Riley Taylor enters her third season as an assistant coach on the Belmont Volleyball staff in 2024.
Taylor came to Belmont after a standout playing career at Eastern Michigan from 2016-2019 and one season as a volunteer assistant for the Eagles in 2020.
In 2023, the Bruins earned their first trip to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament since joining the conference. In their conference tournament debut, Belmont secured their first postseason win since 2015 against Valparaiso to advance to the MVC Quaterfinals. The Bruins also collected their first power five win since 2014 and compiled their best record since 2017 during the 2023 campaign.
In 2022, Taylor helped the Bruins to their first Missouri Valley Conference win, their first three-match conference win streak since 2018, and their first road win over rival Murray State since the 2015 OVC Championship match.
Additionally, Belmont took a set off (rv) Washington State on Sept. 2, the first time the Bruins had taken a set from a Power Five opponent since 2018 and just the second time since 2015.
Taylor worked primarily with Belmont's setters, helping develop skillset of Peyton O'Brien, who ended the year with a career-high 928 assists, including a pair of 50-assist outings, tied for the 10th-most in a single match in program history.
The offense also saw the improvement of both Kristen Clemons and Laura Shoopman, who became the first pair of Bruin teammates since 2015 to each finish with over 300 kills. Shoopman's 389 kills was the most in the program since 2017.
Before coming to Nashville, Taylor most recently was a student teacher at Perry Meridian Middle School in Indianapolis, Ind.
A four-year starter at setter while in Ypsilanti, Taylor currently ranks 8th all-time in Eastern Michigan history in career assists and 10th all-time in career aces. Taylor was a key cog in the Eagles' run to a MAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018, when she led the Eagle offense to first-place ranks in team hitting percentage, assists per set, and kills per set.
Taylor was a five-time MAC Setter of the Week between 2018 and 2019, and ranked 3rd in the conference in assists per set in 2019.
Taylor was the team's Freshman of the Year in 2016 and the team's Teammate of the Year in 2017.
In 2020 as the volunteer assistant for Eastern Michigan, Taylor assisted in creating practice plans, charting passing numbers, and coaching the setters.
"I am very excited to add Riley to the staff," head coach Katelyn Harrison said. "She brings championship experience as a student athlete in a very competitive and respected volleyball conference. Having played for Kimi (Freeburg) Olson and Darcy Dorton I know that she understands what championship behavior and culture is. She was instrumental in Eastern Michigan winning their first MAC championship and I look forward to her bringing that knowledge to us as we move to the Missouri Valley."
