ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – It's a tall order being Taylor Wickey. The 6-foot-4 middle blocker has excelled both athletically and academically at UCF.
Playing volleyball since she was eight years old, Wickey set her sights on playing volleyball at the Division I level.
"Being able to accomplish that dream has been really cool," Wickey said. "Playing in an environment like this, and at a school like this is really awesome. Seeing little kids look up to me is just a great feeling. I remember being that kid so it's really amazing to see how I'm a role model now."
After redshirting during the 2014 season, Wickey earned a starting spot the following campaign. Her solid and consistent performances were noticed by her teammates. She was awarded the title of team captain over the summer.
"I'm really honored that my teammates thought enough of me as a leader to vote me as captain," Wickey said. "I've grown a lot. It's pushed me to become a better leader. I've become more vocal, and learned how to communicate and organize a group of people."
Her leadership also extends off the court and into the classroom. She accomplished a pretty tough feat in August of 2016.
Wickey earned a business degree in just three years at UCF.
As a member of the Burnett Honors College, she has been named to the Dean's List following all six of her semesters as a Knight.
Head coach Todd Dagenais noted that when his staff recruited Wickey, she exemplified all of the characteristics that he looks for in a UCF volleyball player. Since arriving on campus, she has gone above and beyond.
"She is out there every semester competing for a 4.0 grade-point average while playing a huge role on the team," Dagenais said. "Add team captain on top of it. Nobody knows all of the amazing things she's doing off the court. We're just so proud of her and how she represents us."
She fills her spare time reading, building friendships and doing other extracurricular activities around campus such as Fellowship of Christian Athletics (FCA) and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
"I joined SAAC in the fall. I really like it because it's like doing SGA on a bigger scale," Wickey noted. "I love getting to meet new athletes. Both SAAC and FCA have really awesome environments that I enjoy."
Now thriving as a Knight, Wickey is pursuing a Master's degree in hospitality with a goal of working at Disney.