Lemoore High's Jessica Taylor signs national letter-of-intent to play volleyball at UC Irvine

The Anteaters play in the Big West Conference and currently sport a 16-10 season record with a few games left to play. Head Coach Paula Weishoff is quite a talent herself. Weishoff is in her sixth year of coaching at UC Irvine and is a three-time Olympian. She also served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s National Team and helped Team USA capture a silver medal at the 2012 London Games.

Weishoff will be getting one of the best players in the Central Section when Taylor reports to camp, and judging from the LHS star’s reaction, she’s looking forward to it. “The environment at UC Irvine and everything was exactly what I was looking for,” said Taylor. “It seems like home away from home.”

The signing ceremony, in the District’s conference room, came complete with a fancy cake decorated with the Anteater logo and plenty of friends, family, and local school officials on hand.

Taylor led her team to the Central Section Division II finals in 2012 where they unfortunately lost to West Yosemite League rival El Diamante. But overall, the Tigers have always challenged the top of the league’s standings year after year.

Taylor is looking forward to playing volleyball for Weishoff. “She’s amazing. She’s a three-time Olympian and she definitely knows the game of volleyball. UC Irvine is a well-known program.”

Taylor plans to major in business-administration while an undergrad at Irvine. She certainly hopes to earn All-American status and maybe play a big of volleyball in the European leagues.

That she played volleyball at all is a bit of a surprise. After all, mom Rachel Taylor was a star basketball player while at Lemoore High School. “I guess I just didn’t get the gene for basketball,” said Jessica.

And how was mom as a coach? “Sometimes it was a challenge,” she said. “But you learn to treat her as a coach, not as a mom.”