A Home Court Farewell: Taylor Harvey Shines in Final Club Tournament

Texas volleyball commit Taylor Harvey capped off her club career this past weekend with a statement performance at the USA Volleyball 18s Junior National Championship, helping her team storm through the tournament before falling just short of a title. The tournament coincides with the last major event of the recruiting season for younger age groups, the Lone Star Qualifier. After the spring match at UTSA, coaches Jerritt Elliott, David Hunt, and Ben Josephson made the drive to Dallas for their final national qualifier recruiting trip of the season.

Meanwhile back in Salt Lake City, Harvey's team Club V entered the competition as the No. 23 seed. They opened the tournament on fire, winning their first 6 matches without dropping a single set in dominant fashion and silencing expectations.

Playing in her hometown for her final club event, Harvey made the most of the stage. Though she’s coming to Texas as a middle blocker, she played as a six-rotation outside hitter throughout the tournament, staying on the court at all times and finding more opportunities to dominate on offense and contribute in the back row. Harvey’s long arms and elite vertical allowed her to swing over the top of almost any block, and her ability to read the court and adjust laterally made her a constant threat in transition. While her defense was solid, it was her relentless offense that turned heads, leading her team through pool play and into the bracket.

After cruising through their early matches, Harvey’s squad eventually ran into Coast, the No. 2 seed in the tournament and eventual national runner-up in a high-stakes elimination match. Despite their momentum and confidence, they couldn’t find the same rhythm and fell short of advancing. It was a tough ending to an otherwise dominant run, and an emotional one for Harvey as her club career came to a close.

After the final point, Harvey joined her teammates in the handshake line, quiet and composed. But as the postgame moments unfolded, the emotion started to rise. It marked the end of a decorated club and high school career in both basketball and volleyball, one that fittingly wrapped up in her hometown. There was something poetic about finishing her journey not in a distant convention center, but in Salt Lake City, just a 15-minute drive from home. Friends, family, and coaches gathered courtside, offering hugs and congratulations as she turned the page to what comes next.

Now, Harvey sets her sights on the next chapter. She’ll be heading to Austin this summer to join the powerhouse Texas program. One of the top recruits in the nation, she’ll trade in her club jersey for burnt orange as she begins training with Texas for a different kind of national championship.