University of Minnesota Athletics
Player Profile: Senior Setter Lindsey Taatjes
10/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
"Lindsey (Taatjes) is the rock of our team," said sophomore setter Kelly Bowman. "She is a steadying influence. Lindsey always knows what needs to get done and goes out makes sure we are successful as a team getting the job done."
Taatjes has embraced the role of providing stability to the team. In fact, it's a role that comes naturally to her, because of her personality.
"I have a pretty relaxed personality," Taatjes said. "I never get too high or too low no matter what the situation. On the court, I want to be the stabilizer for our team, the one to say everything is going to be alright no matter what is happening."
Minnesota head coach Mike Hebert believes that Taatjes' even-keeled manner even in the most high stress of situations speaks volumes about her as a person.
"Lindsey (Taatjes) is a very mature player who is extremely bright and reliable," Hebert said. "She is the type of person that will respond positively no matter what you throw her way. Lindsey is never the problem and always part of the solution."
The ability to respond well to whatever comes her way has been a big part of her success throughout her collegiate career. Every year she has been at Minnesota, new challenges on and off the court have been thrown her way and she has responded to them. As a sophomore, she was thrust into the role of being a starting setter. Heading into her junior season a new exciting challenge of balancing marriage with all the work of being student-athlete awaited, and as a senior the setter from Prinsburg, Minn. had to adjust to being a hitter for the first time in her career as a volleyball player as part of Minnesota's new 6-2 offense. Taatjes has passed all of these challenges with flying colors.
"I am the type of person who goes with the flow," Taatjes said. "I never get to uptight about things and am always ready to deal with the what is next."
On the court, Taatjes has been First Team All-Big Ten (2002) and honorable mention All-Big Ten (2003). However, Hebert still feels that Taatjes often times does not get the recognition she deserves.
"Lindsey (Taatjes) has outplayed or held her own against the top setters in the nation throughout her career," Hebert said. "However, she never really seems to get the recognition that some of the other setters around the nation do. "She won three high school state titles, has taken us to a No. 1 ranking, a Final Four (in 2003) and our program's first Big Ten title. She has to be one of the most underappreciated players out there."
"Part of that goes with her personality. She never draws attention to herself and always looks to make her teammates better. She is a giver and not a taker, and often times those type of players are overlooked when it comes to getting the glory."
Part of the team attitude for Taatjes, has been her adjustment from being the only setter to playing with Bowman as part of the two-setter 6-2 offense. In this offense, Taatjes is sometimes relied upon to be an attacker, a part of her game she had never worked on until last spring when the coaching staff informed that the team would employ the 6-2.
"Kelly (Bowman) is such a talented player that it only made sense to go to a system that would have us both on the court," Taatjes said. "Once the coaches told us that was the direction we were going I knew I had to work hard to be a factor as an attacker."
Taatjes explained that she had a "goofy-footed" attack style before the spring, meaning she jumped off the wrong foot. After a few corrections to that and some repetitions with her arm swing, Taatjes has made herself an offensive factor in a 6-2 offense that has been successful to this point in this season for Minnesota.
That success has carried Minnesota to a 14-2 record (3-1 in the Big Ten), and a No. 1 national ranking for three straight weeks from Sept. 13-Sept. 27. However, Taatjes and her teammates are hungry for more success after their accomplishments the last two years.
"Me and Erin (Martin) were talking about some of our team goals after winning at Penn State this past weekend," Taatjes said. "Even though it is still early, we were just remembering what a great feeling it was in 2002 to win the Big Ten, and how bad we would love to do it again as seniors. We also would like to try to get back to the Final Four again, and try to get beyond the point where we finished last year."
No matter what happens the rest of the way, Hebert is extremely happy to have Taatjes as part of the Minnesota volleyball program.
"When we signed Lindsey out of high school she was not highly recruited," Hebert said. "With what she has given us in her four years we feel like we hit the jackpot in having her play at Minnesota."
Reliable, unflappable and steady; these are some of the adjectives that roll off players and coaches tongues when they describe senior setter Lindsey Taatjes. Taatjes has helped lead Minnesota to a No. 1 ranking, a Final Four, a Big Ten title and a 35-8 Big Ten record as the starting setter. Yet few people realize just how valuable she is to the overall success of the Minnesota volleyball program.
"Lindsey (Taatjes) is the rock of our team," said sophomore setter Kelly Bowman. "She is a steadying influence. Lindsey always knows what needs to get done and goes out makes sure we are successful as a team getting the job done."
Taatjes has embraced the role of providing stability to the team. In fact, it's a role that comes naturally to her, because of her personality.
"I have a pretty relaxed personality," Taatjes said. "I never get too high or too low no matter what the situation. On the court, I want to be the stabilizer for our team, the one to say everything is going to be alright no matter what is happening."
Minnesota head coach Mike Hebert believes that Taatjes' even-keeled manner even in the most high stress of situations speaks volumes about her as a person.
"Lindsey (Taatjes) is a very mature player who is extremely bright and reliable," Hebert said. "She is the type of person that will respond positively no matter what you throw her way. Lindsey is never the problem and always part of the solution."
The ability to respond well to whatever comes her way has been a big part of her success throughout her collegiate career. Every year she has been at Minnesota, new challenges on and off the court have been thrown her way and she has responded to them. As a sophomore, she was thrust into the role of being a starting setter. Heading into her junior season a new exciting challenge of balancing marriage with all the work of being student-athlete awaited, and as a senior the setter from Prinsburg, Minn. had to adjust to being a hitter for the first time in her career as a volleyball player as part of Minnesota's new 6-2 offense. Taatjes has passed all of these challenges with flying colors.
"I am the type of person who goes with the flow," Taatjes said. "I never get to uptight about things and am always ready to deal with the what is next."
On the court, Taatjes has been First Team All-Big Ten (2002) and honorable mention All-Big Ten (2003). However, Hebert still feels that Taatjes often times does not get the recognition she deserves.
"Lindsey (Taatjes) has outplayed or held her own against the top setters in the nation throughout her career," Hebert said. "However, she never really seems to get the recognition that some of the other setters around the nation do. "She won three high school state titles, has taken us to a No. 1 ranking, a Final Four (in 2003) and our program's first Big Ten title. She has to be one of the most underappreciated players out there."
"Part of that goes with her personality. She never draws attention to herself and always looks to make her teammates better. She is a giver and not a taker, and often times those type of players are overlooked when it comes to getting the glory."
Part of the team attitude for Taatjes, has been her adjustment from being the only setter to playing with Bowman as part of the two-setter 6-2 offense. In this offense, Taatjes is sometimes relied upon to be an attacker, a part of her game she had never worked on until last spring when the coaching staff informed that the team would employ the 6-2.
"Kelly (Bowman) is such a talented player that it only made sense to go to a system that would have us both on the court," Taatjes said. "Once the coaches told us that was the direction we were going I knew I had to work hard to be a factor as an attacker."
Taatjes explained that she had a "goofy-footed" attack style before the spring, meaning she jumped off the wrong foot. After a few corrections to that and some repetitions with her arm swing, Taatjes has made herself an offensive factor in a 6-2 offense that has been successful to this point in this season for Minnesota.
That success has carried Minnesota to a 14-2 record (3-1 in the Big Ten), and a No. 1 national ranking for three straight weeks from Sept. 13-Sept. 27. However, Taatjes and her teammates are hungry for more success after their accomplishments the last two years.
"Me and Erin (Martin) were talking about some of our team goals after winning at Penn State this past weekend," Taatjes said. "Even though it is still early, we were just remembering what a great feeling it was in 2002 to win the Big Ten, and how bad we would love to do it again as seniors. We also would like to try to get back to the Final Four again, and try to get beyond the point where we finished last year."
No matter what happens the rest of the way, Hebert is extremely happy to have Taatjes as part of the Minnesota volleyball program.
"When we signed Lindsey out of high school she was not highly recruited," Hebert said. "With what she has given us in her four years we feel like we hit the jackpot in having her play at Minnesota."