10 Questions with Milwaukee's Taylor Golabowski

INDIANAPOLIS--Every week www.horizonleague.com talks with a Horizon League student-athlete who exemplifies integrity and excellence in both the classroom and on their respective playing field. This week, Cam Fuller caught up with junior volleyball player Taylor Golabowski of Milwaukee. Golabowski has anchored Milwaukee to a 4-0 start in Horizon League play, including a recent road sweep at Horizon League preseason favorite Valparaiso, 3-0.

Meet Taylor Golabowski
Class: Junior
Hometown: Menomonee Falls, Wis.
High School: Menomonee Falls
Height: 5-6
Position: DS
Major: Kinesiology

Career Background
-Appeared in all 30 matches during her freshman season, appearing as a defensive and serving specialist.
-Collected nine digs in an NCAA Tournament First Round loss at Iowa State Dec. 2, 2011.
-Missed a large chunk of the 2012 season after breaking her hand in late-August, sidelining Golabowski until mid-October.
-Had 19 digs in a win at Wright State on Nov. 10, 2012.

2013 Season Highlights
-Tenth in the Horizon League in aces per set at .26 and third in digs at 4.6 per set.
-On Oct. 5, Golabowski had a match-high 24 digs as the Panthers swept Horizon League preseason favorite Valparaiso, 3-0.
-Golabowski’s 8.0 digs per set average against Valpariso tied for the fifth-most in a three-match set in school history.
-Named Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 7

You appeared in every match your freshman season but were slowed by injuries last season. Where is your health at now?
My health right now is at an ultimate high. When I came in my freshman year, I was slowed down by another injury when I broke my jaw. This is the first season where I haven’t had to deal with an injury. It's really nice to be able to pay without any nagging pains.

You're from Menominee Falls, which is a short distance from Milwaukee, was Milwaukee a school you always wanted to attend?
The first time I came to Milwaukee on a visit, the players and coaches really stood out to me. I went on a couple of other visits but it wasn’t the same. There is a big sense of family at Milwaukee and the coach’s care about you as a person instead of just a player. When people get here, they realize it’s more of a family.

Your freshman year the Panthers won the Horizon League Volleyball Championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. What is it going to take for the Panthers to get back to the NCAA Tournament? 
We are taking it one game at a time; we haven’t looked ahead of anyone. Even playing weaker teams you got to get in, and get out and put the time in during practice and stay focused on the keys to winning. Once you start looking past teams, that’s when they creep up on you. It’s always one game and one point at a time and that’s our motto.

The Panthers are 4-0 in Horizon League play and swept Horizon League preseason favorite Valparaiso in straight sets on Oct. 5. What was the excitement in the locker room like after the win?
It was really awesome; but we’re treating it as just a win. We weren’t favored to win, but it was awesome in the locker room. Afterwards we packed up our stuff and said we aren’t done. We have other teams to play and we got right back in the gym and continued practicing.

The team's 8-8 overall record can be a bit deceiving after playing a grueling non-League schedule that included No. 2 Florida, No. 19 Wisconsin and two other school receiving votes in the current AVCA Coaches Poll (Oklahoma and Kansas). How are these opponents going to help once November rolls around and the postseason begins?
Mentally, it’s the biggest thing. Obviously Florida is a great, physical team. The physicality you can’t simulate in the Horizon League. Seeing that and mentally knowing what it’s going to take to compete against these team in the future will make us tougher.

On Friday night the Panthers host in-state rival Green Bay, who is off to a 3-1 start in League play. What is it going to take top the Phoenix?
They always play their greatest against us and want to beat us, and I think a lot of teams feel that way. As a Milwaukee team we know that every team always plays their best against us, no matter what time of year it is. So we always mentally prepare that our opponent is going to come out like it’s the National Championship. We always come out are ready to shut down players. That’s the fun thing about Green Bay, it’s always a great game and great competition and it comes out to who has more heart and who has more fight to come out on top.

Assistant coach Lindsey Vanden Berg is one of the most decorated players in school history. She’s second in school history in assists, fourth in digs and Milwaukee’s career leader in aces. How nice is it to have a coach of that stature?
It’s great. Not only can she coach, but she knows what we go through, the aches and pain. She knows more than just coaching. She knows what other coaches and other players are thinking. Having her being a past player she really knows how to coach in a way that prepares us to our fullest.

Who is the funniest player on the team?
Amber [Simonton]. She can take the suckiest and stupidest situations and turn them into being on the floor crying because she turns anything and everything into funny situations. That’s a big thing on the team, she keeps all of us together and laughing and we really appreciate her for that.

You started as a business major, but switched to kinesiology. What made you switch majors?
I started as a business major because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. But after an accident coming into my freshman year I dealt with a lot of pains. I lost my hearing and taste and went to a neurologist and chiropractor in Minnesota and he brought all my senses back and really fixed me. That really made me want to help people.

What would your dream job be?
I’m pursuing to be a chiropractor so I’ll have to go to grad school, eventually and continue my education. After regaining my senses after my accident it really changed my views and being a chiropractor is something that I can do to help people that went through accidents, and help people that have day to day back problems.  I just want to be able to help others the way I’ve been helped because it’s changed my life.