With her 6-foot-5 frame, long arms and unquestionable athletic ability, it’s no secret how freshman Taylor Bannister found her niche playing volleyball.
The Missouri City, Texas native began to make a name for herself as one of the Lone Star State’s most coveted athletes.
However, her path did not begin spiking the leather at opponents, but venturing out and trying her hand at basketball and track and field.
“Basketball was a start because both of my parents went pro, and then my passion went to track and field,” Bannister said.“I started my transition in eighth grade going into freshman year, and I decided that I wanted to play volleyball.”
Bannister’s parents, Kenneth and Pennie, were both remarkable athletes in their own right, helping each other engineer successful basketball journeys. Coming from a line of competitors, Taylor’s competitive nature was instilled in her from a very young age.
Kenneth played college basketball at Trinidad State Junior College, Indiana State University and St. Augustine’s College.
After averaging a double-double in points and rebounds throughout his college career, he was drafted in the seventh round of the 1984 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
Pennie played college basketball at Rice University from 1982-1984.
She scored the second and third most points ever scored in a women’s basketball game at Rice: 37 points on Nov. 30, 1982, and 41 points against Texas A&M on Jan. 8, 1983. Pennie played one season of professional basketball. During her collegiate career, she emerged as one of the most decorated players to perform for the Owls.
For a while, it was a mystery what Taylor would decide to dedicate her athletic intentions to prior to high school.
The initial expectation was that she would follow her parents’ footsteps and continue the family tradition on the basketball court. Instead, she wanted to create a legacy of her own that did not include being in the shadows of her parents.
“I wanted to do something different from what my parents did,” Taylor said. “It was motivation because we are a basketball family. At first, it seemed like I had no choice but to play basketball. Then, my mom told me she did not care what sport I played as long as I tried to get a scholarship.”
From that moment forward, Taylor focused on volleyball and by the conclusion of her high school career, was ranked 13th in the country.
Taylor received attention from countless Division I coaches around the country, including LSU coach Fran Flory.
Flory has raved about the promise Taylor possesses and what she expects out of her as a player now and for years to come.
“Taylor Bannister is an elite level athlete,” Flory said. “She made her presence known the very first day she walked into our gym. She’s one of those kids that can make your program if they have the right mental attitude and the right team approach.”
Taylor’s size and length gives the Tigers obvious advantages that many teams do not have, but Flory feels she has a self-assurance about herself that many tend to overlook about the talented freshman.
“I think she brings a confidence about her that people maybe don’t understand,” Flory said. “I think there’s a humble piece about her. Another part is she is just as willing to play as hard in defensive drills and roll and hit the floor as anybody else in the gym. Certainly, that will increase her credibility with the rest of the team.”
Taylor has an innate ability to take over various stretches within sets, imposing her dominance on the opposition.
Throughout the USF Invitational, there were spurts when Taylor would overwhelm opponents and deliver demoralizing kills.
“She’s gonna make the impressive play, but she’s able to make the impressive enough times to where she is impactful,” Flory said. “Her ability to play above the net is beyond anybody else in this gym and beyond most in this league. I really think what sets her aside is her winning mentality. She’s not used to losing and she’s not accepting of losing.
“She truly has the chance to be one of the most special players to put on an LSU uniform. If she does the work, embrace the weight training and embrace the nutrition, she can be special beyond most who have been there.”