A Karl Pearson column...



To say that one has a sport in their blood generally means it is almost a given they are going to be a standout.

When she was in elementary school, it would have seemed natural for Taylor Webb to become a terrific volleyball player. After all, her mother, the former Jeanna Coy, had been a fine player for Geneva High School coach Stan Bielech, and her father, Keith Webb, had also immersed himself in the sport while he was in college. In fact, her parents’ involvement in the sport probably led to the assumption that their oldest child would become a dynamic player as well.

“My mom and dad (who was from Conneaut originally) played a lot of recreational volleyball together after my aunt Tracy introduced them after college,” Taylor Webb said. “I guess you could say I have volleyball in my blood. I wouldn’t be here without that.”

But, at least until she reached junior high, Webb concentrated on other sports. She didn’t pick up on volleyball until just before she entered seventh grade.

“Up until then, I played a lot of soccer and basketball,” she said. “I never really picked up a volleyball until I was getting ready for tryouts for the seventh-grade team with my neighbor Mary Ankrom (who has gone on to be her teammate at Geneva). I was so nervous.”

But, quite obviously, Webb needn’t have worried. Her gifts for the sport shone through to such an extent that by the time she was a freshman, she was already getting some playing time at the varsity level, enough to earn a letter.

She has really had an impact for coach Annah Haeseler’s team for the past three seasons. This year, Webb helped the Eagles reach the Division II district-championship match before losing to eventual state runner-up Lake Catholic. It was the first time a Geneva volleyball team had reached that level since 2001, when Haeseler was still an assistant coach for the now-retired Bielech.

Because of that performance, Webb has been chosen the Star Beacon Ashtabula County Player of the Year.

“I don’t know where to begin to tell how I feel about this,” Geneva’s middle-outside hitter said. “I’m really humbled. To be mentioned along with players like the Kapferer sisters (Jefferson’s Kelly and Haley and SS. John and Paul’s Jamie), (SJP’s) Kaitlyn Tinney and (Lakeside’s) Miranda Newsome is just amazing.

“I think it shows what a long way I’ve come as a player. (Being chosen) is something I always thought would be so cool.”

Haeseler believes Webb is richly deserving of the honor.

“Taylor is a volleyball coach’s dream,” she said. “She plays all the way around. She loves her teammates and she loves her school.

“She’s right up there tied for first with all the other great players I’ve had a privilege to coach.”

Humility is one of the characteristics Webb carries. She downplays her own abilities and her own contributions.

“I don’t think I have outstanding talent,” she said. “I’ve had to work really hard to achieve what I’ve been able to.”

Fortunately, she’s been blessed with good coaches all along.

“My dad was probably my first coach,” Webb said. “He’s helped me out a lot. He’s always been willing to sit down with me and talk about what was going on.”

Her mother’s background as a player for Bielech was also something upon which to lean. Jeanna Coy was a teammate of Lori Belconis, another former Ashtabula County Player of the Year. Her mother has related a lot of those experiences to her.

“My mom doesn’t say much, but she’s really helped me, too,” Webb said.

She also credits her work in Junior Olympic volleyball with helping with her development.

“I’ve worked a lot with Chakib Hraga, who’s been a friend of my dad for a long time, in JOs,” Webb said. “I owe so much to him. I also owe a lot to (former SJP coach) Stephanie Kubec, who worked with me with Club Ashtabula and the GaREAT Volleyball Academy, too.”

She regrets her path never crossed with Bielech when he was the Geneva coach and she didn’t get to play much for Patty Bielech, who has been the Eagles’ freshmen coach for many years and is still the scorekeeper for the varsity. She didn’t play much with the freshmen because she was already playing at the JV and varsity levels.

“I love the Bielechs so much,” she said. “They’ve always been around for me and encouraged me so much. I wish I could have played for Mr. Bielech.”

But she feels fortunate to have played throughout her high school career for Haeseler, who also has a legacy as a standout player for the Eagles as Annah Debevc.

“I’ve really loved playing for Coach Haeseler and for Geneva,” Webb said.

She has felt blessed to play with great teammates throughout her career, but particularly the last two.

“I was really proud to play with girls like Bre Freeman, Autumn Scott, Brittany Powers and Erica Napier my sophomore and junior years,” Webb said. “This year was as good if not better with all my senior teammates — (Ankrom), Hillary Hambleton, Kristyn Pristov, Rachel Murray, Stephanie Booth and Aimee Jones. We had a lot of young girls step up this year. I’m so proud of what we accomplished.”

But Webb has been part of the leadership team for Geneva ever since she started earning significant playing time for the Eagles. She has been a captain for three years, in large part because of her exemplary play and work. Along the way, she’s accumulated first-team all-county and all-conference honors all three years.

Haeseler has counted upon Webb’s leadership skills all along.

“Taylor’s a natural leader anyway,” she said. “She’s always done so by example. This year we had to push her to be a little more vocal. But the other girls really lean on Taylor.”

Webb lives by a simple credo.

“I’ve always just wanted to do my best,” she said. “I’ve always tried to keep improving. I wanted to leave every match feeling I did the very best I could.”

Haeseler said she couldn’t pick a better person for any of her Geneva players to emulate. That includes in her classroom work, where she carries a 4.045 grade-point average and ranks 11th of 248 seniors.

“I would want all our girls to be modeled after Taylor,” she said. “In fact, I told them, ‘If you’re looking for a role model, all you have to do is look at No. 17.’”

Webb would be a worthy role model for any volleyball player. Haeseler cited Webb’s play in the Star Beacon-Frank Roskovics Senior Classic, from which she earned Player of the Match honors.

“I think that was a good example of what Taylor’s all about,” she said. “She had missed school the day before because she had the flu. She went to school that day, then went to basketball practice after school, then went to the match. I know she wasn’t feeling all that good, but she still wanted to play, and I think she played well.”

Webb and her teammates were driven by several goals this year.

“Our first goal was to get to play Lake Catholic, which we did,” she said. “We wanted to try and do well in our first season in the PAC, and I think we did.

“I think we learned a lot in the PAC. It’s a little more fast-paced with teams like (Division I regional runner-up and PAC champion) Riverside and South. There’s a lot more depth of talent in the PAC.

“I think we learned to finish this year,” Webb said. “I think we learned that against teams like South when we went to five games to win it. Overall, I’m pretty happy with what we did.”

There were some moments of personal satisfaction this year, too. One was the opportunity to play with her cousin, Veronica Clutter, a sophomore who was a significant factor for the Eagles as a middle hitter.

“That was a lot of fun,” Webb said. “Veronica is almost like a sister to me.”

She still has to find time to decide on her collegiate choice, too. Several college coaches were seen at her matches during the season.

“I’d like to play volleyball in college,” Webb said. “I’m working on it. I still have to try and find the time to decide where I want to go. But I’m in no rush.”

Actually, Webb is looking for a college where she is likely to be able to pursue her love of sports in some way even beyond her playing days.

“Sports are my passion,” she said. “I’d like to get into physical therapy. I want to get my doctorate of physical therapy and a masters in athletic training.”

Whatever path she chooses, she knows she will have the support of her parents and her 15-year-old brother, Connor, a sophomore at Geneva.

“I want to thank my parents and my brother for all their support,” Webb said. “My brother’s an athlete, too. He plays soccer and does track, too. I think we have a good relationship.”

The fun has just begun for Webb. Now she turns her attention to basketball for Nancy Barbo’s team, where she is a key component in the post. After that, she also figures to be an important contributor to Bob McQuoid’s track team as a thrower and long jumper.

“I’m definitely looking forward to basketball and track,” she said.

But she will be fueled by fond memories of the volleyball season.

“I can’t believe volleyball season is already over and basketball is starting,” Webb said.



Pearson is a sports writer for the Star Beacon. Reach him at kpearson@starbeacon.com.