By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A year after she led the nation in assists, Northern Kentucky University senior setter Sara Taylor didn't know if she'd ever play volleyball again.

She wanted to play. She was eager to rejoin the team. Somewhere in between, she gave birth to a baby boy.

"It's hard to put into words," said Taylor, whose son, Isaiah, was born Aug. 22, one week before NKU's season started. "I didn't know if I was going to come back or not."

Taylor averaged a Division II-best 13.82 assists per game in 31 matches as a junior setter for the Norse and collected All-Great Lakes Valley Conference and First Team, All Region awards by the season's end.

"There are a lot of attributes that come along with being a setter, and there are a few things a coach cannot teach a player," NKU coach Carlos Chia said. "There's something innate in (Taylor) that makes her that good of a volleyball player."

But Taylor and her longtime boyfriend had some unexpected news. By the time spring volleyball ended in April, Taylor was five months pregnant.

"I wasn't worried about missing the actual playing of games," Taylor said. "I was more worried about letting down my coaches and teammates because of the situation."

Taylor received unwavering support from her friends, family and boyfriend and enjoyed a relatively easy pregnancy. She gained 20 pounds and delivered after 90 minutes of labor.

Volleyball went on without her at NKU, where standout Andrea Lanham became the first freshman setter to start since 1995. On Sept.  23, Lanham was named GLVC Player of the Week. On Sept. 24, she broke her left wrist.

Taylor, who had taken a medical redshirt, saw a window of opportunity. She knew it would be even harder to play volleyball next fall when her son was 1, so six weeks after giving birth, she forfeited the redshirt and took the court for the Norse.

"Physically, it was very hard because I wasn't in shape. My setting skills were kind of rusty," Taylor said.

Balancing sleep, school and family hasn't been easy. Isaiah, who already has been to three NKU matches, stays with Taylor's boyfriend and family during the week while she catches up on sleep in a dorm room. When matches end, Taylor makes a beeline home.

If she ever needs help with Isaiah, she knows where to go: Her teammates have been clamoring to babysit.

"Everybody loves him," Taylor said, laughing.

Taylor, who's at the helm of a 21-10 Norse squad (11-2 GLVC), still harbors big plans. After helping the Norse in the postseason, she'll finish her degree. Eventually, she wants a master's.

In the past, Taylor had heard of female athletes having children and returning to the sports they loved. She doesn't regret choosing the same path.

"It was very hard when (the baby) came along," Taylor said. "But things have a way of working out."

Others

• Junior setter Lindsey Macke (Notre Dame Academy) earned co-volleyball player of the week for the Big East after averaging 14.67 assists per game in the University of Pittsburgh's victories over Seton Hall and Rutgers.

• Freshman running back Wymon Parham (Harmony) tied an Urbana University record when he rushed for three touchdowns in the Blue Knights' 48-17 win over Malone Oct. 25. Senior Charles Boyd (Western Hills) led the squad with 10 tackles, including a sack and a tackle for a loss.

• Steve Banks (Western Hills) tied a Lackawanna College record for TD receptions in a season Oct. 25 when he caught his eighth TD pass.

• Mount St. Joseph's Eric Johnson (Withrow) was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's defensive football player of the week after leading the Lions to a fourth straight HCAC victory. The senior tackle recorded five solo tackles, four assisted tackles, four tackles for a loss and 2 1/2 sacks, and forced a fumble.

• Mount St. Joseph sophomore forward Erin Fox (East Central) was named the HCAC's women's soccer player of the week after scoring a career-high and school-record four goals in the Mount's 5-2 win against visiting Anderson Oct 21. The eight points she recorded in the game also are a school record.

• Northern Kentucky University's Katie Hanck (Fairfield) was named Great Lakes Valley Conference co-player of the week in women's soccer. Hanck scored two goals and added an assist during NKU's 7-1 win at Lewis Oct. 25.

• Northern Kentucky University's Maggie Pugh (Mason) was named the GLVC player of the week in volleyball after recording 31 kills and a .604 hitting percentage last week.

• Tracy Inman (Oak Hills) became the first women's cross country runner in Northern Kentucky University history to earn All-GLVC honors Oct. 25 when she posted an eighth-place finish at the GLVC Championships.

• UC freshman Myanna Hellsten is Conference USA's co-volleyball player of the week. Last week Hellsten, a middle blocker, averaged 2.75 kills, 1.62 blocks and 1.12 digs per game, while hitting a team-best .326.

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E-mail srussell@enquirer.com