Taylor Unroe - Associate Coach - Women's Volleyball Coaches

Taylor Unroe

Title:
Associate Coach
Email:
tunroe@memphis.edu

Taylor Unroe is in her second season on the University of Memphis volleyball staff as an associate coach in 2020. Unroe came to Memphis after serving as an assistant coach at Mississippi State in 2018.

Unroe is in charge of the team’s defensive systems and works with the program’s outside hitters, liberos and backcourt personnel.

In her first season in the Bluff City, Unroe helped the UofM program continue it swift upward trajectory under head coach Sean Burdette. The Tigers won 17 matches in 2019, the program’s most victories since 2015.

Among the UofM’s accomplishments in 2019 was the program’s best start to a season in school history. The Tigers opened 2019 with an 11-0 record, and Memphis was one of the last five remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I volleyball.

In addition, the Tigers brought home three in-season tournament crowns for the first time since 2011 and won six of their final 10 matches, including road victories at ECU and Wichita State. Memphis wrapped up the season with a home sweep of Tulane, a top-65 RPI team.

Unroe’s addition to the staff helped the Tigers improve on the defensive side of the net. Memphis improved its opponents’ hitting percentage nearly 20 points from 2018 and moved up four spots in that statistical category in the American Athletic Conference. The Tigers also improved four positions from the previous year in digs in The American under Unroe’s tutelage.

Prior to her one season at Mississippi State, Unroe spent the 2017 campaign at High Point and served as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator. She helped guide High Point to a 24-8 overall record and a perfect 16-0 Big South Conference mark. The Panthers earned an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the first High Point program in any sport to receive an at-large NCAA postseason bid. The Panthers also earned 11 Big South Conference postseason honors.

As an assistant coach at George Mason in 2015 and 2016, Unroe was the program’s defensive coordinator and passing coach. Under her direction, the Patriots led the Atlantic 10 Conference in digs for the first time since the school joined the league. Unroe also coached the squad to its best finish in blocks since joining the league.

Before jumping to the coaching ranks, Unroe had a stellar four-year playing career at Florida (2011-14) under head coach Mary Wise. Unroe helped lead the Gators to four-straight, 25-plus win seasons, four-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, two Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships (2012, 2014) and two NCAA Tournament regional finals. With Unroe on the floor, Florida compiled an incredible 110-19 overall record and a 70-6 SEC mark.

Unroe was named the 2013 SEC Libero of the Year, the first Gator to earn the honor in program history. Her name still appears on Florida’s all-time charts for sets played (5^th; 449), digs (2^nd; 1,558) and aces (9^th; 130). Unroe also was a member of the 2010 Florida team, but was redshirted that season. The 2010 Gators went 29-2 overall and 20-0 in the SEC, winning the league title and advancing to the NCAA regional semifinals.

A Muncie, Ind., native, Unroe graduated from the Florida with a bachelor’s degree in family, youth and community science in 2014. A year later, she earned her master’s degree in the same field from Florida.

Prior to her college career, Unroe was a member of the Muncie Burris High School program that won four-straight Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) state titles, including her senior campaign in 2009 when the Owls went 40-0. As a senior, Unroe was named the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, and she was selected a 2009 Under Armour Girls High School All-American.