Through injury, Taylor kept the faith

SEATTLE » Tattoos are personal statements. Unlike bumper stickers that can be peeled off and replaced with the cause du jour, tattoos require commitment beyond the permanent ink.

That is the case with Nikki Taylor. Hawaii’s 6-foot-3 sophomore right-side hitter has several tattoos, each with a very personal and profound meaning, including one that her father Graham and brother Josh both have in the identical place.

"Creideamh" is on the underside of the right biceps of the three. It is a Scottish Gaelic word for "faith" and it reflects the family’s ethnic heritage and strong Christian beliefs.

Rainbow Wahine volleyball fans wouldn’t notice it on Nikki Taylor’s arm. While it would normally be hidden under a long-sleeve uniform top, this season it is additionally covered with 10-minutes worth of taping by a trainer to protect the still-healing right elbow sprained last summer.

It still hurts, Taylor admits, but not as much — physically and emotionally — as when she was sidelined during fall camp and the first seven-plus matches this season.

"The was the hardest part for me, feeling so helpless, so incompetent," Taylor said as Hawaii prepared for its NCAA tournament first-round match Friday against No. 21 Duke. "If I saw my team struggling, there was nothing to do about it.

"That UCLA game killed me. I got to go in but we were already dug in so deep … it was hard. But my motto is that God doesn’t put strongest soldiers to battle what they cannot overcome. I’ve been put through a hard battle and I’ve overcome."

Originally projected to be out eight weeks with thoughts of redshirting, Taylor returned in less than four, after undergoing extensive and intense treatments including PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) which required Taylor’s blood drawn, centrifuged and re-injected into the elbow joint to stimulate tissue healing.

"I know it was painful and it was difficult emotionally as her mom (Kim) and I were out of the country watching her brother play," father Graham Taylor said of the trip to watch Josh play for Pepperdine in a volleyball tournament in South Korea. "Despite all the pain and disappointment, Nikki never got discouraged. She was so prepped to come in strong and was probably in the best shape of her life.

"She has a unique resiliency that allows her to take adversity and setbacks in stride. It is truly one of her greatest strengths."

What has been remarkable about Taylor is her success in a sport she didn’t take up until she was 14. She was a swimmer and spent years at Koko Head Stables, riding her horse Buddy.

So why volleyball?

"Because my brother started playing," Taylor said of Josh, an outside hitter for the Waves. "I was kind of around it all the time. Plus, it was a family tradition. It’s how my parents met. Their story is so cute."

Graham Taylor had played basketball for Pacific in the 1983 Rainbow Classic, fell in love with Hawaii, and returned the next year for graduate school. He met his future wife while he was playing sand volleyball at Fort DeRussy and she was on vacation.

"The volleyball rolled over to my now-wife, I said, ‘hi,’ and that was it," he said.

Coincidence or not, his daughter found great success when she joined Hawaii’s sand team. Nikki Taylor and Katie Spieler went 35-13 as the SandBows finished third nationally and the pair earned All-America honors.

"I think the beach game has helped my indoor game, especially setting," Taylor said. "That is not my best skill. I learned a lot more about my abilities because I was forced to produce more."

Taylor’s collegiate debut came in 2013’s season-opening upset of then-No. 1 Texas where she put down 10 kills with six blocks. The season finished with her being named All-Big West first team and all-region honorable mention.

Everything pointed to the Rainbow Wahine’s offense being built around Taylor, who had finished second in kills behind senior All-American Emily Hartong. The 19-year-old is nearly back to 100 percent and so is that plan. She’s taking more swings and staying in the back row to serve, resulting in 2.93 kills per set, second to junior hitter Tai Manu-Olevao’s 3.17.

The Kaiser High product also recorded the program’s first triple-double in the rally scoring era with 10 kills, 10 digs and 11 blocks against Cal Poly. Taylor again was named first-team All-Big West earlier this week.

"Nikki has slowly progressed to where we envisioned she would be at the start of the year," Wahine coach Dave Shoji said. "She is so physical. She can just get kills because she’s bigger and stronger than the person across the net.

"We know being out was really hard for her, hard for her to connect with the team. There was a separation that the team has done a good job of bringing her back into the fold."

Wahine fans have noticed Taylor rubbing her taped arm after plays. She said it is a way to help loosen the tendons that occasionally cramp up or to smooth out the tapes; the trainer uses three types.

It’s also a subconscious way to connect with her tattoo, a touchstone for staying strong and having faith.