University of Connecticut Athletics
Taylor Pannell: Achieving Excellence on the Court, Track, and Beyond
5/1/2023 3:25:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Of the hundreds of Division 1 student-athletes at the University of Connecticut Storrs campus, Taylor Pannell holds a prestigious honor that no other student-athlete currently shares. Taylor Pannell, of the UConn Volleyball and Track teams, is the only current multi-sport athlete at UConn. Though her schedule and daily life is constantly busy between coursework, lifts, practices and more, Taylor goes above and beyond to strive for excellence in all areas of her life.
"Growing up a multi-sport athlete, I have had attachments to all the sports I played, so I knew that I wanted to continue with more than one sport in college," Pannell spoke of her journey to UConn. "I knew at this level, it would be a lot to ask. At the Division 1 level, every sport is such a commitment in itself, and so I was looking for a school that would allow me to showcase my talents in both Volleyball and Track". Upon talking to the coaching staff of both sports during her recruitment process, she quickly found that UConn fit all of her needs perfectly. A school with excellent academic-prestige, close to her home in New York, and would allow her to continue her athletic careers in both Volleyball and Track.
"Being from New York, UConn was always a school on my radar. When it came down to it, they're the best of the best both athletically and academically which is extremely important to both me and my family," Pannell said. UConn continues to be the perfect blend of both: a high-level of athletic competition, and high academic success.
As both of Taylor's parents are educators, her father being a History teacher and her mother a Guidance Counselor, excellent academics were of the utmost importance. Currently exploring career options in both Dermatology and Animal Science, Taylor is pursuing a degree in Biology. "Though playing professional sports has always been a big dream of mine, I know that graduating from UConn with a Biology degree will prepare me for whatever path comes next, and will allow me a great deal of opportunities to network myself," Pannell added.
How does she do it all? "Well, I'm still figuring that out, too," Pannell laughed. Participating in many sports throughout her whole life prepared her well for what the time commitment would look like. Rarely in her daily schedule does Taylor have 'free time', but in college she learned quickly of the high standard she will both be held to, and will hold herself to day in and day out. "What changed when I came to college was the load," Taylor said. "You can't just coast by in each practice. Each of my coaches demands 100% of me, each day, no matter how many teams I am with, because they know my potential," she added.
Just listening to her daily schedule is exhausting to say the least; Volleyball in the morning, Classes during the day, Track practice in the afternoon, then Homework, and all else that comes with daily living at night. "Oh yeah, and I basically travel every weekend because when there is not a Volleyball game, there is a Track meet somewhere else," Taylor shared of her busy routine. 'Getting by' is not at all a part of Taylor's vocabulary; "I want to do it all. I do Volleyball, I do Track, I major in Biology," her list could go on. "I want to do everything and I strive to be the best at everything that I do," Pannell said confidently.
She grew up watching Professional athletes like two-time Track Olympian Sydney McLaughlin, or who some call the 'GOAT', Simone Biles. As she looked up to these strong, Black women as role-models, she saw what excellence looked like which inspired her to work harder. Taylor watches Simone Biles, a Belizean woman like herself, push the standards of the entire sports industry. "I look at the way she carries herself so highly," Pannell recognized. "Simone is a big role-model for me because she shows that being a Black woman in sports, you will always come across people that try to downplay your success." Taylor acknowledged how Simone Biles has navigated the criticism and backlash she faces as a competitor, competing at a level that no one else is even close to. Being a Black-woman in sport herself, Taylor has learned from Simone Biles to always carry yourself with the most grace, even during the toughest times. "Both Simone Biles and Sydney McLaughlin embody everything that I try to do", being the best at everything she does, while handling it with maturity and grace.
When reflecting on what it means to be a woman in sport, Taylor quickly shared that it means everything to her. "I just think upon the amount of conversations I have had explaining why what Women in athletics do is important and substantial," Pannell said. "It is tiring, but more than anything it has taught me to advocate for myself in the real world." Taylor hopes that any young female athlete can learn that skill quickly, as it could open up endless opportunities. Two things came to mind of what she would most like to say to a young, aspiring female athlete: "keep doing what you are doing, because your hard work will pay off, and make sure people know what you are doing". Taylor further hopes that greater opportunities will present themselves to young Black-athletes, and all other athletes of color, as she hopes that representation will continue in sport. Taylor added, "as a young Black-athlete, you should be able to see yourself in other athletes or coaches that you look up to," similar to how she did with Simone Biles and Sydney McLaughlin. As Taylor is learning with each day, she continues to emphasize that striving for excellence and putting in hard work will pay off in all areas of your life.
Taylor's success will not end here; big dreams and goals remain on the court, track, and beyond. Taylor's individual goals for next season include Big East Accolades, for both Volleyball and Track. However, she pressed the importance of her team goals, which for Volleyball includes winning the Big East Regular Season as well as a Big East Tournament Championship. Being a dual-sport athlete, she now focuses her main attention to the High Jump. While the Outdoor Track season is currently underway, Taylor continues to put in the work to achieve excellence and meet her goals, on the Track, Volleyball court, in the classroom, and beyond.
