29 kills per set (4th in the SEC), 4.91 points per set (3rd in the SEC) and a hitting percentage of .257… Finished with 10-plus kills in 17 matches and 20-plus kills in seven matches… Registered four double-doubles this season and five for her career… Had the most kills in a three-set match among the SEC, recording 26 at Auburn on Nov. 17, which was tied for the most kills in a three-set match in program history… Had a season-high of 29 kills at Georgia on Oct. 13… Hit a program record of .762 in four-set win over Fresno State at the Lumberjack Classic at Northern Arizona… Had career-high of 16 digs on Nov. 3 at Mississippi State and also finished with 25 kills for a double-double… Earned a spot on the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup All-Tournament Team and the Lumberjack Classic All-Tournament Team… Finished fourth on the team with 147 total digs on the season… Recorded a total of 21 service aces which is the second highest on the team… She closed out the season earning 219 All-SEC Honors, AVCA South All-Region Honors, LSWA All-Louisiana Honors and earned her second AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honor.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2018)
Started all but one match this season at right side … Led the team in kills with a total of 456 averaging 4.04 kills per set, 4.50 points per set and a hitting percentage of .217 … Finished with 10-plus kills in 25 matches and 20-plus kills in six matches … Registered one double-double this season with 19 kills and 15 digs against Georgia (Oct. 10) … Earned a spot on the Michigan Challenge All-Tournament Team … Finished with 56 kills in the Tiger Classic and was named the Highest Scorer of the tournament … Named Player of the Week (Sept. 17) after racking up 36 kills in five-set win over SMU and 14 kills in four-set win over Abilene Christian in the SMU Doubletree Classic … Finished sixth on the team with 108 total digs on the season … Registered a total of 19 service aces which is the second highest on the team … Wrapped up her sophomore season with AVCA All-South Region and All-SEC honors by earning a spot on the 18-member All-SEC Team.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2017)
Started every match for the Tigers this season at right side … Led the team in kills with a total of 361 on the year and averaged 3.22 kills per set and 3.59 points per set … Recorded a career-high 26 kills in the Tigers’ five-set victory over High Point in non-conference action … Earned SEC Freshman of the Week three times this season (Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Oct. 16) … Has recorded four 20-plus kill matches this season and has led the Tigers in kills in 19 matches … Had career-high seven blocks against Northwestern (Aug. 26) … Hit .667 against LIU Brooklyn (Sept. 9) … Finished the season with 11 kills in the first round of the NCAA Tournament … Earned All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team … Wrapped up her freshman campaign with AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and AVCA First Team All-South Region honors.

HIGH SCHOOL
One of the top players out of Fort Bend Christian Academy and Texas Premier Volleyball club … Named a Senior Ace by PrepVolleyball.com and Fab 50 recruit by VolleyballMag.com … Selected as an Under Armour Second Team All-American … A two-sport athlete in volleyball and track … Named MVP of the district in 2015 and 2016 … Selected to the All-State team for the 2014-16 seasons … Helped Fort Bend to finish as the runner- up in the 4A State Championship in 2014 and 2015 as well as a semifinalist in 2016 … Led her team to three-straight district championships … Amassed more than 350 kills, 100 blocks, 81 aces, 220 digs and a .500 hitting percentage during her senior season at Fort Bend.

PERSONAL
Full name is Taylor Denise Bannister… Born Sept. 7, 1999 … Parents are Ken and Pennie Bannister … Father Ken played professional basketball for more than 15 seasons … Mother Pennie played professional basketball … Majoring in kinesiology.

 

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