Bountiful’s roster may list Taylor Harvey as a middle, but don’t let that fool you, she can play anywhere on a volleyball court.
At 6-foot-3, Harvey can defend like a libero and hit like the best outside hitters. It’s rare for her to step off the court for Bountiful. Harvey’s talent, versatility and competitiveness made it an easy decision for head coach Kelsie White to keep her on the floor at all times.
“I think I maybe subbed her out twice all year, and it was because we were just destroying a team, so I was giving her a little bit of a rest,” White said. “She’s the type of player that you never want off the court and you want her involved in everything. She can attack from the back row, she can attack from the front row, so I went into this season thinking, ‘how do we get Taylor the ball as much as we can and how do we plan everything around her?’
It’s rare you get a player like that, and it’s definitely a whole team effort.”
‘Rare’ is the perfect word to describe Harvey. In her senior season, she led the state with 615 kills, and did so with a .330 hitting percentage. Harvey also had 274 digs and 56 aces on the year.
Harvey’s goofy personality and competitive spirit were attributes White really admired about her.
“I would describe her as a natural competitor and leader who is authentically herself.” White said. “Taylor is kind of goofy and she has a bit of a whimsical side. She’s not afraid to be who she is, but she is also a whole new beast on when it comes to competition, and she’s someone that you definitely want on your team.”
The versatility at her size makes her lethal on the court. Her ability to overwhelm opponents, no matter her spot in the rotation, resulted in Harvey being named the 2024 Deseret News Ms. Volleyball recipient.
Just two years ago, Taylor’s sister Jordyn was named Ms. Volleyball. Since seeing her sister receive the award, it’s something Harvey has wanted to also accomplish.
“I was just super excited because (Jordyn) got it two years ago and I was just following in her footsteps,” Harvey said. “I worked really hard and it was just a relief that it all paid off.”
Taylor also watched Jordyn go through the process of recruitment, where Jordyn ultimately signed with Stanford. Taylor said watching her sister go through the same thing helped in her decision. Earlier this year, Taylor decided on arguably the most prestigious program in the country, the 2022 and 2023 national champion Texas.
“I had a leg up because I saw (Jordyn) go through the process, so I kind of knew how it was going to happen,” Harvey said. “Texas was very welcoming, the coaches and the players are super supportive. Even the city, just the environment really felt like somewhere I could live.”
Through her four years at Bountiful, Harvey tallied 1,704 kills and 801 digs in her high school career. Harvey isn’t just a threat in volleyball, but also in basketball. Harvey was named 5A player of the year for basketball in 2023 and 2024. She led Bountiful to back-to-back state championships and hopes to win a third this year.
The athletic achievements don’t stop there, as Harvey has also made a name for herself on the youth USA national teams.
Harvey spent time with the U19 Women’s National Team last year, but was brought up to the U21 Women’s National Team and helped the United States take home a gold medal at the Norceca (North, Central America and Caribbean) Continental championship this summer in Canada. Harvey has loved basketball and volleyball throughout her life, but the chance to play for her country helped make the decision between the two.
“I ended my sophomore basketball year, and then I started getting recruited for volleyball and playing on the USA team,” said Harvey. “I felt like I definitely had more connections with volleyball. It was just an awesome opportunity to meet so many people and expand my connections with the volleyball world.”
With Ms. Volleyball in hand and plans to play for the back-to-back national champion, there’s one large goal Harvey wants to accomplish. She wants to play at the Olympics for Team USA. The crazy thing is, she can absolutely do it.
Harvey was in Canada with the U21 team watching Team USA compete this summer in Paris. Harvey said that experience made it feel all the more achievable.
“We were in Canada watching and it really felt like it was so attainable because it’s just right there,” Harvey said. “We’re doing the same routines and I thought, ‘That can definitely be me in the future.’”
I know the athletes that competed (for Team USA), I’ve talked to them personally and I’ve been watching them for years. Being in that spot where we’re wearing the same jersey that the Olympians are wearing, we’re wearing the same shoes, we’re wearing the same knee pads and we practice in the same facilities. It’s really feels like it’s set up for me to be there.”
Athletic achievement is somewhat of a norm among Harvey’s family. Her sister Jordyn was named 2022 Ms. Volleyball, her father Tony Harvey played basketball for the University of Utah in the late 90s and her mother Lindsay Harvey also played collegiate volleyball. Harvey also has cousins in the NBA, one of which is Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon.
Having athletes in the family, especially her father, helped her become the player she is today.
“I could see what they were experiencing, how they got over their mental like blocks and how they worked through challenges even at a young age,” Harvey said. “Helping me work through, not just sports, but life in general. My dad is a coach for basketball and how he coaches me through basketball can correlate to life a lot. It’s helped me so much.”
Past Deseret News Ms. Volleyball winners
- 2023 — Zoey Burgess, Lone Peak
- 2022 — Jordyn Harvey, Bountiful
- 2021 — Hailee Garcia, Syracuse
- 2020 — Lauren Jardine, Lone Peak
- 2019 — Mia Wesley, Mountain View
- 2018 — Tasia Farmer, Lone Peak
- 2017 — Heather Gneiting, P. Grove
- 2016 — Dani Barton, Brighton
- 2015 — Jaiden Farr, Morgan
- 2014 — Crash Parker, Snow Canyon
- 2013 — Eliza Katoa, Layton
- 2012 — Kizzy Willey, Lone Peak
- 2011 — Bailey Farris, Morgan
- 2010 — Ashlan Rogers, Lone Peak
- 2009 — Lori Mendenhall, Brighton
- 2008 — Brooke McAlister, P. Grove
- 2007 — Lacey Laycock, Lone Peak