Hannah Taylor thought her playing days were over.
The 2018 Summers County grad and Class A first-team all-stater accepted an offer to play basketball at Concord after high school but quickly realized it wasn’t for her.
“I just kind of realized I wasn’t ready to play again and I felt like I was playing for other people,” Taylor said. “I just wanted to do my own thing and I think it’s turned out great.”
After three years out of action, Taylor will suit up again this fall for second-year head coach Summer Quesenberry at Alderson Broaddus.
Though welcomed, Taylor’s return to the court was a surprise, even for her.
“I honestly didn’t know you could be that far removed from playing and still get offers.” Taylor said. “I never thought I could still get offered anything. It never crossed my mind to go play somewhere, but I missed it.”
After spending her freshman year of college away from the team Taylor returned to the Summers County bench, this time as an assistant to head coach Chad Meador. Spending time with the team and practicing with them reignited the flame and passion she had for the sport.
“Practicing with them made me miss it so much more,” Taylor said. “Just watching them play made it so much worse. I wanted to play so bad and I thought it was a sign from God. It’s hard watching some of the kids you played with play and not be able to join them. I thought at times that maybe I made the wrong decision not continuing my career when I did. But it never crossed my mind to go play somewhere because I didn’t think you could.”
Though she was unaware, the wheels were set in motion for Taylor’s return.
Taylor Isaac, a freshman teammate of Taylor’s when she was a senior, signed to play at Alderson Broaddus in December. During that same time Meador was constantly telling Taylor that if she wanted to return to the court as a player he would make any calls necessary to make it happen. Isaac caught wind of that and welcomed the opportunity.
“Coach (Quesenberry) had been talking to the team and to our assistant coaches about getting some older recruits in where we’re a younger team and class,” Isaac said. “I was like ‘you should check out my friend Hannah.’ After that we sent her tape in and they liked what they saw. Hannah had been talking about wanting to play again so I thought it was a perfect opportunity.”
“I owe Taylor and her mom a lot,” Taylor said. “They kind of pushed coach Quesenberry my way and sent her film on me. She asked where I played currently and they told her that I didn’t. It was really the Isaac family that set this up.”
It didn’t take much for Taylor to realize Alderson Broaddus would be a fit.
After talking a conversation and a visit she knew.
“I just loved the campus,” Taylor said. “They made me feel welcomed. Just going there and talking to them and hearing how (Quesenberry) expects things, it was kind of in the same mindset of coach Meador and coach (Wayne) Ryan. So I was comfortable with that and it made my decision pretty easy.”
Still in shape, Taylor is looking forward to the opportunity or not just playing again, but playing with her former teammate in Isaac.
Following the final game of her high school career, a loss in the 2018 Class A semifinal to Huntington St. Joe, Taylor sat at the podium and spoke about how proud she was of the team’s freshmen – Isaac and Gavin Pivont. Getting the opportunity to play with one of them again after coaching both the last two years is something she’s looking forward to.
“That really was a big part of my decision,” Taylor said. “I really wanted an opportunity to play with her again. She was younger the last time we got to play together, but she’s really grown. It’s a blessing to be able to play together again. She’s a great player and It’ll be exciting to get to see her grow at the collegiate level.”
Isaac feels the same way.
“It’s very special,” Isaac said. “When she started talking about being committed to coming back and playing, it made me feel special. She’s a good player and I’ve learned a lot from her. And I’m excited having someone I know coming with me on this journey. This will kind of be my first time out on my own but she’s always been a great friend so it’ll be nice having somebody you know with you away from home.
“I’m just glad she gets this opportunity because she can still play and you can see it everyday. She deserves it.”
Regardless of how her playing career ends, Taylor still envisions a life in basketball moving forward.
Though she’ll be suiting up for the foreseeable future, she wouldn’t mind a return to the bench when she hangs up the uniform for good.
“I don’t know what I’ll do yet, but I love to coach,” Taylor said. “I love to to coach because I love to teach. Coach Meador always tells me if I’m not going to play then I need to coach so that my basketball IQ doesn’t go to waste. But it just depends. You never know but I really enjoyed it!”
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @TjackRH