UH’s Taylor out with elbow injury
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Volleyball player Nikki Taylor and Emily Maglio successfully fended off an attempted kill by Kaleo Baxter, Director of Volleyball Operations, during a scrimmage on Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Friday’s much-anticipated matchup between two Pan American Cup volleyball teammates disappeared Tuesday when it was announced that Hawaii senior All-American Nikki Taylor would be out for the season-opening tournament due to injury.
Taylor, who missed the first seven matches of 2014 with an injured right elbow, injured her left elbow late in Saturday’s Green-White scrimmage.
The Kaiser High graduate was evaluated by a physician Tuesday morning. Her status is week-to-week, meaning she won’t be available for this week’s Chevron Invitational, including Friday’s match against No. 4 Wisconsin and her Pan American Cup teammate, Badgers senior setter Lauren Carlini.
Taylor and Carlini were among the “12 to Watch” in women’s volleyball by espnW.com on Tuesday. Also on the list is Arizona senior hitter Kalei Mau (Kaiser); she and the Wildcats are part of this week’s Chevron Invitational.
The reigning Big West Player of the Year, Taylor is the second Rainbow Wahine who will miss Friday’s opener; senior middle Annie Mitchem broke her left pinkie during the first day of practice on Aug. 9 and is out for at least another month.
Taylor’s injury means junior setter Kendra Koelsch will move to opposite.
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12 responses to “UH’s Taylor out with elbow injury”
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How was her elbow injured? That’s not in the story. How does a right-handed player injure her left elbow? A fall? Not really in volleyball? Huh?
Nikki was on the undercard in last weekends UFC fights… 😉
Does it matter? Could be the middle finger pointed at you and wouldn’t matter. What matters is that she’s out of play.
oxtail01. I see your point but didnt Nikki take alot of sets in the last scrimmage. True, her injury came on her non hitting side, still, there is always a risk of injury early and apparently Taylor was unleashed. Just saying…
Bad news comes in threes as the saying goes so hopefully the bleeding stops. On the flip side we finally get to see Castillo and Kendra in action, although in unexpected roles. Also, the heralded 6-2 frosh OH KS should make her debut.
With these injuries it is unlikely to see frosh setter NI redshirt. If Mitchem and Nikki heal well our depth for post season play will make us a better team. So look for the silver lining.
So that makes three starters out – Greely, Mitchem and Taylor. Too bad, but conference is most important and the team can work on other offensive sets. There was too much Nikki Taylor, as reported, during the scrimmage.
This is the exact worry I brought up after last week’s scrimmage when she got an ungodly amount of swings in a meaningless game. And I totally disagreed with Cindy for saying UH had depth. Finally, that KA assistant Hall should be fired for not taking care of Taylor.
Is she not right-handed? Too many swings shouldn’t be a health factor. That’d be like saying a right-handed pitcher threw too many pitches in his last outing so that’s why his left elbow hurts. How did she injure her elbow? That’s the missing piece of this story. Did anyone think to ask?
Injuries don’t only happen to one side or the main use hand (whether right or left), feet, head, or middle finger. Injuries happen because with excessive use ALL body parts are exposed to injury.
She ran into one of her teammates. It had nothing to do with how many swings she took. It was a freak accident.
The injury bug has been vicious. Three starters lost before the season’s first serve and with several high-rated programs coming to town. And this team was projected to be Shoji’s best in many years.
True. Young Rolo held out his prized RB and limited several other skill players to avoid injury. Sh– happens. Rolo knew what these guys can do and dressed them in orange. And Hawaii football has a larger roster. One injury out of six starters in wahine VB. It happens. Two injuries. Wait a moment that sucks. THREE! Something smells in Denmark and lingers all the way to Brazil.
Somebody is going to have to step up big time to fill that right side. Mags and Burns will have to take care the middle. We know what Mags can do, Burns will get her share of playing time i’m guessing and see what she can do.
“How did it happen?” is a legitimate question. I agree with Jkjones’s comment: “One injury out of six starters in wahine VB. It happens. Two injuries. Wait a moment that sucks. THREE! Something smells in Denmark and lingers all the way to Brazil.” The coaches and trainers need to pay a lot more attention to HOW and WHY serious injuries are occurring at what seems like an alarming rate, and they need to be proactive in making sure that they don’t happen again. The best coaching in the world is for naught if the players are sidelined by injuries.