In the beginning, volleyball was simply a way to make new friends after Taylor Gottshall moved to a new school. At the time, she had no idea that it would help her makes countless friends, help her get into college and etch her name in the Shippensburg University record books.

Gottshall realized after a while that volleyball was more than making friends, and she found a love for the game.

“After a while I just started to love it,” the SU senior said. “It’s a good outlet for me between school and work…it helps me relax.”

While attending Allentown Central Catholic High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania. she earned three varsity letters and became a three-time Lehigh Valley Conference honorable selection. As a junior, the former Viking was named to the District 11 Class AAA First Team and the Morning Call All-Area First Team.

From there, the Allentown native enrolled at SU in the fall of 2012 and shined on the court from the start. Gottshall earned the 2012 American Volleyball Coaches Association Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year and was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Rookie of the Year. Gottshall also earned an All-PSAC Eastern Division Second Team selection, all in her first season as a Raider.

Her numbers only climbed from there and the accolades piled up rapidly. Gottshall is known for her defense and made it her niche on the squad to be a dominant blocker. She set the SU record for career total blocks in 2014 at 452 with still a full season to go. In 144 matches, Gottshall has recorded 583 total blocks, adding to her already impressive record.

The 2014 season was arguably her best season. She finished with career highs in kills (355), digs (273) and total blocks (161). Gottshall’s dominant season earned her a Daktronics All-Region selection, an AVCA All-Region First Team selection and three PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the week honors.

Head Coach Leanne Piscotty says that instinct plays a big part in Gottshall’s success as a blocker.

“She’s just a very instinctual blocker who is very physically strong,” Piscotty said from inside Heiges Field House. “I can’t even tell you how many great touches that she has had that have made our defense able to handle easier balls.”

Gottshall, a 6-foot tall middle blocker, averages over one block per set in her career.

Even though Gottshall is known for her defense, you could argue that her offensive skills are equally as strong. The senior has recorded 1,068 kills in four seasons. Her kills are tied for sixth in school history.

Piscotty explains that Gottshall was always an instinctual blocker and has handled the pressure of being a top-notch player.

“She has been exceptional at taking on that pressure,” Piscotty said. “I think she prefers it, I think she likes having that pressure.”

Gottshall enjoys the accolades and personal achievements she gets for all her hard work, but enjoys watching her team succeed over her personal success.

“I get more excited for my teammates more than myself,” Gottshall said. “I like watching my teammates do better.”

The team’s success has not gone unnoticed while Gottshall has been at SU. In her four years as a Raider the team is 103-47 overall, including four straight PSAC playoff appearances.

Gottshall and her team are making a push to make her final season memorable. The team recently defeated West Chester University to move onto the semifinals of the 2015 PSAC Championships.

The end of her collegiate career is inevitable, but Gottshall says what she will miss most is her teammates.

“I am with them almost 24/7 and they are a great group of girls,” Gottshall said about her collegiate career coming to a close. “The connections I have had over the past four years are going to be really hard to give up after I am done with it all.”

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